Author Archives: Shannon Boffeli

Muddy Bunny Time Trial – Rhode Island

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Spring mountain bike racing in New England has started with a series of classic technical time trials. The Muddy Bunny Time Trial replaced a former spring favorite, the King of Burlingame TT.   Although, race promoters still fashioned a crown to be donned by the winners.

The race was held on private land that abuts the Big River Management Area in West Greenwich, RI. Pre-riding the course was key to having a solid, crash-free race, as there were many technical features often coming after tight corners. There were rock gardens, a run-up, steep ups and downs, logs, you name it. The 7+ mile course tested fitness with 900+ feet of climbing as well. Not too shabby for Rhode Island.

Weather for the race was perfect – cool 60 degrees and bright sunny skies. Course conditions were very dry with just a couple minor mud puddles. Beginners rode a modified course.

Pro men's podium

Pro men’s podium

Michael Wissel (B2C2/Boloco) took the win in 46:41 for Elite Men 0-39 year old category.   Last weekend’s TT winner, Bobby Nash (Fast Splits) finished 2nd in 47:32 followed by Anthony Eisley (Horst Cycling Team) for 3rd in 51:07.

In Elite Men 40+, Shawn Mottram (NECT/NESS) took the win in 47:53 (3rd overall fastest time). Mike Rowell (Bikeway Source Racing) was 2nd in 49:19, followed by Stephen Witkus (JRA Cycles) in 3rd 51:22.

Pro women's podium

Pro women’s podium

Karen Potter (Pivot/MTBRacenews.com) followed up her TT win from last weekend to take 1st again in 51:32. Crystal Anthony (Riverside Racing) chased for 2nd in 52:35, with Liz Chabot Allen (DAS) following in 3rd in 58:43.

6 Hours of Frog Hollow – Hurricane, Utah

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Warm spring temperatures and exceptionally dry trails greeted riders at the 6 Hours of Frog Hollow. In it’s second year as a springtime event the Frog Hollow 6 offered up an excuse for riders to escape to the desert and rack up season early-season miles.

After a short run to start the race it quickly became apparent who had the best legs of the day. Chris Holley (Mayan Apocalypse), racing on a coed duo team with his wife KC, shattered the early lead group on his way to posting the fastest lap of the race at 48 minutes and one second. Holley was simply untouchable in Frog Hollow. The entire race saw only 3 lap times under 50 minutes and Holley was responsible for two of them.

Chris and KC would go on to dominate the day in a fast coed duo category, taking first place by a comfortable margin over Zeppelin and Nicole Tittensor (Team Tittensor) and Jen Hanks and Shannon Boffeli on the Pivot/Epic Brewing crew. These three coed teams finished in the top-7 overall for the entire race.

Sam Sweetser finishes up after 6 hours and 80 miles in Frog Hollow

Sam Sweetser finishes up after 6 hours and 80 miles in Frog Hollow

Cary Smith (The Hub) had the fastest time for the entire 6-hour event besting all teams with a spectacular solo effort. Smith laid down the second fastest opening lap and went thirty seconds faster on his next lap.

After establishing a healthy gap on Sam Sweetser (Cole Sport), his closest competition, Smith settled into a pace that allowed him to knock off lap after lap in just over 50 minute increments. Smith completed 6 full laps and just over 80 miles to take the win 15 minutes clear of Sweetser in second.

Aaron Hagge (Diamond Peak) finished third.

Colorado endurance specialist Jari Kirkland (Grigg’s Orthopedics) crushed the solo women’s field while completing 5 laps and 68 miles in 5 hours 8 minutes.

Kirkland powered through the course, as she often does, posting almost identical lap times with every circuit.

Her closest competition came from Parker Tyler (White Pine Touring) who stayed within sight of the leader for first two laps but couldn’t match Kirkland’s consistency in the end.

Jules Ernst finished third.

Heidi Volpe takes the win in the women's single speed race

Heidi Volpe takes the win in the women’s single speed race

Many riders were competing with the memory of a recently fallen friend on their minds. Singlespeed phenom AJ Linnell was registered for the Frog Hollow race but tragically lost his life in a plane crash near his home in Victor, Idaho, last weekend. Linnell’s beaming smile and affable personality were missed at the event but it was clear his spirit was with many of the riders especially solo singlespeed winner Cole Anderson who hoisted a sign bearing AJ’s name on the podium.

Click here for full results from all categories

Riders on course with the towers of Zion National Park in the distance

Riders on course with the towers of Zion National Park in the distance

Jen Hanks on course

Jen Hanks on course

Turner, Sheets Take the Overall Wins in Pisgah

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Thomas Turner (Jamis) pulled off an epic upset at the Pisgah Stage Race yesterday, becoming the first rider to beat Jeremiah Bishop (Topeak-Ergon) in a stage race on American soil. Bishop’s streak had included wins at multiple editions of the Pisgah Stage Race, the Transylvannia Epic, Breck Epic, and others. However, despite innumerable attacks throughout the day, in the end Bishop was only able to put 10 seconds into Turner on the final stage, not enough to take the GC lead. Sara Sheets (Oscar Blues) took her forth stage win in five days to claim the overall win in the Women’s Open race.

Check out the highlight video and results for the week below.

Men’s Open Results:

Position Bib # Name Stage 1 Stage 2 Stage 3 Stage 4 Stage 5 Overall Time Division Team Name
1 93 THOMAS TURNER  1:59:08.2  2:26:51.4  2:44:09.4  2:41:27.0  2:09:07.5 12:00:43 Open Men Team Jamis
2 94 JEREMIAH BISHOP  2:05:08.1  2:25:46.6  2:44:45.5  2:37:46.8  2:09:06.3 12:02:33 Open Men Team Topeak Ergon
3 84 CORY RIMMER  2:09:54.7  2:34:37.9  2:57:30.7  2:57:52.4  2:18:59.8 12:58:56 Open Men Kona Bikes / Nox Composites / Provision Sports Medicine
4 92 DAVID FORKNER  2:03:25.1  2:43:48.7  3:02:15.3  2:58:24.7  2:21:31.4 13:09:25 Open Men Team CTS
5 81 WILLIAM HARRISON  2:04:33.8  2:41:37.4  3:10:27.3  3:46:22.8  2:20:53.1 14:03:54 Open Men Clemmons Bicycle Racing
6 85 ANDRE LANDRY  2:17:42.9  2:56:19.8  3:09:33.8  3:21:43.3  2:41:42.5 14:27:02 Open Men mikes bike shop
7 96 ERIC INGALSBE  2:22:17.3  2:55:12.5  3:09:36.2  3:13:00.6  2:55:44.3 14:35:51 Open Men The Bike Shop
8 80 MATTHEW KESECKER  2:35:21.0  3:23:07.8  3:37:56.2  3:38:28.1  2:56:24.6 16:11:18 Open Men CAMBO / Hammer Nutrition
9 86 BRENT CROMWELL  2:46:45.9  3:39:08.6  3:42:57.7  3:42:44.9  2:47:35.9 16:39:13 Open Men N/A
10 89 CURTIS HOYT  2:58:53.5  4:01:50.9  3:49:48.4  3:47:00.2  3:05:07.7 17:42:41 Open Men Slippery Sasquatch Racing
11 97 MIKE FOLLAND  3:12:29.3  3:34:01.0  3:36:43.6  4:36:52.1  2:44:59.8 17:45:06 Open Men
12 98 DAVE GRANT  2:49:08.6  3:54:44.3  4:02:48.1  4:04:53.1  2:57:27.6 17:49:02 Open Men
13 78 JEFFREY CONLEY  2:55:45.0  4:05:55.8  4:20:24.8  4:14:39.5  3:15:26.1 18:52:11 Open Men Adventure Medical Group
14 82 CHRISTOPHER DOBBINS  3:34:11.8  3:47:42.8  4:03:23.3  4:37:15.9  3:11:17.0 19:13:51 Open Men Cool Breeze / Trek
15 193 BURKE SAUNDERS  2:58:02.8  4:19:48.0  4:39:04.2  5:18:36.9  4:06:38.4 21:22:10 Open Men Industry Nine / Endless Bike Co. / Wicked Wash
16 83 JONATHAN GARRICK  3:34:03.5  5:19:48.0  4:04:20.2  4:36:50.3 DNS – Open Men Cool Breeze / Trek
17 91 NEKO MULALLY  2:57:43.1  3:45:16.4  4:39:03.5  5:18:36.5 DNS – Open Men GSTAAD-Scott

Women’s Open Results:

1 88 SARA SHEETS  2:27:32.4  3:11:51.7  3:36:02.9  3:40:48.2  2:49:25.0 15:45:40 Open Women Oskar Blues
2 5 KAYSEE ARMSTRONG  2:29:55.0  3:28:50.6  3:46:21.5  3:25:57.3  2:48:06.9 15:59:11 Open Women Kona/ Provision Sports & Medicine
3 79 ALLY STACHER  2:26:34.4  3:26:30.9  3:39:33.4  3:49:46.2  2:39:31.2 16:01:56 Open Women Ally’s Bar
4 90 VIVIANE FAVERY-COSTA  2:42:29.8  3:36:42.5  3:59:17.3  4:03:53.7  2:59:13.8 17:21:37 Open Women Specialized Women Brasil / Pedal Urbano
5 2 HEATHER DAVIS  3:14:32.7  4:31:53.1  4:49:21.1  5:17:15.2  3:39:48.0 21:32:50 Open Women Ally’s Bar

Pisgah Stage Race Stages 3&4 Results and Video

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With 4 of 5stages completed, the Pisgah Stage Race is far from over. In the Open Men’s race, Thomas Turner (Jamis) and Jeremiah Bishop (Topeak-Ergon) have been battling all week. Turner snuck ahead to take his second stage win on Stage 3, but Bishop came roaring back today, taking the Queen Stage and bringing himself within 2 minutes of the GC lead with one day remaining.

On the women’s side, Sara Sheets (Oscar Blues) looks to have a stranglehold on the GC, though today it was Kaysee Armstrong (Kona) who took the stage win by a commanding 25 minutes. If she can put in a similar performance tomorrow, Armstrong could well take overall.

Stage 5 will see riders tackle some of the toughest descents of the week, including Farlow Gap and Daniel Ridge. With some much on the line in the GC, riders will no doubt have to take some risks on the final day if they want to claim the overall Pisgah Stage Race title.

Check out results through Stage 4 and the Land of Sky Media highlight video below.

