MTB News & Racing Round-up, August 24, 2010

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Date published:

September 3, 2010, 01:04

Edited by Sue George, Mountain Bike Editor

Welcome to our regular roundup of what's happening in mountain biking. Feel free to send feedback, news, & releases to mtb@cyclingnews.com and results, reports & photos to cyclingnews@cyclingnews.com.

• No Worlds for Cole

  

  Article published:

  August 24, 2010, 20:45

  By:

  Cycling News

  New Zealander still sidelined with injury

  After a good start to the season with two podiums and a top 10 finish in three races, Cameron Cole (Maxxis-Rocky Mountain) decided to withdraw from this weekend's World Cup in Windham, New York, and next weekend's world championships at Monte-Sainte-Anne, Quebec, Canada. Cole broke his scaphoid at the Champery, Switzerland, round of the World Cup and the bone has not properly healed yet.

  "I have been to both of my surgeons and am continuing the rehab. I have also ridden my bike which was ok but not 100 percent," said Cole. "I am disappointed, but there will be more opportunities for me to achieve my goals in the future. The annoying thing is that if Worlds was a week later I probably would have been okay."

  "My wrist is strong looking from the outside but the bone has not healed and there is a small risk I could affect the repair if I were to crash on it. I am still very young, and I feel there is no need to risk on going problems to my right wrist."

  Cole also cited a lack of preparation - physically and mentally - since his engeries have been going fully toward rehabilitation rather than training. "Therefore I can not represent my sponsors nor myself to my full potential as I have earlier in the season."

• Hermida extends Multivan Merida Biking Team contract

  

  Article published:

  August 24, 2010, 18:25

  By:

  Cycling News

  Spaniard aims for gold at Worlds

  Spanish mountain biker José Hermida has re-signed with the Multivan Merida Biking Team for two more years. The Spaniard has ridden for the team for seven years in an illustrious career.

  Hermida won Houffalize’s classic World Cup cross country race earlier this year and has been part of a select group of contenders for the victory on an international top level for many years.

  "We're looking forward to two more years with José. He is an extremely consistent and reliable racer, and his light-heartedness is literally infectious," said team manager Rottler.

  "Thanks to his big successes and his very open nature, he has a huge following all over the world."

  The biggest win missing from Hermida’s trophy cabinet is a World championship gold medal and the Spaniard will be hoping to rectify that at the World Championships at Mont-Sainte-Anne on September 4.

  In his career, Hermida has won six World Cup races, an Olympic silver medal and participated in three Olympic Games.. He has also picked up three bronze medals at the Worlds, three gold medals at the European championships and two silver.

• South African ultra marathoners ready for next round

  

  Article published:

  August 24, 2010, 10:05

  By:

  Cycling News

  Cullinan course features climbing and technical sections

  The next MTN Ultra marathon will take place on Saturday, August 28 in Cullinan, South Africa. Above average climbing ability and good technical skills are what it will take to win the race.

  Riders likely to contend for the win are Kevin Evans (MTN-Energade), Brandon Stewart and Max Knox (both DCM), Francois Theron (Garmin-adidas) and Ben-Melt Swanepoel (Specialized/MR Price). Evans has already mentioned that it is important for him to achieve a good result at Cullinan, because he would then be the overall winner of the series again.

  Wessel van der Walt, who is responsible for the planning of the routes for the MTN series, readily admits that the ultra marathon in Cullinan will certainly not be a walk in the park.

  "I think the riders may be in for a rude awakening. Because the race takes place in Gauteng, they may expect that there will not be many climbs, but they will soon find out that they were wrong. Roughly estimated, I think the riders who compete in the ultra marathon will have to face between 1800 and 2000 meters of climbing.

  "The route is also very technical. The riders will probably have to stop more than once to fix mechanical problems. Because of this, there will be three technical zones on the route where the riders will be able to repair their mountain bikes if necessary.

