Jean Turner | December 5, 2017
2017 Tecate Enduro Results – You never really know exactly what you’re going to get at the Los Ancianos Tecate Enduro, since the club cuts in fresh single-track every year. Sometimes it’s quicker, sometimes it’s tougher, but with a long history of epic hardcore riding, racers always know they’re in for a long, challenging day and a true test of skill. For the 280 riders who were lucky enough to get an entry (the race sold out in 50 minutes), the 2017 event didn’t disappoint, with 75 miles of rocky, twisting single-track in northern Baja California. An unseasonably warm (downright hot) and dusty day made conditions that much more challenging, especially compared to the cool and wet conditions at the 2016 event, yet the same winner emerged—Noah Kepple topped the field at the end of the day, besting Justin Morgan and Dustin McCarthy.
2017 Tecate Enduro Results
GasGas-backed Kepple was excited to be among the few who have ever had back-to-back wins at the infamous race, saying, “It was a really awesome day. I’m really excited to go two in a row. Coming down here we knew it was going to be dry and dusty so we were a little nervous, but just started strong today and was able to get a good start and gap the guys that were on my row—Eric Yorba and Justin Morgan.”
Kepple won the first test with about a three-minute gap, and made an effort to duplicate his performance on the second loop. But after getting out to a good start, a tip-over left him stuck behind Morgan’s dust until the end of the test. Morgan took the second test by about 40 seconds followed by Kepple and Yorba.
2017 Tecate Enduro Results
“Then the third test was the typical Los Ancianos, they’re just testing us all on the third loop,” Kepple commented. “That was probably the hardest third loop that they’ve ever had down here, or that I’ve ever raced.”
Runner-up Justin Morgan agreed, “It was a pretty long day. The third loop was more technical than usual, I think. It had a couple pretty good sections.”
Morgan gave Kepple and good chase all the way through the day, and was also hung up a little when he stopped for downed rider Yorba on the third loop.
“He was fine,” Morgan assured. “But I think he banged himself up pretty good.”
2017 Tecate Enduro Results
Yorba went on to finish the race in fourth overall, yielding to McCarthy before the end of the final test.
Fifth overall went to Kevin DeJongh, who was the first Open rider. The Vet class win went to Kellon Walch, who carded ninth overall. The Vet class saw a stacked field, which included Alexander Smith (5th Vet, 19th o/a), with a little support from father, Malcolm Smith who made an appearance at the Los Ancianos event.
Larry Roeseler was another familiar face at the race. The former overall winner of multiple Los Ancianos Tecate Enduros took on the 50+ class aboard his Kawasaki and dueled with Grant Palenske for the win, but had to settle for second after Palenske took the lead late in the third loop.
Full results from the 2017 Tecate Enduro will be available at http://www.losancianos.com/.
Jean Turner
2017 Tecate Enduro Results
Overall Results:
- Noah Kepple (Gas)
- Justin Morgan (Hon)
- Dustin McCarthy (Yam)
- Eric Yorba (KTM)
- Kevin DeJongh (KTM) Open
Click here for more off-road news and results.