Open Men Results Through 4 Stages:

1 THOMAS TURNER  1:59:08.2  2:26:51.4  2:44:09.4  2:41:27.0 9:51:36 Team Jamis
2 JEREMIAH BISHOP  2:05:08.1  2:25:46.6  2:44:45.5  2:37:46.8 9:53:27 Team Topeak Ergon
3 CORY RIMMER  2:09:54.7  2:34:37.9  2:57:30.7  2:57:52.4 10:39:56 Kona Bikes / Nox Composites / Provision Sports Medicine
4 DAVID FORKNER  2:03:25.1  2:43:48.7  3:02:15.3  2:58:24.7 10:47:54 Team CTS
5 ERIC INGALSBE  2:22:17.3  2:55:12.5  3:09:36.2  3:13:00.6 11:40:07 The Bike Shop
6 WILLIAM HARRISON  2:04:33.8  2:41:37.4  3:10:27.3  3:46:22.8 11:43:01 Clemmons Bicycle Racing
7 ANDRE LANDRY  2:17:42.9  2:56:19.8  3:09:33.8  3:21:43.3 11:45:20 mikes bike shop
8 MATTHEW KESECKER  2:35:21.0  3:23:07.8  3:37:56.2  3:38:28.1 13:14:53 CAMBO / Hammer Nutrition
9 BRENT CROMWELL  2:46:45.9  3:39:08.6  3:42:57.7  3:42:44.9 13:51:37 N/A
10 CURTIS HOYT  2:58:53.5  4:01:50.9  3:49:48.4  3:47:00.2 14:37:33 Slippery Sasquatch Racing

Open Women Results Through 4 Stages:

1 SARA SHEETS  2:27:32.4  3:11:51.7  3:36:02.9  3:40:48.2 12:56:15 Oskar Blues
2 KAYSEE ARMSTRONG  2:29:55.0  3:28:50.6  3:46:21.5  3:25:57.3 13:11:04 Kona/ Provision Sports & Medicine
3 ALLY STACHER  2:26:34.4  3:26:30.9  3:39:33.4  3:49:46.2 13:22:25 Ally’s Bar
4 VIVIANE FAVERY-COSTA  2:42:29.8  3:36:42.5  3:59:17.3  4:03:53.7 14:22:23 Specialized Women Brasil / Pedal Urbano
5 HEATHER DAVIS  3:14:32.7  4:31:53.1  4:49:21.1  5:17:15.2 17:53:02 Ally’s Bar
-6 CATHY ZEGLINSKI  2:38:12.2  3:34:14.8  3:53:11.0 DNS – Team Whistler / Scott

Click Here For Full Results

Bishop, Sheets Take Stage 2 in Pisgah – Video Highlights

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After suffering from a slow leak caused by a valve stem issue on Stage 1, Jeremiah Bishop (Topeak-Ergon) came roaring back to take Stage 2 of the Pisgah Stage race. Though he started the day with a six minute deficit to overnight GC leader Thomas Turner (Jamis), Bishop was determined to ride aggressively and put Turner under pressure. He did that today and pulled back just over a minute, but he still has some work to do to take home another Pisgah Stage Race crown. Ally Stacher (Ally’s Bar) relinquished her GC lead, as Sara Sheets (Oscar Blues) mastered the mud and took a big win on Stage 2. Sheets now leads Stacher by over 10 minutes.

Full results here. Check out the video highlights from Stage 2 below.

Pisgah Stage Race Stage 1 Video Highlights

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Ally Stacher (Ally’s Bar) and Thomas Turner (Jamis) took the wins on day one of the Pisgah Stage Race yesterday. Stacher, a former pro road racer who switched to mountain bike racing this season, was unfazed by the wet conditions and cruised to the win. In the men’s race, Turner spent most of the day dueling with Jeremiah Bishop (Topeak-Ergon). The two spent much of the day together, before Turner got a small gap on the final gravel climb which he held down the Cove Creek trail descent to the finish.

Full Results Here.

Check out the video highlights from Land of Sky Media below.

 

Pukwudgie TT – Freetown State Forest, MA

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New England Digs Out of Snow as Bobby Nash and Karen Potter Claim the First Wins of the Year

written by: Karen Potter

The 2015 race season in New England got underway this past weekend welcoming in spring-like weather after a very long, harsh winter. The snow barely melted in time for the start of the season. Race organizers asked riders to not pre-ride the course even the week before the race to allow the trails to set and avoid trail damage. It seemed to work as despite the long winter, the trails were in a remarkably good shape with just a few usual mud holes.

The seven-mile course was similar to last year’s edition with a minor a change at the start to avoid a popular hiking trail. The super rocky technical trails remained super rocky and technical, challenging riders’ skills and bike durability. Several long rock gardens claimed their victims. Perhaps next year, race promoters will give a prize for a completely clean ride.

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Karen Potter on her way to a win in the elite women’s race

Race fields were a bit light due to a second regional mountain biking event taking place on the same day. Plenty of local talent was still on hand to make for exciting racing.

In the elite men’s field the local riders held a clear advantage, knowing which lines to take saved crucial seconds on course.

Bobby Nash took the repeat win in a time of 36:32, followed by Mark McCormack (Clif Bar) at 37:04, Jim Grimley (NESS) in 3rd at 37:38, Richard Pirro (NESS) in 4th at 38:16 and Michael Wilbur in 39:03 in 5th overall.

Karen Potter (Pivot/Epic Brewing) comfortably took the elite women’s race in 39:45 placing her 9th overall. Aida Elder (Exeter Cycles Racing) followed in 2nd and Megan O’Brien (MIT) in 3rd.

In addition to the cash payout, the elite men’s and women’s winners each received a free entry to come back in the fall and duke it out on the rocks again at the Freetown 50 held in September.

Click Here for Full Results From Pukwudgie TT

Schurter Lives Up To Expectations, Batty Takes Her Second US CUP Win This Year

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Round three of the USA Cycling US CUP presented by Cannondale was raced on a near-perfect Southern California day and produced worthy winners in Emily Batty and three-time World Champion Nino Schurter.

Elite Women

Luna Pro Cycling’s Georgia Gould got hole shot in the women’s race, with Specialized’s Lea Davison charging hard just behind. The women flew around the start loop and headed out for the first of six laps. Scott ODLO’s Swedish National Champion Jenny Rissveds was first to attack and establish a commanding lead over the chasing group which contained the Luna Pro contingent of Gould, Katerina Nash and Katharine Pendrel, along with Emily Batty (Trek Factory Racing), Erin Huck (Scott 3 Rox) and Larissa Connors (Ridebiker Alliance).

By the second lap, with Rissveds still out front, the chase group began to come apart under the stress of an attacking Pendrel, who continued to apply pressure on the climbs. At this point the chasers were reduced to just Pendrel, Batty, Nash and Huck. Pendrel and Batty continued to attack putt the others in trouble. At the end of lap two, Pendrel put in another effort which brought back Rissveds back at the start of lap three.

Midway through the race, the front group was whittled down to just Pendrell, Batty and Huck, establishing a nice lead as they entered the infield loop at the end of lap three. Pressure on the climbs saw off Huck, as Pendrel and Batty built up a commanding lead that would last until lap five. The leaders sat up for a breath, which enabled Huck to come close to rejoining, followed again by Rissveds. Just as they were about to make contact, Pendrel put in another hard effort to build up another gap on Huck during the descent, Batty again on her wheel.

The two leaders (Pendrel and Batty) seemed content to face off in a finish line sprint, where Batty made a crafty move just past the final left hand turn to come around Pendrel in a tight sprint for the win. Rissveds made it in for third, followed by Gould and Huck.

“I’ve worked so hard leading up to this,“ said an thrilled Batty after the sprint. “Hats off to Catharine for not making it easy! I really just had fun with it, throwing the rhythm off and dictating how I wanted it to go. I threw an attack in the corner and left it all out there.”

Pro women's podium - photo by RibeBiker Alliance

Pro women’s podium – photo by RibeBiker Alliance

Elite Men

Cannondale Factory Racing’s Henrique Avancini continued the team’s fast starts by taking the early lead after the start lap and heading into the first full lap. Three-time World Champion Nino Schurter (Scott-ODLO Mtb Racing Team) took over, standing up and attacking on the first pass of the steep gravel climb. With Schurter taking the early lead, only New Zealander Sam Gaze was able to match the Swiss Champion. Stephen Ettinger (Sho-Air/Cannondale), Raphael Gagne (Rocky Mountain Bicycles) and Sergio Mantecon (Trek Factory Racing) made up the early chase group. The race settled into this situation for the next few laps, with Schurter maintaining and even extending his lead up to a maximum of thirty seconds.

By the end of the fourth lap of seven, Mantecon and Gagne began to work together and slowly pull back Schurter’s lead. The chase worked and the chasers made contact on lap five after Schurter changed a rear flat. Unfortunately for Mantecon and Gagne, Schurter capitalized on the extra effort spent in the chase and pulled away with ease toward the start of the penultimate lap. Tired from the chase, Mantecon and Gagne fought hard to keep the Swiss Champion in their sights, only to see Schurter take the win convincingly.

Nino Schurter crosses the line - photo by RibeBiker Alliance

Nino Schurter crosses the line – photo by RibeBiker Alliance

“It was a super tough course out there,“ said Schurter at the finish. “You have to be really careful in cornering. One mistake and you’re crashing. I like the shorter climbs so it was a perfect course for me.”

USA Cycling US Cup presented by Sho-Air Cycling Group series standings

After round three of the USA Cycling US Cup presented by Cannondale series, Gagne takes over the lead convincingly after his second win of the series, while Batty retakes the lead in the womens’ series ahead of Pendrel.

The USA Cycling US Cup presented by Sho-Air Cycling Group series will continue with round 4, a UCI Category C3 race, at the Sea Otter Classic in Monterrey, California on Saturday, April 18.

Bonelli Park 2 cross country brief results

Elite women

1 Emily Batty (Canada) Trek Factory Racing; 1:32:22
2 Catharine Pendrel (Canada) Luna Pro Team; 1:32:23
3 Jenny Rissveds (Sweden) Scott-ODLO Mtb Racing Team; 1:32:39
4 Erin Huck (United States) Scott 3 Rox; 1:32:42
5 Georgia Gould (United States) Luna Pro Team; 1:33:44

Elite men

1 Nino Schurter (Switzerland) Scott-ODLO Mtb Racing Team; 1:30:21
2 Raphael Gagne (Canada) Rocky Mountain Bicycles; 1:30:26
3 Sergio Mantecon (Spain) Trek Factory Racing; 1:30:43
4 Derek Zandstra (Canada) Scott 3 Rox Racing; 1:28:56
5 Stephen Ettinger (United States) Sho-Air/Cannondale Mtb Racing Team; 1:31:59

USA Cycling US Cup Series Standings after two rounds

Elite women

1 Emily Batty (Canada) Trek Factory Racing; 114 points
2 Catharine Pendrel (Canada) Luna Pro Team; 95 points
3 Katerina Nash (Czech Republic) Luna Pro Team; 90 points
4 Georgia Gould (United States) Luna Pro Team; 90 points
4 Erin Huck (United States) Scott 3 Rox Racing; 77 points

Elite men

1 Raphael Gagne (Canada) Rocky Mountain Bicycles; 104 points
2 Sergio Mantecon (Spain) Trek Factory Racing; 83 points
3 Anton Cooper (New Zealand) Cannondale Factory Racing; 75 points
4 Derek Zandstra (Canada) Scott 3 Rox Racing; 66 points
5 Adam Morka (Canada) Trek Canada; 64 points

 

Thaw Massacre – Moab, Utah

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Justin Lindine and Joey Lythgoe Take the Inaugural Thaw Massacre

written by: Shannon Boffeli

The Thaw Massacre, Utah’s newest mountain bike race, launched yesterday in Moab, Utah. Starting at the Bar M trailhead, just north of town, riders tested their early-season fitness on a technically challenging and sometimes bone-rattling 40-mile course.