  "The technical zones will be roughly about 30 kilometers apart and they will also serve as viewing points for spectators. We fully realize that it can become very boring for spectators if they have to wait at the finish for four hours or longer for a loved one to reappear. We want to encourage spectators to rather go to the technical zones to support their riders. This will also help to give them a better idea of what the riders have to endure before they finish their races.

  "We will supply GPS coordinates of the technical zones on the websites and we will also give a briefing at the start, explaining how to get there."

  According to Van der Walt the marathon race over 78 kilometers will also be a 'toughie' with a lot of climbing, as well as some interesting technical challenges.

  The good news is that the 45km race will be a pleasant and enjoyable mountain bike experience.  "We realized after the Nissan Diamond Rush event that the 40km race was perhaps just too tough.

  "Because Cullinan is so near to Pretoria and Johannesburg, we expect that many novices will compete in the 45km race. The last thing we want to do is to discourage riders from entering for races because the anticipated suffering might be too severe.

  "Riders can, therefore, relax this time. There won't be any mine dumps for them to conquer. I would have loved to have some mine dumps on the ultra-marathon course but, luckily for the riders, things did not work out that way."

  As usual, the city people can expect to see a variety of game on the route, but please don't give the giraffes a fright.

  The riders will have the opportunity to ride through the unique rock formations just outside of Cullinan again.

• Breck Epic kicks off Sunday

  

  Article published:

  August 21, 2010, 17:20

  By:

  Sue George, Mountain Bike Editor

  Updated: Second edition returns with longer, harder route

  The Breck Epic mountain bike stage race will kick off for a longer edition in its second year on Sunday, August 22 and will run until Friday, August 27.  The race takes place in and around Breckenridge, Colorado.

  Last year's winner Jeremiah Bishop will be on hand to defend his title. He'll face tough competition from Breck 100 winner Josh Tostado, 100-mile racer Evan Plews, Dejay Birtch, Colin Cares, Blake Harlan, Colby Pearce, Matt Shriver and Ross Schnell. Defending women's champion Jen Gersbach is not on the pre-registered list, but some folks to watch for sure are Leadville 100 runner-up Amanda Carey, Colorado Trail Race winner Eszter Horanyi, last year's third place Jen Hanks, German star Ivonne Kraft, Pua Sawicki and Sonya Looney in the women's race.

  "Josh Tostado knows every single rock on this course like the back of his hand. He'll be tough to beat," said Bishop, who is bringing some Cannondale Factory Racing teammates along to help him including Alex Grant, Ben Sontag and Garth Prosser.

  "Last year we put together a little over 200 miles of superb backcountry riding over five days plus a prologue," said Race Director Mike McCormack. "Best guess is that about five percent of that was road. The rest? Primo high-alpine singletrack, overgrown mining roads, game trails and ancient foot paths - the four staples of a Summit County mountain biker's diet."
  
  "This year's course is a little more ambitious. Total mileage gets upped to around 245 of so over six days, and we've got a new stage that quietly morphed into 'Queen Stage' status while we weren't really paying attention."
  
  The Pennsylvania Gulch (stage one) got longer and harder. "The climb to Little French Flume? Get earmuffs on your kiddos if you hike up there to spectate because you're sure to hear some profanity. And some wheezing," said McCormack.
  
  The Colorado Trail (Stage Two) also got a bit longer with the addition of a section called "Vomit Hill". In contrast, last year's hardest stage, Wheeler, is getting a little easier this year after McCormack lopped off some of the climbing at the ski resort in the beginning of the stage and removed an un-flowy rocky and rooty section from the beginning of the Peaks Trail.

  Finally, stage four, the Aqueduct Stage is also getting tougher. Racers will head over to Keystone and ride some of Summit County's best trails en route: the Dredge to Tiger Run segment of the Colorado Trail, the Aqueduct Trail from Homestead to Keystone, the North and Middle Forks of the Colorado Trail and even a descent to the dredge that's long, long and longer still. There are four significant climbs: Heinous Hill, Vomit Hill (the hard way), West Ridge and Rock Island Gulch.

