NORBA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS!SEPTEMBER 9
NORBA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS!SEPTEMBER 9
The multi-day event was blessed with beautiful sunny weather and warm temperatures. However, temperatures dropped to 28 degrees in the mountains nearby on Thursday night.
NATIONAL TILES DECIDED
This race was the most important for U.S. mountain bikers, as it decided the national champions in every discipline of mountain biking. It was almost an all-American race, with very few foreign riders competing in the racing. There were however a few Canadian riders. However, those who did compete were able make serious withdrawals from ribbon supplies.
CROSS COUNTRY TITLES
After being denied a spot on the U.S. Olympic Team, Steve Larsen wanted the world to see that he was truly the best cross-country runner in America. He had won the two previous nationals before he reached Mammoth and was in a strong position in the points. At the Mammoth race, he was at the front. He didn’t look back for any other riders until two hours later, when he began to lap the field over the six-mile course. Larsen was the fastest rider to catch during the race. When he reached the finish line, he had a more than two-minute advantage over Jeremy Horgan Kobelski, the nearest rider. Larsen rode up the finish line with arms raised high and waving the stars and stripes as a cheering crowd. Horgan-Kobelski, a former college mountain biking champion, finished second, followed by Pavel Tcherkassov and Dave Wiens.
Larsen said that he thought the competition would be harder. He admitted that he didn’t expect to win the race but that he started fast and led the pros up the first climb. It was then that Larsen realized that no one could catch him. He was awarded the Norba series title as well as the U.S. National title. Larsen stated that he wanted to prove that his cross-country racing is tops in America, despite opposition from the Olympic team selection boards.
Seamus McGrath from Canada was third and Pavel finished second in the series. Tinker Juarez, an Olympic team member, finished seventh in the race. He was also sixth for the year. Travis Brown, a fellow Olympian, dropped out of the race to finish outside the top ten for the entire year-long series. Larsen claims he is an alternate member of the Olympic team. However, he said to MBA that the U.S. team had not given him any indications that they wanted him to travel to Australia. He will be attending the Interbike Show in Las Vegas this weekend.
GRIGSON WINS RACE, RUTHIE WINS U.S. TITLE
Mary Grigson, an Australian woman who won the women’s cross-country race at Mammoth was dominant. She started off on the front and held off any challenges to win her third NORBA NCS competition of the year. Ruthie Matthes and Alison Dunlap finished second and third, respectively.
Grigson earned enough points in the race to win the NORBA series title. However, her Australian citizenship prevented her from claiming the U.S. title. Ruthie Matthes, the American point series’ top scorer, climbed to the podium to claim her fourth national title trophy. She also received one of the stars and stripes jerseys all national champions were given.
CARL SWENSON GRABS WINNER AND TITLE
Carl Swenson, Boulder, Colorado (RLX Polo Sport), took a big lead in Saturday’s men’s cross-country short-track race. He won a decisive victory at Mammoth. Pavel Tcherkassov of Russia came second and Seamus McGrath from Canada came third.
Swensons win earned Swensons the short-track national championship.
Pavel is currently competing in the U.S., and readers may be curious to learn why. Pavel lives in Vermont, the U.S., with his American girlfriend whom he met on racing circuit. Pavel will be a major player in the NORBA races for many years to come, thanks to the green card he will receive from his marriage.
DUNLAP WINS SHORT TRACK ELECTION; TROMBLEY WINS TITLE
Alison Dunlap and Jimena Florit were in a close race for second place at Mammoth’s short-track event. However, Dunlap was able to sprint past Jimena and all other competitors to win the event. Jimena’s second-place finish earned her the series title. However, she will be racing for Argentina this year to compete in the Olympics so she could not win the U.S. National title. Ann Trombley was awarded this honor.
LOPES FINISHES SECOND BEHIND BOOOTES IN DUAL-SLALOM RACE, BUT WINS THE TITLE
Brian Lopes, Laguna Beach, California won his eighth national title with his performance in the dual-slalom finals at Mammoth. Lopes was matched against Wade Bootes, the World Champion in BMX. They had previously met in a similar final at the Worlds. This time they met with a similar result: Bootes (an Australian-born BMX star) beat Flyin. Brian in the match-up of two-run final.