The ride included trails that tested every rider’s bike handling skills including Deadman’s Ridge and Long Branch and others like Rockin’ A and Circle O determined who had been doing their core workouts over the winter. Each 20-mile lap sprinkled in just enough fast, flowing singletrack to keep racers smiling.

Justin Lindine solos his way to a win in Moab - photo by Angie Harker

Justin Lindine solos his way to a win in Moab – photo by Angie Harker

Despite the difficult terrain riders still turned in crazy-fast lap times with Competitive Cyclist rider Justin Lindine throwing down the fastest time of the day at just 3 hours 7 minutes.

Lindine powered away from the Colorado duo of Bryan Alders (Training Peaks/Yeti) and Chris Baddick (Boulder Cycle Sport).

Together for most of the race, Alders and Baddick were finally separated on their second trip through the unrelenting slickrock of Circle O. Baddick inched just far enough out front that Alders was unable to make contact before the finish.

The slickrock also determined the final podium spots for the men as fifth-placed rider John Osguthorpe (Endurance 360) surged past Drew Free (Revolution/Peak Fasteners) on the unforgiving bumps and drops of Circle O.

The top pro men, women, and semi-pros took home stacks of cash - photo by Shannon Boffeli

The top pro men, women, and semi-pros took home stacks of cash – photo by Shannon Boffeli

The women’s race featured an impressive group of Utah’s toughest female riders. Each one experienced at hammering tough desert racecourses.

Off the start it was Joey Lythgoe (Kuhl) moving off the front in typical fashion. Unlike previous races she wasn’t alone as Jen Hanks (Pivot/Epic Brewing) stayed close behind finally making contact in the rock-crawling sections of Deadman’s Ridge.

The gap stayed small throughout the opening lap as Lythgoe held just a 90-second advantage at the end of lap one.

The Kuhl rider’s elite-level fitness took over at this point as Lythgoe continued to power through her second 20-mile lap increasing her advantage with every mile.

She crossed the line with just over 6 minutes advantage on an exhausted Jen Hanks. Lythgoe was the only women to finish the race under 4 hours at 3 hours 56 minutes.

Hanks took second, tired but happy with her performance.

KC Holley (Kuhl) finished third turning in a strong performance in her favorite riding environment. Debbie Mortensen (Diamond Peak) finished fourth.

Thaw Massacre represented the opening round of the 4-race endurance series hosted by the Intermountain Cup. The next race on the endurance calendar is a two-day stage race, the Stan Crane Memorial, in Draper, Utah, May 23rd and 25th. Click here for more information or the entire Intermountain Cup schedule

 

Results

Pro Men

1, Justin Lindine Competitive Cyclist 3.07.02
2, Chris Baddick Boulder Cycle Sport 3.13.19
3, Bryan Alders Training Peaks/Yeti 3.18.00
4, John Osguthorpe Endurance 360 3.26.11
5, Drew Free Revolution/Peak Fasteners 3.26.45
6, Justin Desilets Revolution/Peak Fasteners 3.32.03
7, Dan Sturm 3.33.30
8, Samuel Dolzani 3.37.08
9, Kris Ochs 3.40.25
10, Jason Hilimire FasCat 3.48.07
11, Ty Hansen Revolution/Peak Fasteners 3.50.28
12, Matthew Turner Summit Bike Club

 

Pro Women

1, Joey Lythgoe Kuhl 3.56.15
2, Jen Hanks Pivot/Epic Brewing 4.03.45
3, KC Holley Kuhl 4.07.15
4, Debbie Mortensen Diamond Peak

 

Semi-Pro Men

1, Dennis Barrett Bountiful Bicycles 3.33.40
2, Ryan Blaney Kuhl 3.37.54
3, Stewart Goodwin Kuhl 3.38.21
4, Bob Saffell Revolution/Peak Fasteners 3.53.50
5, Justin Healy 3.57.33
6, Mitt Stewart UtahMountainBiking.com 3.58.44
7, Josh Mortensen Diamond Peak 4.07.25

USA Cycling’s US CUP Returns to Bonelli Park for Round 3

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Three-time World Champion Nino Schurter Expected to Line Up

The USA Cycling’s US CUP presented by Cannondale returns to Frank G. Bonelli Park in San Dimas, California this Saturday, April 11, after two exciting rounds of cross country racing action. Interest in the US CUP is higher than ever, with a men’s field expected to exceed 150, and a women’s field that should reach upwards of 80, numbers not seen in years.

For this UCI HC event, a modified version of the Bonelli Park Round 1 C1 course will test athletes with new obstacles. While much-needed and expected rain could make the course perfect for a weekend of hard racing, Sho-Air Cycling Group is not taking any chances, adding 12,000 gallons of reclaimed water on Monday, with another application scheduled for later in the week to ensure optimal course conditions.

The US CUP has consistently attracted a top field of racers, but the Bonelli Park 2 race will feature a top name in world mountain biking. Past U23 and two-time Elite World Champion Nino Schurter (Scott ODLO Mtb Racing) is scheduled to race the event, an addition that is sure to generate excitement from the fans and more than a little anxiety in the men’s field.

“There will be some great new features on the course that should keep things interesting,” said Scott Tedro, Sho-Air President and RideBiker founder. “The racing has been fantastic so far and I am thrilled that a three-time world champion like Nino is coming to race at Bonelli. It just shows how much interest the US CUP is getting from all over the world.”

 

Free video coverage schedule announced

Video coverage of the US CUP Round 3 will be streamed live online. The Elite Womens’ race will start at 11:00am PST followed by the Elite Men at 1:30pm PST. The race will be viewable at www.uscup.net, www.uscup.tv and also at a dedicated page under USA Cycling’s YouTube channel.

“The production quality of the US CUP races being put out by Ridebiker Alliance is outstanding,” said Micah Rice, Vice President of National Events for USA Cycling.  “The visuals are impressive, the racing action is great and it feels like you’re watching a World Cup!”

Emily Batty tries to hunt down race leader Katerina Nash. Catharine Pendrel, Georgia Gould, and Erin Huck follow - Photo RideBiker Alliance

Emily Batty tries to hunt down race leader Katerina Nash. Catharine Pendrel, Georgia Gould, and Erin Huck follow – Photo RideBiker Alliance

The Womens’ Field

Katerina Nash, winner of Round 2 at Fontana City, is currently in the overall leaders’ jersey by way of winning the higher-valued HC race in Fontana City. Her teammates Georgia Gould (3rd) and Catharine Pendrel (4th) follow Round 1 winner Emily Batty (Trek Factory Racing) in second. Chloe Woodruff (Team Stan’s NoTubes-Niner) rounds out the overall podium in fifth.

Outsider and surprise of the first two rounds, Larissa Connors (Ridebiker Alliance) is the only other rider to appear on a women’s podium this season. Connors will look for a repeat performance that saw her shoot to the front with the lead group in Bonelli 1, to the surprise and delight of many.

Cooper takes the lead over Gagne - Photo RideBiker Alliance

Cooper takes the lead over Gagne – Photo RideBiker Alliance

The Mens’ Field

Round 2 winner and overall men’s leader Anton Cooper (Cannondale Factory Racing) will not be present in Bonelli, opting for a different build up to the World Cup season. Bonelli 1 winner Raphael Gagne has confirmed a change in his schedule that will allow him to dispute the remainder of the series and go for the overall title.

Cannondale’s Marco Aurelio Fontana and Manuel Fumic will also scratch from Bonelli 2, leaving Brazilian teammate, 2015 Pan American Mtb Champion and multiple times Brazilian national champion Henrique Avancini to fill some big shoes.

Trek Factory Racing’s Sergio Mantecon is another consistent threat, having finished on the podium in each of the first two rounds.

Sho-Air/Cannondale’s Max Plaxton will look to improve on his second-placed finish in round one, while his young teammates Keegan Swenson and Stephen Ettinger will seek to build on rising form that saw Swenson take third place at the Pan American Mountain Bike Championships.

US CUP stalwart Todd Wells (Specialized Factory Racing), James Reid (Trek RECM), Derek Zandstra and 2014 US CUP winner Geoff Kabush (both Scott 3 Rox Racing) can never be counted out as well, and we could see any of them or many others atop the podium Saturday afternoon.

UCI Junior Races

New for the 2015 US CUP Series is that Bonelli Park #2, Round 3 will also include a UCI Junior race category for both men and women. The Junior XCO race will be held at 4:30pm Saturday, with more valuable UCI points and payout on offer.

Saturday, April 11 Bonelli Park Race Schedule, all times Pacific Daylight Time / Local California Time

11h00 – 11h15 PDT: Elite women cross country – staging and call-up
11h15 – 13h15 PDT: Elite women cross country race
13h30 – 13h45 PDT: Elite men cross country – staging and call-up
13h45 – 15h45 PDT: Elite men cross country race
15h50 – 16h00 PDT: Elite women and men cross country podium ceremony
16h15 – 16h30 PDT: UCI Junior Women and Men – staging and call-up
16h30 – 17h40 PDT: UCI Junior Women and Men XCO Race

Interview With Topeak-Ergon Racer Jeremiah Bishop

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Jeremiah Bishop has long been a familiar face on podiums around America. He’s won National titles in everything from Short Track to Marathon, brought home overall NUE titles, and dominated countless stage races in North America over the years. In the last few seasons, Bishop split his time between shorter XC style efforts and longer NUE races and stage races. That will change in 2015, however. The Harrisonburg, VA based Bishop has signed with a new squad this season, Topeak-Ergon, and will be focusing exclusively on endurance racing.