  Racers can expect temperatures in the 40s (degrees Fahrenheit) at the start and 70s later each day. Most stages will be conducted around 10,000 feet of altitude, so humidity will not be a factor, but high altitude may limit some competitors.

  2010 Breck Epic

  Sunday, August 22: Stage 1 - Pennsylvania Creek
  Monday, August 23: Stage 2: The Colorado Trail
  Tuesday, August 24: Stage 3: The Guyot Loop
  Wednesday, August 25: Stage 4: The Keystone Loop
  Thursday, August 26: Stage 5: The Wheeler Loop
  Friday, August 27: Stage 6: The Gold Dust Loop

  Stay tuned to Cyclingnews for full coverage of the Breck Epic, including a daily blog from road, track and mountain bike racer Colby Pearce.

• Racers head south for Fool's Gold 100

  

  Article published:

  August 19, 2010, 20:00

  By:

  Ryan O'Dell

  Penultimate NUE 100-miler happening this weekend

  Racers are already making their way down to the Deep South to contest the seventh race in the Kenda National Ultra Endurance Series (NUE), the Fool's Gold 100. The race, now in its fourth year, traverses the rugged North Georgia mountains with a combination of gravel roads, doubletrack, and classic Georgian singletrack. The 100-mile course consists of two 50-mile loops and totals over 14,000 feet of elevation gain. The Fool's Gold also offers a single, 50-mile loop for those not up to the full distance.

  The forcast for race day is calling for mixed clouds and sun with scattered thunderstorms and high humidity. A high temperature of 81 degrees Fahrenheit, with light and variable winds is expected. And the chance of rain? 40 percent.

  This year's race begins with an immediate 10-mile climb to spread out the field from the very start. The King and Queen of the Mountain will be decided at the top of the first major section, Cooper Gap, just three miles into the race. From there, racers will enjoy the historic Bull Mountain trail system, the original International Mountain Bike Association (IMBA) Epic route, plus more great trails in the Dahlonega, Georgia area.

  According to Race Director Eddie O'Dea, this year there will be a slight course change resulting in racers descending Bull Mountain instead of climbing it.

  All current NUE Series leaders are registered, which will make race seven an interesting one for certain. After Saturday's race, just one more round remains to determine the series champions. Division champions will be crowned and awarded at the finale at the Shenandoah Mountain 100 in Virginia over Labor Day weekend. All NUE division winners will receive complimentary entry into all NUE events in 2011 as part of their reward.

  Men
  
  In the men's division, current NUE series leader Jeff Schalk (Trek Mountain Co-Op) will be challenging the 2009 Fool's Gold winner, Christian Tanguy (Team CF). Schalk is no stranger to this Georgia race course, setting up what could be a very close race between the two. Other top contenders in the men's open include Mike Simonson (Trek/SRAM, No Tubes), Ernesto Marenchin (Speedgoat.com) and Southeast local Charlie Storm (Inland Construction). Although Schalk wrapped up the men's division with four wins already this year, the battle for the second and third spots on the NUE podium remain undecided.

  Undefeated Breckenridge 100 champion, Josh Tostado (Bach Builders/Santa Cruz), is currently in the number two position, however, Tanguy can take that away if he manages even a fourth place finish in Georgia thanks to his fourth place finish at Cohutta and second place finishes at both the Lumberjack 100 and Wilderness 101. Simonson will need to finish at least fourth without eating the dust of Tanguy to move into the number two position.

  Women

  Perhaps one of the most exciting races will take place in the women's divsion. 2008 Fool's Gold 100 winner and current NUE series points leader, Cheryl Sornson (Team CF), intends to reclaim her title as winner. However, it will not be easy with Amanda Carey (Kenda/Felt) and Sue Haywood rolling up to the starting line as well. Carey is fresh off a second place finish at the Leadville 100 last weekend and has two wins early in the NUE Series at both Cohutta and Mohican, just one place ahead of Sornsen at both races.

