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Back in the early 1980s the local
club - the Laramie Wheelfolk - used to host a weekly
time trial that always started at the historical
marker at the five-and-a-half mile mark on Highway
230. The spot was perfect for a weekly test of
fitness, bike technology and forum for bragging
rights, given that it's flat and gave us the chance
to try out five- or ten-mile distances.
One day, as a group was riding out to the course
from town, a happy, sort of goofy, Golden Retriever
started chasing, but instead of biting or attacking,
he just fell in step and cruised along side all the
way to the marker. Though one of the riders
tied the dog up to a van in hopes of taking it back
to town later, the dog broke loose from its
restraints and ran into the road and was killed.
The dog stayed out there for quite some time, and
eventually someone grabbed the skull and it became
something of a morbid trophy for the holder of the
course record.
1984 Dead Dog Classic
Criterium
Meanwhile, up in Lander, the local club there hosted
a nice little two-day, three-stage race called the
Red Dog Classic. The race was named after a female
Golden Retriever named Mandy. The locals'
unofficial motto for the race was "The Red Dog -
It's a bitch."
We started referring to our time trial course as the
"Dead Dog."
In 1984, it was decided to put on
a stage race and it was just natural to call it the
"Dead Dog." The up side is that it gave the
opportunity to come up with some strange t-shirt
designs. (Unfortunately, the folks in Lander didn't
really appreciate it.)
A race in Lander in
1984.
The three in the picture are Dan Birkholz (front),
Rex Burke (back left), and Charles Pelkey (back
right)
In the first few years of the race, the historical
marker was - out of convenience and appropriate
respect to our dearly departed canine - the starting
point for not only the time trial (usually 10
miles), but also the road race. Starting and
finishing at the marker, the men's Cat. 1-2-3
race went out 230 to Wood's Landing and then up to
Mountain Home and back. The road stages of the first
few editions of the Dead Dog invariably invited
afternoon showers and were almost always contested
in pouring rain.
The Dead Dog has disappeared and reappeared on a few
occasions. Changes have been made to the courses and
touches of "history" have been added now and then -
sometimes interesting, sometimes accurate and
sometimes both.
Dan Birkholz was a local cycling legend of the
1970's who became a development coach for the United
States Cycling Federation (USCF) before his tragic
and sudden death in a plane crash. After Dan
died in that horrible plane crash in Colorado
Springs, it was natural for the promoters of the
event to honor one of the best riders by holding,
first a stage and then the entire race, in his
honor.
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Photo of Charles
Pelkey
"While Danny's talent came to the forefront in the
late 70s, he really achieved legend status in the
80s due in no small part to the bike trip he took to
Mexico on his fancy pants Trek 720, which was stolen
on the beach on the Baja, along with all of his
gear. He then bought a Hercules single-speed tank
and rode it all the way back to Laramie in street
clothes and a pair of huaraches on his feet. That's
the way to become a legend, now isn't it?"
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