“It’s super exciting,” said Bishop. “I was planning to do the Pro XCT’s in the spring and strike a balance between those and the endurance races,” but, as Bishop explained to MTBRacenews, the opportunity to race the Andalusia Stage Race, the Cape Epic, Trans Alp, and other international races was too good to pass up. “It’s a huge honor to race the hardest races in the world,” Bishop said, adding, “we’ve got a really strong, fun crew.” And though racing internationally is nothing new for Bishop, the move to Topeak-Ergon nonetheless represents a shift in his career.

Jeremiah Bishop

“Those races scare me a little bit,” Bishop said referring to Cape Epic, Andalusia and Trans Alp. “But at this point in my career, having done this for so many years, the long scary stuff, that’s what I want to do.” He explained that his training for La Munga (a planned race in South Africa last winter that was cancelled due to funding issues) got him ready for his latest challenge. “The Munga getting cancelled was a disappointment for sure, but the training was an eye opener for me.” During a huge, 20 hour ride, from Stokesville, VA last winter Bishop says he went through nearly every emotion possible but came out better for it. “The truth is I wasn’t sure if I could do it when I set out.” He finished the tour though, and “crazy as it sounds, I loved it. It gives me a lot of enthusiasm for this new team and the events we’re doing.”

But not only are the events new, but the style of racing is as well. “I’ll be partnering with Robert Bennet for Andalusia Bike Race and the Cape Epic as part of Topeak-Ergon Team 2,” racing in support of Team 1, consisting of Alban Lakata and Krystian Hynek. Meaning that Bishop with be racing more or less as a domestique at those big, early season, stage races. And while that may be an unfamiliar concept in American mountain bike racing, the major international mountain bike stage races have evolved to the point where they are very much team affairs. Team Bulls and some of the other big endurance programs all have multiple two-person teams in the race, with the second squad often setting the pace at the front of the group, or providing mechanical support (i.e. giving up their wheel) if one of the riders on the first team suffers a mechanical problem – much like road racing. “My goal is really to prove my metal in those first races,” Bishop said.

Thus far this season Bishop has done that and then some. Despite some mechanical issues of his own in the Cape Epic, he and his teammate Robert Bennet did some big turns on the front over the course of the week, and managed some top finishes in individual stages.

Jeremiah Bishop at Cape Epic

So what’s next for Bishop? First up is the Trans Alp Stage Race in Europe. “That’s a significant race for me,” Bishop said. “It’s got this outrageous terrain, it’s super hard, but it was a big stepping stone for me in my career. I had a real break through ride there, taking a stage win. During that race I went from thinking I was at my limit to realizing I could do more, and that I needed to work more in training to get there,” he added, clearly excited about having the chance to return and give the race another go.

Bishop will also be at a number of domestic races in the second half of the season, including Marathon Nationals in May. “It’s a cool, fast technical track this year, like flat track moto racing for four hours,” Bishop said of the course. “It’ll be tight, pack racing. Not what we’re used to seeing in the US, but I’m excited for it.” Also on the radar for Bishop: the Pisgah Stage Race, Mohican 100, Breck Epic, Whiskey 50, Grand Junction Off Road, and a number of other NUE Races. “We’ll see,” he said, adding that managing his race days will be important after 21 days of high intensity stage racing at Andalusia, Cape Epic, and Trans Alp so early in the year.

As we wrapped up our conversation things turned, as they often have when I’ve talked to Bishop, to big tours and adventures he’s hoping to tackle. From multi-day epics in Virginia, to the Arizona Trail Race, do 170 mile singletrack loops he’d like to tackle in one shot, straight through, the do list is a long one. “The truth is I have no idea where the limit is,” Bishop said, but one things for sure, he’s trying to find it.

Pisgah Stage Race Moves to Spring Date for 2015

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The 7th Annual Pisgah Stage Race || April 13-18, 2015

Five days of racing over the roots and rocks of some of the best singletrack in the U.S. found just minutes from downtown Brevard, North Carolina is set to begin next month when the 7th Annual Pisgah Stage Race kicks off for the first time as a spring event. The event, which covers a total of 120 miles over five days with over 20,000 feet of elevation gain, consistently draws an international field of competitors, as well as some of the top athletes in the country to compete.

Those who experience the thrill of riding some of Pisgah’s best trails for the first time have consistently been impressed with the quality of the trails in the area. One of those was Adam Craig, a professional racer who sampled Pisgah during a recent stage race and was blown away by the trails the stage race took him down.

“After this week, I’m going to say (Pisgah National Forest) is definitely in the top three places in the universe I’ve ever ridden, maybe the best one,” he said after the race. “I think the Pilot Rock trail is probably the best downhill I’ve ever done.”

Riders at the start of the 2014 Pisgah Stage Race. The race moves from October to April for 2015.

Riders at the start of the 2014 Pisgah Stage Race. The race moves from October to April for 2015.

It’s not just Craig who agrees that Pisgah National Forest is among the best places to ride. In recent months and weeks, the accolades of the riding in Pisgah National Forest continue to flow in with Singletracks.com naming Pisgah one of the Top 10 Mountain Biking destinations in the country and recently ranked the area as the number one place mountain bikers from the Southeast want to visit this riding season (http://www.singletracks.com/blog/mtb-trails/mountain-bike-tourism-by-the-numbers/).

For race organizer Todd Branham, getting to show people that are new to the area and haven’t experienced Pisgah before is a big part of the appeal and one of the main reasons he and the rest of the team at Blue Ridge Adventures enjoy putting on the event each year. He said he believes the Pisgah Stage Race is not only a great racing event for those with a competitive streak, but also a great way to experience some of the absolute best trails the area has to offer thanks to the support provided throughout the week. In addition to having well-marked turns and helpful course navigation throughout each day’s race course, the event also offers fully-staffed aid stations with bike mechanics to provide support for racers throughout the day, which makes hammering out a long ride all the more enjoyable and allows rider to push it just a little bit harder than they normally would.

“The course includes the East’s most rugged trails,” Branham said. “But after spending a week getting to know and appreciate the bounty of Pisgah National Forest, you won’t want to leave.”

Branham said he decided to move the race to spring this year as a way to try and boost attendance in the event and showcase just how beautiful the forest is during early spring. “We’ve moved the PMBSR to the spring this year and we’ll be the first stage race on the calendar for the United States,” he said.

“In the fall Pisgah is very Robust from the summertime, green and briery…thick. However, in the spring, you have a nice green carpet on the ground. You can see everything, the views are more open. Nothing is really grown in yet. Flowers are popping up… Mushrooms are everywhere. It’s quite a different experience, equally as nice as it is in the fall.

“I’m really excited about the spring event this year,” he added. “It should be really good, and quite different from the past.”

Popular Aspects of Race Return in 2015

Returning this year are the chip-timed Enduro segments during each stage that will allow the fastest descenders in the endurance world to make their mark during the stage race and earn prizes and awards in individual categories. State-of-the-art timing systems record each rider’s time at the start of the Enduro segment and again as they pass through the Enduro structure at the bottom of the course to record riders time without causing any unnecessary slowdowns for participants and will allow riders to continue to ride normally along the route. The “enduro” section will be included with registration fees and applicable for all participants in the event with special Enduro awards held each night during the award ceremony.

“This year we will have a full six nights of food, and it will be really cool to get everybody out to watch the racing video produced from the stage everyone just raced,” Branham added. “We’ll go through the results, present the podiums, hang out, have a good time, trade stories about the day’s stage, and then prepare our racers for the next day’s upcoming stage.”

Singletrack Highlights During The Race

For race director Todd Branham, every trail riders take on during the stage race is special in it’s own unique way, but some of his personal favorites that riders will get to enjoy this spring include Pilot Rock and Laurel Mountain, an area classic that remains among the most popular trails for experienced mountain bikers. “It’s a big climb up to about 4800 feet and you go through different zones on the mountain,” Branham explains. “As you climb you’ll ride through classic rhododendron tunnels, but as you gain elevation to the top, it opens up and you get those big, wide open vistas.” But that’s when the downhill begins, which is among the rockiest in the stage race, other than renowned downhill trail Farlow Gap.

Squirrel Gap is another of Branham’s favorite trails that he believes provides racers with a truly unique experience that defines the Pisgah riding style. The narrow singletrack is so tight in places that Branham refers to it as “half-track.”

“We are a temperate rainforest here in Pisgah, and things are very robust in the way they grow,” he said. “When you ride here you can see all the fresh trail work we do, but we can’t do enough to keep back all the growth that can reach out and grab at you. By the end of the stage race, you will have scratches on your arms, you’ll have scratches on your legs, and you’ll look like you’ve ‘been through the bush’. That’s the Pisgah Lion. You don’t know when it’s coming, but it will reach out and grab you.

“When you come out, you’re branded. It’s called the Pisgah Tattoo. That’s what we’ll leave you with. When you go home you’ll not only have stories of the Pisgah Stage Race, you’ll also have the Pisgah Tattoo. The good thing about the Pisgah Tattoo, unlike a real one, is that it goes away after about a week. The memories you make though, those stick around for much longer.”

For more information on the Pisgah Stage Race and to view videos of each stage during this year’s event, follow along at www.blueridgeadventures.net + www.pisgahstagerace.com.

Interview With Raleigh Clement Rider Kerry Werner

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Kerry Werner may be a relative newcomer to the elite ranks, but the North Carolinian already a familiar face on mountain bike podiums around the country. Werner is a former U23 and Collegiate National Champion, and he put in a career ride en route to a silver medal in the XC at the US National Championships last summer – in his first full season as a pro.

After a successful cyclocross campaign last fall, Werner is kicking off 2015 with new goals and a new team, Raleigh-Clement. He’s already off to a fast start, claiming 5th place in the Short Track at the recent US Cup round in Bonelli. Werner was kind enough to take some time to check in with MTBRacenews about his new bikes, his goals for the season, his collegiate career, and balancing full-time mountain bike and cyclocross racing.

MTBRacenews.com: For those folks that maybe don’t know you that well, can you tell us a little about where you’re from and how you got into mountain bike racing?

Kerry Werner: It started when I was 15. A really good friend of mine was into cycling and via him I gradually got involved. First road riding. Then we took his parents old rigid Treks, with toe cage pedals, out to French Creek State Park in Pennsylvania and got our butts kicked by the trails. However, something about the constant challenge during that ride hooked me. From then on I wanted nothing more than to get better at all the things I was struggling with during that ride. Not long after my friend convinced me to do an MTB race as a Junior and I did pretty well. A local team promoted by Shirks Bike Shop approached me and I got on the team, which was so cool to me. After that first year it was a steady progression into full MTB, cycling in general, immersion. Obviously, my parents were a huge part in my early success. Without their unwavering support I definitely would not be where I am today. I wish I would have taken a pic of my mom’s face when I told her I needed a bike that was $4000+… haha

MTBRacenews.com: Last season was your first year racing full-time as a pro. Did it feel like a big jump from your previous years racing in the Collegiate/U23 ranks?