  For Carey, a win on Saturday combined with a win or second place at Shenandoah could put her over the top for her first NUE Series Championship. It's a tall order for Sornson, however, to defend her top postion, she will need to have the race of her career since only a defeat of Carey and Haywood would guarantee her second NUE Series Championship. Anything less could force a race at final to determine the series champion.

  Sornson will be hoping her extra week of recovery since placing second to Sue Butler (River City Bicycles) at the High Cascades 100 two weeks ago will give her the competitive edge she needs to defeat Carey.

  Former national champion Sue Haywood, though retired now, continues to be a force among women whenever she decides to mix it up with the NUE contenders. Brenda Simril (Motor Mile Racing) has steadily improved all season, most recently finishing third in the Wilderness 101. Simril currently holds the number two spot overall in the series, but will face stiff competition from the two contenders along with Laureen Coffelt (Velosoul/The Natural Way) who stands in fifth place overall after three races, and local Namrita O'Dea (Topeak-Ergon) who is also co-organizing the Fool's Gold race with her husband Eddie O'Dea.

  Singlespeed

  The singlespeed division is very much in contention and the top three contenders will all be there. NUE Series Singlespeed Champion and Fool's Gold 2009 singlespeed winner Gerry Pflug (Salsa/SPK/Pro Bikes) will face the only two men capable of robbing him of a second straight NUE championship. It may be a long shot, but Matthew Ferrari (Hubcap-Freeze Thaw Cycles) could win the series if he can manage a win at the Fool's Gold followed by a win at Shenandoah. Nothing less will suffice. Ron Sanborn (McClain Cycle and Fitness) currently sitting in fourth place in the point standings, will, no doubt be looking for his own opportunities to podium at the series finale.

  Described as the dark horse of the series since he has been MIA for most of the season, Former NUE men's champion, Harlan Price (Team CF) has proved he can take on the reigning Pflug by besting him twice early in the season at Cohutta and again at Mohican but the question remains whether he can do it now? However, by throwing his helmet into the ring at Fool's Gold, all bets are ON once again! With a win, Price would only need a first or second place at Shenandoah, provided he keeps his knobbies ahead of the reigning champ, Pflug, at both events. Although Pflug holds most of the cards in this poker match, both Price and Pflug have proved themselves in the long dirt. A win by Price at the Fool's Gold would set up, perhaps, the most exciting finish ever for the NUE Series, a final battle between two seasoned champions.

  Master men

  In the Masters 50+ division, Bill Nagel's (Guy’s Bicycle Racing) win at the Wilderness 101 moved him into the top spot overall, however, Robert Herriman (Trek 29er Crew/WSC/ACFStores.com) with three straight wins at Cohutta, Mohican, and Lumberjack has returned late in what appears to be, a late season bid to lock in his first NUE Championship before the finale in Virginia. With a win at Fool's Gold, no one could touch Herriman, who could simply show up to claim his reward at Shenandoah. However, this is a 100-mile race, and all of the guns appear to be gathering in the mountains of Georgia. A mechanical or a poor placing at Fool's Gold would force Herriman to do well at Shenandoah, a somewhat risky strategy for a racer needing only one more win for a lock on the series. Stay tuned for the results of this one.

  James Wilson (Team CF) currently holds the two spot in the series and is officially on the roster along with top 10 contenders Erik Lenzing (Freeze Thaw Cycles), currently in fourth, and Ed McCalley (Team Ed) who could obtain a top five if he can complete Saturday's race and finish at Shenandoah.

  Noticeably absent from the current roster is NUE Masters Champion John Williams, (Bike Line of Newark, DE) who needs just one more good finish for another shot at the podium in Virginia. Interesting to note is that Williams is the first racer to ever complete ALL NUE Series Races, a feat that may be matched this year but had never been done before last season, let alone by the racer who would go on to become the masters' champion. If Williams shows at either of the last two events, the masters' race to the podium will be another great one.

  Stay tuned to Cyclingnews for full coverage of the Fool's Gold 100.

  Additional editorial assistance provided by Eddie O'Dea.