Certified bicycle fanatic & 2008 AMA Supersport Ben Bostrom will be racing the Moab 24 Hour bicycle race in Utah this weekend. The race, sponsored by Suzuki, has grown over the past 13 years into one of the premier mountain biking events in the world. Amongst the 5000 pedal crushers he'll be competing against will be a familiar face—2008 AMA Superbike Champion Ben Spies. Bostrom gave Soup the lowdown at Yamaha's NYC party last week.

During the final AMA race weekend at Laguna Seca, Spies cornered Bostrom at his motorhome, asking about World Superbike, the tracks and the overall vibe of the series. 155 wasn't surprised by the questions, as rumors of a move by Spies to the Yamaha WSBK team had been making the rounds for weeks. But Spies changed the subject and that took Ben by surprise:

"He said 'tell me a little bit about the tracks and stuff,' and then the next question he goes "Ok......Moab." and I was like what? Just took me off guard and said "tell me about this race you guys are doing" and I told him about it, and he goes "I think I'd like to do that." But, you know, when somebody says that you think they're just talking? Nah....he comes to my rig a few hours later and he says "OK, I ordered two bikes, I'm ready. What else do I need?"

"So I told him, you need lights, you probably need a teammate, we've got to sign up, we're gonna drive there....he comes back, a couple of hours, "OK, lights are on order, got a team, where do you want to meet?" And I was like... that's incredible! For someone who was Johnny- On-The-Spot, I was like yeah Ben! I'm so stoked. So we're meeting in Vegas, hit Zion, Gooseberry Mesa, hit some famous trails on the way and then get to Moab, and ride a few bitchin' trails. We're going for fun, y'know?"

We asked Ben, who is sponsored by Cannondale, where he thinks he'll finish at Moab. "I know this sounds cocky but if we run our five man team, we're very strong, so I'd say we're in the front, top three no problem, which is pretty amazing because this is the biggest mountain bike race in the world. And if I ride the 24 hour myself, I'd still say we're top three. I know that's a big statement ... but just watch it! I might break down in the middle of the night crying because I can't keep up, but we'll see."

And the more important question—is Bostrom going to finish in front of Ben Spies this weekend?

"I have to! I mean, it's a fun race, and we'll be riding trails and drinking beers every night, but when the race comes, you know how it is, "oh, this is for fun!" But once you get on the thing and start crushing pedals—race on!"

The Moab 24 Hour Mountain bike happens this weekend, Saturday October 11 at noon (Mountain time) thru Sunday the 12th at noon. Winners will be announced at 1:00PM. Follow the race via live webcast here.