Kerry Werner: Last season was my first year as an Elite racer. Honestly, it didn’t feel too much different aside from the pressure to progress and succeed. I had been with the U23 BMC Development MTB team since 2011 and that team offered ample support, aside from a salary, to make it feel like I was always racing full time pro. The biggest difference were the world cups, where I went from gunning for a top 20 to trying to finish on the lead lap. That was a big shock to the system and really highlighted the fact that I have a lot to learn.

MTBRacenews.com: Can you talk about your ride at Nationals last summer? What were your goals going into that race? Did you feel like you had the form to get on the podium? 

Kerry Werner: Early in the season I was slow to getting my form to come around. I think managing, mostly driving the rig to races, the BMC Project Dirt team didn’t allow me to focus solely on racing. Also, coming off of a full cross season I was a little late to the training game for those early season MTB races. After the May World Cups with USAC I was able to put a solid training block in working with Jim Lehman from CTS and also with the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs I got some good interval work in at altitude, which fueled my later season success. I knew I was on form coming into nationals after a good weekend at the WORS Cup ProXCT. I knew Todd and Stephen had the top two spots pretty much on lock down so I was shooting for the third step. Everything was together on the first lap, then Stephen had a mechanical, and the podium opened up from there. 

MTBRacenews.com: How did getting 2nd in the Pro field compare to your previous year’s win in the U23 race on the same course at Bear Creek?

Kerry Werner: To me, getting second was more meaningful. It showed that I was still progressing instead of remaining stagnant after a good U23 year. However, from an outside perspective I am not sure it held as much prestige as a national championship. I think it just looks a little better when you can say you won a national championship, especially in u23 where you battle with the pros ever other, regular race, weekend. 

MTBRacenews.com: Correct me if I’m wrong, but last year was also your first year putting in a full cyclocross season with the Optum Program. What was the motivation to do that and what were your goals going into cross season? 

Kerry Werner: Last year was my first fully supported season. I did a lot of racing for MOB cyclocross in 2013-2014 but the support wasn’t as involved as it was with Optum. My motivation stemmed from a good cross season the previous year. Over the last 3 years I have been progressively getting better at cross and doing a full program was definitely of interest to me. I was lucky enough to be put in contact with Jonas Carney, the Optum Manager, early last summer and he set the wheels in motion for what came to be my best cx season thus far. 

MTBRacenews.com: Do you still see mountain biking as your primary focus for 2015?

Kerry Werner: That is hard to say. With the Olympics coming up next year I obviously want to continue progressing and aim for a spot on the team. Also, this is Raleigh’s first year on the MTB circuit, adding Fernando Riveros Paez and myself to the team, so I am very motivated to push their efforts in the right direction. I really want Raleigh to see this MTB support as a lucrative program for them and continue it further down the road. 

On the other hand I have never been on a team for an entire calendar year. I have always had to rush around and scrape together resources for a cx program after MTB season. So going into this season knowing I already have both programs, MTB then seamlessly flow into CX, lined up has me very excited for cross as well. I have been racing the ProXCT series for the past 5 years, but last year was my first full cx program and I had a good season. Since cx is newer, to me, and I am progressing I am excited to see what lies ahead this season. 

MTBRacenews.com: What are your big goals for this season?

Kerry Werner: With a late start to training, I am very interested to see what kind of form I can come into these first few races with. I am banking on the altitude from my new home in Colorado Springs lending a helping hand, hopefully, offsetting a small fitness gap. However, I am confident I will come around later in the season with a main focus being the two European World cups, which I hope to do with USAC, Nationals and then the two North American World cups. I have been working with Jim Lehman at CTS for about a year and a half, which isn’t that long, but we see eye to eye a lot and he is a very smart coach. He really understands the balance between racing, travel, and training, which is a huge when I don’t have the luxury of taking a full month or so as down time in between seasons. 

MTBRacenews.com: Congratulations on the new team. What brought about the change? What are you most looking forward to with the new squad this season?

Kerry Werner: Thanks! I think my late season CX results, from Cincy through Nationals, really helped solidify my spot on the team. Those results paired with my past MTB season. Like I said, I am most looking forward to working with the same team for the entire calendar year. I like the idea of building a reputation with a brand. That was hard to do when I was switching seasons and subsequently bikes, components, etc. in years past. hand, hopefully, offsetting a small fitness gap. However, I am confident I will come around later in the season with a main focus being the two European World cups, which I hope to do with USAC, Nationals and then the two North American World cups. I have been working with Jim Lehman at CTS for about a year and a half, which isn’t that long, but we see eye to eye a lot and he is a very smart coach. He really understands the balance between racing, travel, and training, which is a huge when I don’t have the luxury of taking a full month or so as down time in between seasons. 

MTBRacenews.com: What bike will you be racing on primarily this season?

Kerry Werner: I really like the feel of the a dual suspension 29er. That is my training bike of choice. However, that will mostly likely be a little over kill for most of the races on the circuit. With that said I will probably race the hardtail, Tekoa, the most. Though, I will have the dualie, Skarn, in my quiver if need be.  

MTBRacenews.com: You won a number of mountain bike and cyclocross national titles as a collegiate rider for Lees-McRae College. What role, if any, do you think collegiate cycling played in your development as a rider?

Kerry Werner: Oh man, I could go on and on about this subject… Collegiate cycling has been the next biggest influence on my life, second only to my parents and families support. I started college with Lees McRae in the fall of 2009. I had some very different views on how to train, etc then than I do now. It has shaped me into the cyclist I am today. Plus, I don’t know too many other Colleges or Universities I could have gone to that would have allowed me to travel and train as much as I did without kicking me out! Now I have my B.S. in Nutrition and I have that to fall back on when my focus doesn’t lie solely in professional cycling. 

MTBRacenews.com: Do you listen to music when you train? What’s on your favorite playlist for interval training?

Kerry Werner: I do. I have a very keen interest in trance, electronic, and house music. The rhythms and melodies throughout those records really get me into a good groove during interval work. Maybe I focus a little less on the pain in my legs and a little more on a bass line or cool lyric. Also, there isn’t much else like flowing down a fun descent while listening to something that makes you happy. It enhances the experience for me. My favorite artists are Above and Beyond and their podcast “Group Therapy”, Gareth Emery and his podcast “Electric For Life”, and Morgan Page with his podcast “In the Air”. All of these podcasts are 1-2 hrs long and feature the latest and greatest tracks in the realms of electronic, trance and house music. Plus, the length is good for just putting on during an interval set and not having to touch your iPhone for a while. 

Nash and Wells race to convincing Short Track Cross Country wins at USA Cycling’s US CUP Round 2 at Fontana City

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Katerina Nash (Luna Pro Team) and Todd Wells (Specialized Factory Racing) won the short track cross country races at the USA Cycling’s US Cup Pro Series presented by Cannondale at Southridge Park in Fontana City, California, on Sunday afternoon. The race wrapped up an exciting weekend of racing and saw riders heading to all corners of the globe in preparation for World Cup events or the next US CUP round in three weeks, the Sea Otter Classic.

Katerina Nash finishes with a sweep of the weekend's events in Fontana - Photo RideBiker Alliance

Katerina Nash finishes with a sweep of the weekend’s events in Fontana – Photo RideBiker Alliance

Elite women

The 31-strong field of women’s racers lined up for fifteen minutes plus three laps of a dusty course that featured a pair of tricky bumps on the far side. Trek Factory Racing’s Emily Batty was crafty in shooting under the charging Luna Pro Team on the first turn to take the hole shot. After the first fast lap, it was all strung out with the Luna Pro Team leading the way.

Lap two saw Chloe Woodruff (Stans No-Tubes-Niner) lead through the start/finish line, with Haley Smith (NORCO Factory Team) in second. One lap later, the Luna girls reclaimed their place at the front, with Catharine Pendrel and Georgia Gould being joined by teammate Andrea Waldis, who was doing some fine teamwork for her leaders. Behind them were Smith, Batty, Woodruff and Rose Grant (Stans No-Tubes).

A general regrouping took place on lap four with one notable exception as Gould flatted and withdrew from the race. Things heated up two laps later and showed the determination of the field, as some bumping occurred at the front on that first left-hander after the start/finish line.

With just two laps to go, the front group grew to fifteen riders, all battling it out for the win. On the penultimate lap, Nash and Batty made their selection, charging hard to establish the winning break. The field exploded at that point, with riders being strung out for the remainder of the race.

In the final run to the line, Nash charged to the win over Batty in an exciting and hard-fought sprint, with Woodruff, Grant and Caroline Mani (Raleigh Clement Cycling Team) filling out the podium.

“This is such exciting racing for us, where we can all race so close together,” explained Nash. “I was in the right place at the right time, just like yesterday, so it was a good weekend for me. I knew I was in a good position when I was third at the top. There are so few places to pass here but I found my spot and was able to take the win!”

Todd Wells stands atop the pro men's STXC podium - Photo RideBiker Alliance

Todd Wells stands atop the pro men’s STXC podium – Photo RideBiker Alliance

Elite men

The men’s race was also fifteen minutes plus three laps.

Raphael Gagne (Rocky Mountain Bicycels) showed yet another sign of his great form, taking the hole shot as the large men’s field kicked up a dust storm at the start. Unfortunately, the Canadian rider had some bad luck and went down in the first hectic lap, which created a gap and the eventual winning move.  Todd Wells (Specialized Factory Racing), Kohei Yamamoto (Trek Factory Racing) and Russell Finsterwald (SRAM/LTD Racing Team) were the beneficiaries of the resulting gap, and these first two remained out front for the remainder of the race.

By the third lap, the gap to the chasing group was at eight seconds. Halfway through the fifteen minutes, Wells put in a huge effort at the start/finish line and attempted the solo break. Two laps later, his lead was up to fourteen seconds, which he more or less held onto until the final lap allowed him to ease up a bit. With four laps to go, Finsterwald was replaced in the first chase duo by Yamamoto’s Trek teammate Sergio Mantecon. This group was chased by Stephen Ettinger (Sho-Air/Cannondale), Leandre Bouchard (Equite Quebec), and Estonian Martin Loo.

Wells kept the pressure on and cruised the last lap in to take a commanding win of the short track event. Trek Factory Racing’s Mantecon preceded his teammate and Japanese sensation Yamamoto, while Bouchard was followed in by Cole Oberman (Rare Disease Cycling).