Lopes won the series and the national title despite the loss. Eric Carter finished second in the year end points standings with Mike King and Wade Bootes respectively.
DONOVAN WINS DUAL SLALOM FINALS. BUT MILLER and ELLIOTT WIN THE TITLES.
Leigh Donovan and Katrina Miller met in the dual Slalom Finals at Mammoth. Leigh was victorious, but Miller took the greater honor in the end. Katrina won the series title thanks to her consistent performance throughout the season. Cheri Elliott, second-place finisher and top American in series, won the U.S. title. Donovan was third in series final standings.
DOWNHILL RACE
Mammoth hosted two downhill races this year. However, the additional one was not as good as the Reebok Eliminator. Start at 8 a.m. on Sunday and run until around 8.
The event was won by Jeremy Purdy. Jason Sigfrid, Jurgen Beneke, and Todd Snider were the other top riders who raced in it. John Tomac was ninth after a cast on his arm was placed for injuries sustained a few weeks ago on a Colorado ride. He would retire from competition later in the day, as he had previously stated.
Marla Streb defeated Lisa Sher, Kristian Nichols in the women’s section of the event.
WOMENS DOWNHILL FINALS
A new course was used for the NORBA series’ downhill race. It was located just a few hundred meters from the Kamikaze. The new course was also a disaster. The NCS championship course, unlike the Kamikaze, was held on a long, fast fireroad. It was a narrow, mostly singletrack course. It dropped down steep rocks and weaved through boulders before reaching the finish line at the main lodge.
Elke Brutsaert was expected to win her fourth race series victory and claim the national downhill title in the finals. However, expectations don’t always turn out as expected.
Elke was 30.5m below the top when she turned a corner behind a large boulder. The sound of her tires rolling in soft pumice was replaced by a loud thud when Elke hit the ground. She was trying to do a nose wheelie in a steep, sandy, and rocky section. However, she lost control of her bike and flew right over the bars, landing face first in the dirt. Elke was seen getting up in five seconds, and then she got back on her bike to continue down the course. She was clearly slowed by the crash. Leigh Donovan would soon crash in the exact same spot.
Elke’s time loss was substantial. Elke finished 15th in the race. To secure the national title, she needed an eleventh. The race was won by Missy Giove, the defending national champion, and the title. Brutsaert, clearly insolent, finished second in the end of the year standings.
Marla Streb finished second in the finals. Missy was 19 seconds faster than Missy. Vanessa Quinn came third, Lisa Sher fourth and Tara Llanes fifth.
Following Giove, Brutsaert, five other places were taken in the year-end total points: Llanes, Sher, fourth, Quinn, fifth, Quinn, sixth, Donovan and Elliott, seventh.
MENS DOWNHILL
Fabien Barel, a Frenchman riding for GT, was the top downhiller in the men’s pro finals at Mammoth. He easily won first place. Nathan Rankin from New Zealand, a visitor currently residing in Pasadena in California came in second. GTs Eric Carter came third in the final downhill race in the NORBA NCS 2000 series.
The men’s points race was exciting because it was about seeing if young upstart Colin Bailey could challenge Carter and win the title. To beat Carter, Colin had to win by several places. But it wasn’t possible. Carter defeated Bailey by 3.64 seconds. This made Carter third to seventh, giving Eric the series title as well as the national title. Bailey finished second in the national points ranking, with a group that included Kiwis and Aussies ahead of him in series ranks. The series saw Michael Ronning from Australia finish second, Nathan Rankin from New Zealand came in third and John Kirkcaldie took fourth. Nathan Rennie was fifth. Despite the fact that downhill racing is becoming more popular in the US, it should be noted that Nathan Rankin finished second and Mr. Barel was third. There was no margin in the men’s race that was greater than this until it got to the final two riders, who finished in 68th or 69th places. Evidently, Mr. Barel has a fast personality.
CREDIT TO COACH
Blair Lombardi, a teacher of speed and balance to mountain bikers as well as a side note, was also on the hill keeping track her former students. She said that she had four more national titles to add to her student credits, including the Missy Giove title. Lombardis would have counted five if Colin Bailey had won a title. Colin was among the first downhillers to complete the course. Missy was also inspired by his enthusiasm.
