Note: the bike above is not the exact bike Sturges will be racing. |
'09 LACC Series 3rd Overall / 2nd XC1 Class finisher Stephen Sturges teams up with Suzuki City in Biloxi, MS. |
We caught up with
Sturges of New
Orleans, LA who's coming off a great '09 season,
changing colors for '10, and ready to get the new season
kicked off! Sturges finished 3rd Vet A in the '07 SERA
Hare Scramble series, 5th Open A in the '08 SERA HS Series,
3rd Open Ironman in the '08 Perry Mntn 24 Hour Challenge, 3rd
again at the 24 Hr in '09, and 3rd Overall / 2nd XC1 Expert
in the '09 LA Cross-Country Series. Red Text: Acadiana Racing
|
Great job on 3rd
overall last year in the LACC series; how do you feel about your
performance & what are your goals for '10? Will you be chasing
points in any other series?
I'll probably hit a few SERA races in the OPEN A class during the season, but won't be chasing points. The 24 Hr. Challenge for '10, of course. I won't quit racing that thing until I can stand up on the podium as one of the top three overall ironmen with that fake check yelling at the top of my lungs. [Sturges was recognized as the "Most Enthusiastic" during the '09 LACC Series Awards Banquet] If time in the season allows, I would like to race one of the GNCC’s
Are you tired after an hour and a
half LACC Series round? - try racing for 24 hours!! Sturges is a regular at the annual Perry Mountain 24 Hour Challenge, competes in the ironman class, and always puts in a solid performance: |
Good luck with your 24 Hr Challenge goals…that is one tuff
race even if on a 6-man team! You’re probably one of the
most fit racers in the LACC series…do you feel like you have
an advantage over others toward the end of the race? I definitely feel like I have an advantage as my lap times usually stay consistent during the race. Natural talent and skill can only take you so far, but it’s about how long you can ride without having significant skill drop and stay focused. That’s what my coach & trainer Scott Hackett of Leading Edge Moto Performance and I work on the most. Our relationship goes back to '96 during my Downhill Mountain Bike racing days. The program created is designed to keep me on track with the limited time I have available, focusing on improving my weaknesses and building on my strengths. The workouts are definitely not your run of the mill fitness routine and I have complete confidence in what we are doing will have me ready to ride to the best of my ability on race day. I recommend him to anyone who wants to train specifically for what we do, being physically and mentally prepared confidence to your game. Right: Sturges was a World Championship level Downhill Mountain Bike racer! |
Inside scoop on things you may not know about Sturges:
To get in the zone during training and such he likes to listen to Rage Against The Machine, Helmet, Tool, etc.
He works in the Engineering Dept. at Monsanto Chemical Plant as a Maintenance Technician (they manufacture Round UP). He likes his job and only works four 10hr days Mon-Thurs!
He doesn't currently have a girlfriend but "always on the lookout for a hot chic to hold the umbrella on the starting line" for him.
His favorite '09 venue was Hall's Hazzard County - loves the Endurocross stuff ..."even though I crash on it!"
First things he'd do with the $40M
Powerball:
$40 mil, eh? The first thing I would buy is a Toy Hauler and
something to pull it with! Let’s see…. my family wouldn't have
to work ever again, and I would race full time!!!
We’ve noticed you ride your mountain bike around the entire
course at just about every round; how much does that help?
Does it help with Sunday arm pump? Getting a mountain bike ride on the course is a great way to relax, get a spin to loosen up, and eyeball the trail. It’s about gaining confidence, knowing that you did everything possible to get ready: bike prep, fitness, diet, a peek at the course, etc., so it definitely helps. It keeps the body prepped and arm pump down. |
You got a late start into racing dirt bikes seriously…what were
you into
before twisting throttles?
I've been on dirt bikes my whole life, but I'm really into BMX and Mountain Biking. I moved to Colorado in '94 to race mountain bikes & competed on the NORBA downhill mountain bike circuit were I had some very cool moments. My highlight was being a member of the US National Team for the World Championship in Mont-Sainte-Anne, Canada. [see picture below] After that I moved back home to New Orleans in '99 to finish college. To stay active and for fun I got into sprint triathlons, cross country mountain bike racing, before getting more serious about dirt bikes! From time to time I still hit the BMX track; it’s great cross-training when going to the gym has gotten stale or don’t have time to get all the moto gear together. |
Sturges' new shoulder workout routine.
Sturges 'aint scared of the obstacles - here
on the back side of the Matterhorn Mountain - photo by Mandy Comeaux
Making his way up the Hall's Hazzard County
"Abandoned Railroad" - Photo By Brennen Reed
Another 4-stroke holeshot for Sturges in the
tough XC1 class. (pile-up behind him at Leesville Motorsports Park
including World MX Champ Parker - red gear)
BMX riding in Gretna, LA
Poster For Awards Banquet Autograph Session (photo by
Debsprints.com):