“I heard a big crash on the first lap where there’s a blown out hump in a bottom corner and someone washed out there,” said Wells. “I got a separation with Kohei and Finsty and could tell I was gapping them a little bit on the downhill so I hit it. I looked up and we were only like six minutes into the race! I’m a steady rider so it was better for me to ride at my tempo. If I can get there by myself, I don’t have to follow the surges so it was better for me to ride steady by myself.”

US CUP Video Feed

A reminder that Saturday’s professional races are available for viewing at www.uscup.tv as well as on USA Cycling’s youtube channel.

Fontana City short track cross country brief results

Elite women

1 Katerina Nash (Czech Republic) Luna Pro Team 21:47.26
2 Emily Batty (Canada) Trek Factory Racing 21:47.60
3 Chloe Woodruff (United States) Team Stans NoTubes – Niner) 21:48.24
4 Rose Grant (United States) Stans NoTubes Elite 21:50.21
5 Catroline Mani (United States) Raleigh Clement Cycling Team 21:53.24

Elite men

1 Todd Wells (United States) Specialized Factory Racing; 20:14.45
2 Sergio Mantecon (Spain) Trek Factory Racing; 20:27.36
3 Kohei Yamamoto (Japan) Trek Factory Racing; 20:33.36
4 Leandre Bouchard (Equipe Quebec); 20:34.11
5 Cole Oberman (United States) Rare Disease Cycling; 20:36.83

Nash and Cooper take the wins at USA Cycling US CUP Round 2 at Fontana City

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Day’s winners take overall US CUP leads as well

Fontana City, California – March 21, 2015:  Katerina Nash (Luna Pro Team) and Anton Cooper (Cannondale Factory Racing) won round 2 of the USA Cycling US Cup Pro Series presented by Cannondale at Southridge Park in Fontana City, California.

Elite women

Technical problems caused in part by cellular interference from the nearby NASCAR race made for blind coverage of the women’s race early on. A fast start lap created a huge gap, which was driven by the Luna Pro Team as Pendrel, Nash and Gould, along with Round 1 winner Batty set the early pace. After the initial leveling off after the first climb, these front leaders left a large gap to Chloe Woodruff (Team Stan’s NoTubes-Niner) and Larissa Connors (Ridebiker Alliance).

Emily Batty tries to hunt down race leader Katerina Nash. Catharine Pendrel, Georgia Gould, and Erin Huck follow - Photo RideBiker Alliance

Emily Batty tries to hunt down race leader Katerina Nash. Catharine Pendrel, Georgia Gould, and Erin Huck follow – Photo RideBiker Alliance

An easing on the second lap of five allowed Connors and Woodruff to rejoin the leaders on the day’s main climb, only for Pendrel to put in a vicious attack, forcing Batty to respond.

Seemingly trying to force Batty to chase, the end of the second lap saw Pendrel continuing her attacks on Batty, with teammate Gould holding on, with Woodruff and Nash chasing further back. Just like on the first lap, the lead group eased up on the climb, allowing the front group to grow back up to eight.

Katerina Nash off the front on the last lap in Fontana - Photo RideBiker Alliance

Katerina Nash off the front on the last lap in Fontana – Photo RideBiker Alliance

The next two laps resulted in the further solidifying of the front group. Lap three featured a selection made by Gould on the main descent with Batty and Pendrel.  Nash clawed her way back to the front group at the end of the third lap only to take the lead of the race on the fourth time up the climb.  Another fierce attack by Pendrel was chased down by Batty and you got the sense that the team tactics were taking their toll on the Canadian winner of round one. At the end of the fourth lap, Batty, who was sitting second behind Nash, had some trouble on one of the dusty drops and went down. The crash wasn’t enough to cause any serious damage, but it enabled Nash to get a gap big enough to defend until the finish.

Gould would take the sprint for second ahead of Batty and Pendrel, with Erin Huck (Scott 3 Rox) rounding out the podium just behind in fifth.

“I was unaware of what was going on. I was up front and I got a gap so I assumed there was a problem,” said the day’s winner Nash. “I fully expected Emily to come back but once I got the gap I pinned it all the way until the end. I used my downhill skills and made gravity work for me.”

“It was a total battle out there, trying to sit second wheel,” said Batty. “There were three of them so it would’ve been pretty disappointing if they didn’t get it.”

Raphael Gagne was unable to shake New Zealander Anton Cooper in Fontana - Photo RideBiker Alliance

Raphael Gagne was unable to shake New Zealander Anton Cooper in Fontana – Photo RideBiker Alliance

Elite men

The men were scheduled to race six laps of the dusty and rocky course. The 120-strong field kicked up the fine dust on the trail as they strung out in a sprint for the base of the first climb. In a sign of his form, Cannondale’s Kiwi Anton Cooper took the hole shot for yet another strong start. Series leader Raphael Gagne (Rocky Mountain Bicycles) took over shortly afterward with Geoff Kabush (Scott 3 Rox) second wheel.

Hitting the pavement first was Gagne, followed by Kabush, Cooper, Fontana (both Cannondale Factory Racing), Wells (Specialized Factory Racing), Ettinger (Sho-Air/Cannondale) and Italian Andrea Tiberi (FRM Factory).

Fontana dabbed on a tricky spot, creating a gap to third place that didn’t last long enough to cause any major drama. Kabush would be the next to allow the early pace get the best of him, as he too hit the dirt. Six riders would come together toward the end of the first lap: Gagne, Cooper, Kabush, Wells, Stephen Ettinger (Sho-Air/Cannondale) and Fontana.

Tiberi, Fontana and teammate Manuel Fumic joined the lead group on the second time up the road climb, making a lead group of nine, chased by a courageous Max Plaxton (Sho-Air/Cannondale), who was battling a gruesome blister on his foot.

Cooper would be the first to put in a significant attack on the third lap. Gagne bridged back up, followed by Tiberi. On lap four, Tiberi dropped from this group as Cooper and Gagne pulled away on the rolling rocky section. The leaders showed no signs of tiring, as the fourth lap was the fastest to that point! The two leaders continued to pull away, followed by teammates Fumic and Fontana, with Tiberi, Wells and Mantecon each trying to chase back on.

Cannondale duo Marco Fontana and Manuel Fumic chased the leaders most of the day - Photo RideBiker Alliance

Cannondale duo Marco Fontana and Manuel Fumic chased the leaders most of the day – Photo RideBiker Alliance

The two leaders held their ground for the remainder of the race, with Fontana and Fumic solidifying their podium spots but content to let their young teammate fight it out for the win. Cooper’s decisive attack came midway through the last lap as he distanced himself on the final time up the asphalt climb. Cooper held and then extended his lead through the rolling and twisty singletrack to win by eleven seconds over Gagne, with Fumic and Fontana preceding Mantecon.

“What a way to finish off this first part of the season,” said Cooper at the finish. “And after last week, it’s great to come away with the win. Having Manny and Marco on the podium with me makes it even better. Now, I head home and start ramping up for the World Cup.”

“Good job to Anton. He’s a super-tough guy,” said Gagne at the finish. “I felt stronger today than last week, so I’m real happy with my race. The course was great, I really liked it.”

USA Cycling US Cup presented by Sho-Air Cycling Group series standings

After round two of the USA Cycling US Cup presented by Cannondale series, Cooper takes over the lead ahead of Gagne by virtue of the higher points on offer at the HC race, while Nash leads the womens’ series ahead of Batty.

The USA Cycling US Cup presented by Sho-Air Cycling Group series will continue with round 3, a UCI Category HC race, with a return to Bonelli Park in San Dimas , California on Saturday, April 11.

USA Cycling’s US CUP continues with Round 2 at Fontana City

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LIVE video stream coverage announced

For the second straight weekend, Southern California will host a selection of the world’s best cross country racers as the USA Cycling’s US CUP Series presented by Cannondale continues with Round 2 in Fontana City.

Round 1 winners Raphael Gagne (Rocky Mountain Bicycles) and Emily Batty (Trek Factory Racing) will look to defend their lead in the overall rankings, as the Fontana race will be a UCI HC category race, offering higher UCI points, series points and a richer prize purse than the first round in Bonelli Park.

“I’m really happy with how I went against such a strong international field in Bonelli and am proud to wear the leader’s jersey going into Fontana,” said Gagne. “I placed two spots better in Fontana than Bonelli last year, so I hope to be up front again. The long climb suits me, and the descent on the back side is real fun so it’s going to be another good weekend.”

Women’s revelation Larissa Connors (Ridebiker Alliance), 4th in Bonelli, was characteristically enthusiastic about heading into Fontana City. “I’m so excited to race again this weekend. Last week was an incredible rush, to race up front with the best girls in the world. I’m ready to go out there and give it another go. The response to my ride at Bonelli was just incredible. Now I just have to put my head down, do the work, turn the legs and try to get up there again!”

 

Free video coverage schedule announced

Ridebiker Alliance is proud to announce that video coverage of USA Cycling’s US CUP presented by Cannondale Round 2 will be aired live, with a one-hour condensed highlight reel featuring advertising and special offers from our sponsors to air beginning Wednesday afternoon. Both the live feed and highlight reel will be viewable at www.uscup.net, www.uscup.tv and also at a dedicated page under USA Cycling’s YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mor60tvPq9s.

 

The elite men’s contenders

Men’s leader and Round 1 winner Raphael Gagne stayed in Southern California to prepare for his defence in Fontana City. He will face a determined field of top talent trying to knock him out of the lead, including fellow Canadian Max Plaxton, who fought hard in Bonelli Park.

Cannondale Factory Racing is one team that showed itself at the front of the Bonelli Park race and will want to continue that trend at Fontana. Both Marco Aurelio Fontana and Manuel Fumic took their turns in the race lead, but it was young Anton Cooper who would finish on the podium (third) with a very consistent ride.

Continuing down the Bonelli results, the next three riders are aboard Trek Bicycles and all will be fighting to move up in the rankings on Saturday. James Reid from Trek RECM was a bit of a surprise to some, but will be out to prove he belongs at the front of the race in Fontana. Reid finished in the top twenty in Fontana in 2014 and his fourth at Bonelli on Saturday is reason to believe he on fine form. Sergio Mantecon was second in Bonelli and sixth in Fontana last year and currently lies in fifth while teammate Adam Morka lies in sixth place.

Scott 3 Rox Racing’s Canadian duo of Derek Zandstra and Geoff Kabush are next in the overall, while some big names such as Fumic, Todd Wells (Specialized Factory Racing), Russell Finsterwald (SRAM/TLD Race Team), Keegan Swenson and Stephen Ettinger (both Sho-Air / Cannondale) will look to improve upon their Bonelli Park results.

