Chief of Race Mike Young may have said it best when addressing the weather at the awards presentation for the Kluane Chilkat International Bike Relay Sunday morning in Haines.

While it was certainly nice to be spoiled by sunshine and warm temperatures during past years of the relay, this year's mixed bag of rain, sun and strong head winds also reminded those who may have taken it for granted just how challenging the course can be.

And of the 249 teams which started the race a new KCIBR record only 12 failed to make it across the finish line, proving Mother Nature couldn't keep them down.

What was expected to be another major challenge for cyclists this year, the new border regulations which forced riders to stop and show I.D., didn't seem to be too much of a problem. Most participants reported short lineups at the special stop, and quick dealings with the customs official.

No new records were set this year, but that was more due to the weather than time spent at the border.

The top time this year was posted by four-man crew The Wrong Trousers, who finished the course in seven hours and six minutes.

Yukoners Marcus Waterreus, Stephen Waterreus, Paul Christensen and Scott Fraser rode together under the name Street Meat and were a close second to The Wrong Trousers, with a time of 7:21. That was also the second-best time overall.

Those times were still a ways off the pace of last year's first-place time, 6:49:15, which was posted by Animals of Fairbanks. That doesn't mean, however, there weren't still some impressive performances.

Spoke n' Two, the dynamic duo of Troy Henry and David Greer, was the first two-man team across the finish line Saturday, with a time of 7:40. Both Henry and Greer are young Yukon athletes, a speed skater and a cross-country skier, who won medals at the 2006 Arctic Winter Games and have been training in cycling with the VeloNorth club as well.

Tour da Haines, a four-person mixed team, finished more than 20 minutes ahead of their next closest competitors. And Rocket Girls, a four-woman squad, grabbed a time of 8:12, which was just six minutes faster than Yukon women Meadia Chicks on Slicks at 8:18.

And two men, Denis Robinson and Marshall Hatton, did the entire course on a tandem bike, drawing lots of laughs and tons on attention. Robinson and Hatton, A.K.A. Bipedal Disorder, finished with a time of 12:39.

Partners Tamara Goeppel and Thomas Tetz teamed up in their own way as well, each riding solo in their respective categories, but both under the name TnT. The two well-known local athletes, who are also adventure racers and compete in running and dog sledding respectively, rode the entire way together for their second solo finish of the annual race.

Goeppel was the second women's soloist across the line, with a respectable time of 9:15, though she wasn't entirely pleased with how things went.

'It was a really, really long day,' Goeppel laughed. 'It was really positive and intense last year, so we decided to do it again.

'This year, it took us a lot longer, over an hour longer. Already after the first hour of this year's race, I was feeling like I was just not there. It didn't feel right.'

Thankfully, she had a great support team in Tetz and Marg White, who was operating as the support crew for both athletes.

'She's incredible,' said Goeppel of White. 'On Stage 4, I was really hurting and she realized that. She knows exactly what to ask, what to do, what you need.'

Goeppel said she and Tetz also experienced some great sportsmanship along the course, pointing out a couple of times they had flat tires and others teams' support vehicles would stop and help out, even on the last stages.

'I think there should be a new category, called semi-solo,' she said. 'Because I certainly didn't do it alone. Thomas, he stuck right beside me. I kept telling him, go on up ahead, you can leave me. He didn't get a break at all.'

Tetz, who is German, also didn't have too easy of a time at U.S. Customs. The new regulations require Leg 7 riders to stop and show I.D. Tetz had gone to Alaska prior to the race and received a temporary VISA, so he went to the border in Haines thinking he had all the paper work in order.

After two stops one at the actual U.S. Customs office and one at the stop set up for cyclists and some confusion, he finally got things straightened out and was able to finish the race.

'For me, it wasn't a big deal, because I just had to show my I.D. and I was done,' said Goeppel. 'But I hope it doesn't deter anyone from the race. We need to keep the spirit of the race going.'

Despite all the problems, Goeppel said this year's race was well worth it for her, pointing out it always gets you back to the basics of life and 'sort of resets your clock.'

'Some people meditate for a year. I would suggest doing the Haines race,' she laughed.

Here are the top three results for each category of the KCIBR:

Solo-Men

1. Rocky Reifenstuhl, 7:39

(Fifth overall)

1. You Only Need One, 7:41

2. Tastes Like Chicken, 7:45

Solo-Women

1. Janice Tower, 9:04

2. TnT, 9:15

3. Only Toad, 9:50

2-Men

1. Spoke n' Two, 7:40

2. deedledeeanddeedledum, 8:15

3. Kluane 2 Chilkat, 8:18

2-Women

1. Too Tired, 9:30

2. markconnell, 9:40

3. Outback Imports, 10:21

2-Mixed

1. Papa & Tea, 7:56

2. Inform Cycle, 8:05

3. Double Shifting. 8:53

4-Men

1. The Wrong Trousers, 7:06

(First Overall)

1. Street Meat, 7:21

(Second Overall)

1. SCJJ, 7:23

(Third Overall)

4-Women

1. Rocket Girls, 8:12

2. Meadia Chicks on Slicks, 8:18

3. Four She's to the Wind, 8:28

4-Mixed

1. Tour da Haines, 7:55

2. Happy Crampers, 8:18

3. The Chain Gang Remix, 8:23

8-Men

1. Spent Legs, 8:44

2. More Cow Bell, 8:55

3. Sprocket Rocket Family, 8:56

8-Women

1. Caution Runners on Bikes, 9:38

2. Nice Aasman, 10:03

3. Another Road Side Attraction, 10:25

8-Mixed

1. Mavis Rumble Strips, 8:56

2. Preton & the Neutrons, 9:04

3. Green Shirt Day, 9:34

The Red Lantern award went to eight-person mixed team No Sweat,which crossed the finish line in 14 hours and 58 minutes.

Winning prizes for best team name were Weapons of Ass Destruction and Paradigm Shifters.