Last weekend Tucsonan Dejay Birtch won the 2012 Single Speed USA Championship belt.

We caught up with Birtch to find out how he pulled off the win considering he actually finished the 25-mile race toward the back of the pack.

“The ride is just part of the event,” Birtch said. “Usually the Top 10 who come across the finish line first are in [the games]  and then some random people are selected to get to play the games. Whoever is the victor of the games gets to take home the belt for the year.”

This year’s game was Bike Derby, where the riders ride around in a circle that gets progressively smaller and smaller as people fall and close in in the riders. The last male and female on the bike are considered the Single Speed USA champion.

It’s likely Birtch got selected to play the game because for the last four miles of the race he pushed his friend who had broken a chain.

Birtch said the winners of the race get a trophy, but the overall champs take home the belt for the year.

Birtch has been to all five Single Speed USA events and this is his second belt win. He’ll be heading to the Single Speed World Championships on Sept. 27 in South Africa.

Check out the video to get sense of the race and check out the Single Speed USA Facebook page for lots of photos and videos.