 

The elite women’s contenders

The Luna Pro Team led by Catharine Pendrel, Georgia Gould and Katerina Nash will be out to reclaim the top podium spot after they were unable to shake a determined and in-form Emily Batty at Bonelli Park. Larissa Connors is out to prove that Saturday’s fourth place was no fluke while top contenders Erin Huck (Scott 3 Rox), Evelyn Dong (Sho-Air / Cannondale), Maghalie Rochette (Luna Pro Team) and Rose Grant (Stans NoTubes Elite Women) will be determined to displace Batty, the Luna duo of Pendrel and Gould, Connors and Chloe Woodruff (Stans NoTubes/Niner) from their podium spots.

 

UCI Junior Races

New for the 2015 US CUP Series is that the Fontana City Round will also include a UCI Junior race category for both men and women. The Junior XCO race will be held at 8:30 Saturday morning, with valuable UCI points and payout on offer.

 

Saturday, March 21 Fontana City Race Schedule, all times Pacific Daylight Time / Local California Time

08h30 – 09h40 PDF: UCI Junior women and men cross country – staging and call-up

11h00 – 11h15 PDT: Elite women cross country – staging and call-up
11h15 – 13h15 PDT: Elite women cross country race
13h30 – 13h45 PDT: Elite men cross country – staging and call-up
13h45 – 15h45 PDT: Elite men cross country race
15h50 – 16h00 PDT: Elite women and men cross country podium ceremony

Coach’s Column with Sarah Kaufmann – Training for 50 Milers

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Question:  “A month out from the beginning of my race season as an expert/open rider focusing mostly on XC and some 50miler/100k races, what should I be aiming to achieve in my workouts?” 

 

Answer:  Sounds like you are in for a fun season! Your goals one month out from your first XC and endurance races will depend on what you have been doing through the winter and up to now. Assuming you did a solid winter of training to develop your aerobic base, beginning at steady state endurance work, followed by a large volume of tempo training, and some threshold and surge work on top of that, one month out you should be adding some race-specific top end that will allow you to dig deep to go hard at the start, attack other riders, cover attacks, and make the decisive move when the time is right and other riders are pinned.

There are a few different workouts I recommend to address these goals. A fast start is more important in an XC race than an endurance race but in order to be competitive in your longer races, you will need a fast start for these as well. This is especially true if the course funnels into singletrack quickly or if the course causes some initial splintering of the group that will require you to be near the front to avoid getting caught out when a split occurs. 

There are two main components to improving your starts; first is the simple act of getting quickly clipped into your pedals and powering off the line, second is being able to ride at a maximal effort, then drop to VO2/threshold effort and maintain, without recovery. To address these goals, perform the following workout. Warm up by spining easy for 10 minutes, then ramping up to tempo from minute 10-12, back to easy spinning for one minute, then up to threshold for two minutes. Do a couple of 10” jumps then spin easy for another two minutes and begin the following intervals; start with one foot on the ground and one foot clipped in, like a race start. Clip in and sprint off the line, riding as hard as you can for 2-4 minutes, then settling into threshold effort for 8-10 minutes. The best way to do this workout is to find a course that mimics a race course, i.e. beginning the interval on pavement or dirt road and funneling into a singletrack climb within a couple of minutes. Use visualization during this workout; imagine other riders around you and the mad dash for singletrack. You may get some relief at the singletrack but you will still need to hang on and push the pace. Do a total of two of these intervals per workout, then finish the remainder of your ride at endurance pace. Do this workout once per week for 2-3 weeks starting 3-4 weeks out from your first goal event. 

You will want to improve your anaerobic capacity to cover surges and short climbs. For AC intervals, I like 2-3 sets of 1:30 – 3 minutes at AC with 5 minutes recovery between intervals and 10 minutes recovery between sets. Anaerobic capacity should feel like a 9 out of 10 for your Rate of Perceived Exertion. Unlike the Starts workout above, you should control your effort for these intervals so that you do not have to back off at the end and you can keep the intensity even and high through the interval. Cool down with at least 15 minutes of easy spinning. Do this workout once per week for 2-3 weeks starting 3-4 weeks out.

To put the final touches on your top end, you will want to do a few sprint workouts. You can do these on flat ground or on hills and I suggest doing some of them starting with one foot clipped in, one foot on the ground (like a race start) and some from speed. You should start with 6-8 reps of 30” all out and work up to 8-12. Take at least 4:30 recovery of light spinning between reps and cool down for at least 15 minutes after the workout. Do this workout 1-2 times per week for 2 weeks starting 2-3 weeks out.

These workouts will set you up nicely to head into your season fast and ready to mix it up!

Sarah Kaufmann is a USAC Level II coach under the PLAN7 Endurance Coaching brand. She is a member of the Stan’s NoTubes Women’s Elite Mountain Bike Team and has been racing mountain bikes at the professional level since 2008.  Sarah is based in Salt Lake City, Utah.  

True Grit Epic (NUE#1) – St. George, Utah

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Keck Baker and Sonya Looney Dominate in the Desert

Great Day for the New-Look True Grit Epic

With a new start venue and key course redesigns the 2015 True Grit Epic provided a first-rate race experience to go along with the high-powered course appropriate for the 374 racers gathered to take the start.

The field included riders from all across the U.S. including many National Ultra Endurance regulars like Keck Baker (Cannondale/Carytown Bicycle), Gordon Wadsworth (Blue Ridge Cyclery), Josh Tostado (Swiftwick), Amanda Carey (Luca Sunscreen), and 2014 series champ Brenda Simril (Motor Mile).

Ultimately it was a rider from Virginia that made the biggest impact in the desert of St. George. Keck Baker showed amazing early-season fitness despite enduring a brutal winter on the east coast. Riding smart and clean throughout the race he managed his efforts in the most difficult technical sections and gave full gas on the climbs and open desert singletrack to cut down his rivals.

Baker had never ridden in southern Utah and due to shipping problems the Cannondale rider’s bike didn’t even arrive until Friday before the race. “My plan was to follow some of the local guys in the technical stuff the first lap” the eventual race winner said, “but I got stopped once on the Zen Trail and when I got back on the guys I was with were gone.”

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Josh Tostado cooling down after the finish – photo by Shannon Boffeli

Josh Tostado and Cary Smith (The Hub), both veterans of the True Grit Epic, had gotten out front in the slickrock gardens of Zen Trail and worked hard to keep their advantage but with just over half of the first lap gone by Baker had worked his way back to the front and took control of the race.

The second pass through the Zen Trail went much better for Baker sacrificing some time on the ledges and jarring downhills but not enough to let second placed rider Cary Smith make contact.

After Zen the remainder of the race went by in a flash as Baker took his first NUE win over 5 minutes up on Smith at the finish as Tostado finished in third.

Taylor Lideen (92Fifty) turned in a strong performance at his first True Grit experience taking fourth followed by North Carolina’s Barnabas Froystad.

The women’s race was a showdown between multi-time NUE series champion Amanda Carey, ultra-endurance superstar Sonya Looney, defending NUE champ Brenda Simril, and newcomer Marlee Dixon (Pivot/Epic Brewing).

Having just returned from the 6-stage Andalucia Bike Race, Sonya Looney wasn’t sure how her legs would respond. It didn’t take long for her to find out as she moved to the front in the opening miles and never looked back.

After a mechanical tanked her 2014 True Grit Epic Looney was determined to improve her 2015 result. Indeed it seemed her Andalucia effort only strengthened her fitness as she was simply unstoppable throughout the 90 miles of desert riding.

Amanda Carey settled happily into second place enjoying the warm weather and opportunity to put miles under her wheels both of which have been hard to come by in her home just outside Jackson, Wyoming.

Marlee Dixon followed Carey throughout the first 45-mile lap. Halfway through lap two the 80-degree heat started to catch up with the snowbound Breckenridge racer. After suffering through a second trip around Zen Trail with an uncooperative stomach Simril overtook the Pivot rider to move into third.

Riders stayed in this order until the finish.

Sonya Looney was elated with her win and enjoyed her time riding the challenging True Grit course.

At the finish riders were treated to live music and food as they cheered in the remaining riders on course.

Results 

Open Men

1, Keck Baker Cannondal/Carytown Bicycle 6.52.57
2, Cary Smith The Hub 6.58.12
3, Josh Tostado Swiftwick/Santa Cruz 7.16.45
4, Taylor Lideen 7.23.10
5, Barnabas Froystad 7.32.11
6, Brent Pontius Rooster’s/Bikers Edge 7.33.43
7, Ryan Steers Pedalers Fork 7.34.08
8, Scott Leonard Mountain Flyer Magazine 7.37.03
9, Matt Woodruff Kuhl/Salsa Cycles 7.41.12
10, Chris Alstrin 7.52.10
11, Kelly Phil AllProBicycles 7.59.56
12, Clifford Clermont Trek San Diego 8.34.23
13, Tom Kavanaugh Cascade Bicycles 8.57.25
14, Shawn Mitchell Team Rhino Rush 9.12.51
15, Eric Zubick Crank Benders 9.48.00

Open Women

1, Sonya Looney Freak Show/Defeet 8.12.36
2, Amanda Carey Luca Sunscreen 8.24.22
3, Brenda Simril Motor Mile Racing 9.16.42

Singlespeed

1, Gordon Wadsworth Blue Ridge Cyclery 7.14.07
2, AJ Linnell Fitzgerald’s Bicycles/Pivot 7.29.59
3, Mike Montalbano Toasted Head Racing 7.34.16
4, Daniel Rapp Team Noah Foundation 8.14.21
5, Cole Anderson 8.37.52

Open Men – 50 Mile

1, Justin Lindine Competitive Cyclist 3.15.25
2, Jason Sager Competitive Cyclist 3.20.20
3, Nick Fisher Destination Homes/Togs 3.25.08
4, Drew Free Revolution 3.27.02
5, John Osguthorpe Team Endurance 360 3.28.57

Open Women – 50 Mile

1, Joey Lythgoe Kuhl 3.52.17
2, Karen Jarchow BH/Castelli 4.01.02
3, KC Holley Kuhl 4.07.33
4, Wendy Lyall YetiBeti 4.14.37
5, Tracy Thelen ProCycling 4.26.16

Singlespeed – 50 Mile

1, Quin Bingham Rooster’s/Bikers Edge 3.49.35
2, Shannon Boffeli Pivot/Epic Brewing 3.59.09
3, Danny Christensen Red Rock Bicycle 4.12.03
4, Kenny Jones Flying Monkeys 4.17.24
5, Shane Horton UMB 4.19.47

US CUP #1 Bonelli Park, California – XC

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Batty and Gagne make a Canadian sweep of USA Cycling US CUP Round 1 at Bonelli Park

Emily Batty (Trek Factory Racing) and Raphael Gagne (Rocky Mountain Bicycles) won round 1 of the USA Cycling US Cup Pro Series presented by Cannondale at Frank G. Bonelli Park in San Dimas, California, on Saturday afternoon. The opening round was greeted with clear sunny skies and temperatures in the 90’s, making for a hot, dry and dusty day of racing at the highest level.

Elite women

The women got things underway after a series of amateur events and the action heated up quickly. A fifty-plus size field took off from under the Kenda arch and it was Catharine Pendrel of the Luna Pro Team who took the whole shot and the early lead after the short start loop.

The Luna-led front group of five slowly peeled away and separated from the pack, only to be joined by the day’s revelation, Larissa Connors on lap one.

The Southern-California based high school math teacher soon found herself racing with World Champions, World Cup winners and Olympic medalists. Connors (Ridebiker Alliance) would at times prove to be the strongest climber of the front bunch, but would occasionally drop back from the leaders only to fight back over and over to bring them back after falling off the pace.

Luna’s Georgia Gould put in a hard effort towards the top of the first major climb of the day, which settled the formation of the front group of six as: Pendrel, Gould and Nash (Luna Pro Team); Emily Batty (Trek Factory Racing); Chloe Woodruff (Team Stan’s NoTubes-Niner) and Connors (Ridebiker Alliance). Behind them, the chase was led by Evelyn Dong (Sho-Air/Cannondale), Lesley Patterson (Scott Bikes) and Lea Davison (Specialized Factory Racing).

On lap three of the seven-lap race, Nash and Woodruff would drop off the front group after pressure from Gould and Pendrel, with Batty calmly sitting in and Connors continuing to battle back to the leaders.

The race settled into this rhythm with little change until the final lap, when Batty finally made her move on the first ascent after the line. Putting in a strong attack, Batty got the gap needed and continued to put pressure on Pendrel for the remainder of the race to finish with a 39 second win over the current World Champion Pendrel, with Gould in third, Connors in fourth and Woodruff in fifth.

“What an awesome start to the season,” said Batty. “I worked really hard over the winter and spring. My confidence is there, my Trek equipment is dialed in, so it’s really motivating knowing that the hard work paid off. The Luna girls are always ‘on’ so it’s always a challenge and it defines that level of competition!”

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Raphael Gagne leads Max Plaxton in Bonelli – photo courtesy of RideBiker Alliance

 

 

Elite men

The men’s race was shortened by a lap due to the heat and would also be seven laps of the tough Bonelli Park course. With temperatures already topped out, the men set off, with Italy’s Andrea Tiberi getting the wholeshot and fellow Italian Marco Aurelio Fontana (Cannondale Factory Racing) taking over the lead on the first full lap.

Fontana’s teammate Manuel Fumic then took the lead and for a brief moment it was Cannondale Factory Racing in first, second and third, as Anton Cooper (New Zealand) benefitted from a strong start to claim his spot near the front. 2014 overall US CUP champion Geoff Kabush (Canada) slotted into fourth with Kerry Werner (Raleigh Clement Cycling Team) ensuring an American spot in the top five.

Just into the second lap, Fumic put in a hard effort to get the gap he wanted, with Gagne trailing at fifteen seconds. Behind, Sergio Mantecon (Trek Factory Racing), Cooper and Fontana, Todd Wells (Specialized Factory Racing), Kabush and Werner formed the chase group.

On the second lap, the chase group slowly reeled in Fumic, who was caught first by Gagne and then by the remainder of the chasers.

With just two laps remaining, Max Plaxton (Team Sho-Air/Cannondale) put in an attack that only Gagne could bridge up to. The two would remain at the front for the remainder of the race to duel it out for the victory. Behind, U23 Cooper and James Reid (Trek RECM) joined up to defend their impressive positions against this top-flight field.

Gagne’s repeated attacks finally snapped the elastic when Plaxton was unable to bridge back on the short steep climbs of the final lap. Gagne pushed his lead out further on the final descent back into the park and had time to celebrate his twenty-second victory over fellow Canadian Plaxton. Cooper, Reid and Mantecon rounded out the international podium.

“This is my first ever cross country US CUP win, so I’m super happy with that,“ said Gagne at the finish. “I am here with Rocky Mountain and the Quebec Province so thanks to them for the support. I found that little extra energy to catch back up to Max. He always has a lot of watts so it was good to be up there with him.”

“I felt comfortable in the big group and it was really dusty out there so I decided to take my own lines,” said Plaxton. “My hat’s off to Raphael, it’s great to have a Canadian one-two. Thanks to America for putting on the race, but… sorry! Thanks everyone for coming out and cheering today. It was hot… but it was great!”

USA Cycling US Cup presented by Sho-Air Cycling Group series standings

After round one of five in the USA Cycling US Cup presented by Cannondale series, Gagne leads the series ahead of Plaxton and Cooper while Batty leads the womens’ series ahead of Pendrel and Gould.

The USA Cycling US Cup presented by Sho-Air Cycling Group series will continue with round 2, a UCI Category HC race in Fontana, California on Saturday, March 21.

Bonelli Park cross country brief results

Elite women

1 Emily Batty (Canada) Trek Factory Racing 1:49:55
2 Catharine Pendrel (Canada) Luna Pro Team 1:50:34
3 Georgia Gould (United States) Luna Pro Team 1:51:00
4 Larissa Connors (United States) Ridebiker Alliance 1:51:42
5 Chloe Woodruff (United States) Team Stan’s NoTubes-Niner 1:52:17

Elite men

1 Raphael Gagne (Canada) Rocky Mountain Bicycles; 1:29:35
2 Max Plaxton (Canada) Team Sho-Air/Cannondale; 1:29:55
3 Anton Cooper (New Zealand) Cannondale Factory Racing; 1:30:08
4 James Reid (South Africa) Trek RECM; 1:30:21
5 Sergio Mantecon (Spain) Trek Factory Racing 1:30:49

 

Kerry Werner Signs with Raliegh-Clement for the 2015 Mountain Bike Season

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Kerry Werner’s first race for the Raleigh Clement Professional Cycling Team will be the Pro XCT Bonelli event.

Kerry Werner’s first race for the Raleigh Clement Professional Cycling Team will be the Pro XCT Bonelli event.

Kent, Washington and Denver, Colorado – March 4, 2015 – Raleigh Clement Professional Cycling Team announces the addition of Kerry Werner to the squad. Werner is a key component of the fortified mountain biking program. A skilled rider and multiple national champion in cyclocross as well as mountain biking, the twenty-three year-old will also compete in cyclocross. The signing of Werner caps off a wave of recruitment for 2015 which triples the number of mountain bike racers on the team compared to 2014 while reinforcing the highly successful ‘cross program.

“Kerry first came to our attention as we considered riders who would fit our future team plans and specifically the expanding mountain bike racing program,” says team manager Donn Kellogg.

“It was also very important that we fill this last position on the team with a rider who has mountain biking and cyclocross skills and abilities. When we saw Kerry riding strongly at the front edge of ‘cross races and in pace with Jamey Driscoll and other leaders, we knew we had the rider who fit our plan to bring a few options to the line.”

As a member of the Lees-McRae College cycling team, in 2011 and 2013 Werner took the division one individual omnium wins at the collegiate mountain bike national championships. He also became the American U23 cross-country champion in 2013. On the international stage, Werner has represented the U.S. at world cup events and earned third and fourth places in the cross-country U23 category at the 2012 and 2013 Pan American Mountain Bike Continental Championships. From 2011 through 2014 he raced as a member of the BMC U23 Mountain Bike Development Team. He’s netted top five results on the USA Cycling Pro XCT circuit.

Cyclocross only came to Werner’s attention once he started collegiate cycling; his aptitude showed in short order. “I definitely like some muddy, slick ‘cross races,” Werner says. “And I like a challenging course; it kind of takes your mind off the pain in your legs.”

In just his second attempt he won a collegiate national ‘cross championship, a title he would capture three times. He touched down on the USA Cycling cyclocross circuit beginning in 2010; in 2012 he won day two at the North Carolina Grand Prix. During the 2014/15 season, racing for Optum Pro Cycling p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies, he secured four UCI wins which included a sweep of the North Carolina event weekend.

A natural and versatile athlete, Werner tried his hand at many sports while growing up in Birdsboro, Pennsylvania. Around age fifteen he discovered mountain biking. Consumed by mastering challenges on dirt trails, he dropped competitive soccer and cross-country running to focus on mountain biking while continuing basketball for winter fitness. Just two years after his first mountain bike race he made the junior world championship team. At Lees-McRae College he received a Bachelor of Science degree in biology with a concentration in nutrition.

Werner is looking forward to the benefits of racing mountain and ‘cross bikes on the same team. “I couldn’t be happier,” he said about becoming part of the Raleigh Clement Professional Cycling Team.

“The last couple of years I’ve had a full mountain bike program but I’ve never been able to transition with the same team from mountain biking to cyclocross. So it’s a big confidence booster to concentrate solely on mountain biking without worrying about finding a team for ‘cross. That easy transition will allow me to focus more on racing, which I can’t wait to do for this awesome team.”

During the recruitment process Werner displayed initiative in his contacts with Kellogg, a trait the team manager seeks out in riders. “When Kerry visited the team tent to introduce himself in person, eye to eye, that further proved his initiative and more or less sealed his opportunity to join the team,” says Kellogg.

Werner completes the set of talent assembled to enable the team to make a significant impression in mountain biking. He joins new recruits Fernando Riveros and U23 rider Lance Haidet, as well as Jamey Driscoll, to compete at USA Cycling Pro XCT and other races. Caroline Mani and U23 racer Laurel Rathbun will enter women’s events. The riders will pilot Raleigh Skarns on Clement FRJ tires.

With Riveros focused on mountain biking, in total the Raleigh Clement Professional Cycling Team supports six riders in 2015 for that discipline and five for cyclocross. In addition, the next Amy D. Racing rider will travel with the team for the ‘cross season.

About Raleigh Bicycles

Raleigh Bicycles offers a broad spectrum of bicycles including road, mountain, cyclocross, and commuter for all ages and abilities. Raleigh focuses on supporting the commuter, the family and local cycling, and partners with numerous non-profits around the U.S. each year to help grow the sport, including PeopleForBikes and the Amy D. Foundation. Based in Kent, Washington, Raleigh is a proud sponsor of the Raleigh Clement Professional Cycling Team.

About Clement Cycling

Clement offers tires for mountain bike, road, cyclocross and gravel road/adventure riding and racing. Re-launched by Donnelly Sports in 2010 and now located in Denver, Colorado, the Clement brand was founded in 1888 and the original commitment to innovation and passion for the perfect ride endures today. Raleigh Bicycles and Clement Cycling established their jointly-sponsored professional team in 2012. For more information visit www.clementcycling.com.