MTB News & Racing Round-up, September 30, 2009

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Date published:

September 30, 2009, 22:26

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.

• Specialized wins IMTTO Constructors Championship

  

  Article published:

  September 30, 2009, 22:09

  By:

  Sue George, Mountain Bike Editor

  Trek and Giant round out podium after solid mountain bike season

  Specialized topped a field of 67 companies who earned themselves a spot in the Constructors Championship of the 2009 mountain bike racing season. The contest, created by the International Mountain Bike Teams, Tech support and Organisers (IMTTO) - an international non-profit organization supporting the greater good of mountain biking - was run for the first time this year.

  With 648 points, Specialized walked away with full bragging rights. Trek finished second at 415 points, and Giant was a close third with 404. Intense and Scott rounded out the top five with 375 and 361 points respectively.

  Specialized was helped in largely by its professional World Cup team which includes racers such as Lene Byberg, Burry Stander, Todd Wells and Christoph Sauser. Trek brought a strong to to both the cross country and the downhill competitions with its Trek World Racing squad including Liam Killeen, Lukas Flückiger, Matthias Flückiger, Andrew Neethling, Tracy Moseley and Justin Leov. Some of Giant's top talent included Oli Beckingsale and Adam Craig.

  All manufacturers whose bikes were raced at World Cups and World Championships scored points. The points were awarded, for each World Cup event and all categories at the World Championships, to the top 20 places in men's cross country, downhill and four cross and to the top 10 in the women's cross country, downhill and four cross.

  The IMTTO organization is recognized by the UCI.

  IMTTO Constructors Championships Final Standings

  #	Rider Name (Country) Team	Result
  1	Specialized	648	pts
  2	Trek	415
  3	Giant	404
  4	Intense	375
  5	Scott	361
  6	Yeti	359
  7	GT	348
  8	Santa Cruz	324
  9	Commencal	303
  10	Merida	269
  11	Orbea	235
  12	Rocky Mountain	227
  13	Ghost	205
  14	Cannondale	164
  15	Evil	162
  16	Massi	154
  17	Lapierre	127
  18	Sunn	127
  19	Rotwild	109
  20	Norco	108
  21	Author	99
  22	Turner	87
  23	Mondraker	83
  24	Morewood	72
  25	KHS	67
  26	Iron Horse	52
  27	Bianchi	51
  28	MSC	44
  29	FRM	41
  30	Nicolai	41
  31	Canfield	40
  32	RB	40
  33	Hercules	36
  34	Corratec	35
  35	Gary Fisher	35
  36	Colnago	29
  37	Canyon	27
  38	Kraftstoff	25
  39	Orange	24
  40	Felt	21
  41	Focus	21
  42	Tomac	21
  43	Pell’s	17
  44	Carraro	13
  45	BMC	12
  46	Cube	12
  47	Identiti	12
  48	Seven	12
  49	Thömus	12
  50	Chumba	11
  51	Jamis	11
  52	Lee Cougan	11
  53	Ancillotti	10
  54	Solid	10
  55	Spatz	10
  56	Ancillotti	9
  57	Ridley	9
  58	Independent	5
  59	Zenith	5
  60	2Stage	3
  61	Ibis	3
  62	Transition	3
  63	Wheeler	3
  64	Devinci	1
  65	Koba	1
  66	Spank	1
  67	Vario	1

  Follow Cyclingnews on Twitter for the very latest coverage of events taking place in the cycling world - twitter.com/cyclingnewsfeed.

• Whaka 100 returns in Rotorua

  

  Article published:

  September 30, 2009, 16:59

  By:

  Sue George, Mountain Bike Editor

  New Zealand endurance race set for another year

  One of New Zealand's toughest one-day mountain bike races, the Whaka 100 will happen this weekend, on Saturday, October 3. It will be run on the trails in Rotorua's Whakarewarewa Forest, which is famous for its fast, flowing trails in an exotic forest of giant Californian Redwoods, Australian Eucalyptus, Pine and iconic native silver ferns.

  "Thousands of riders enjoy the Forest's trails every year," said Nduro Events' Dean Watson. "We just stitch most of them together in a single day."

  The race attracts competitors from New Zealand and Australia. If a male or female winner breaks the course record, he or she will receive a cash bonus.

  "For the men that time is an incredible 4:43 and for the women, the time is not much easier at 5:07," said Marcus Diprose, also of Nduro Events, which has run the event for three years. "In the first year, the benchmark we set was five hours for the men and 5:45 for the women - and we thought we were being pretty conservative with that. But last year they blitzed it and we had to pay out in both categories."

  Also at stake is a prize that is unique in New Zealand, but part of a world wide series. Up for grabs is major US bike manufacturer, GT's Golden Bike.

  "The Whaka 100 is the ultimate challenge, so it's great we've got the ultimate blinged out prize," said Diprose. "It's for riders who aren't funded by a team or a manufacturer - the real weekend warriors. We'll draw the winner from all the category winners who qualify."

  The event also offers 50- and 25-kilometre options and a 60/40-kilometre, two-person team relay.

  The Whakarewarewa Forest will likely host the 2010 Singlespeed World Championships (SSWC), which were awarded to Rotarua, New Zealand, just two weekends ago, at this year's SSWC in Durango, Colorado.

  For more information, visit www.n-duro.co.nz/whaka/.

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• German Bundesliga International series set for 2010

  

  Article published:

  September 30, 2009, 16:10

  By:

  Sue George, Mountain Bike Editor

  Prestigious six-event series will include two category HC events

  The Bundesliga International mountain bike series will return to Germany in 2010 with six full events plus one Under 23-only event. Münsingen, Heubach, Albstadt, Wetter and Saalhausen and St. Märgen will host the cross country events for all categories while the Under 23-specific cross country race will return to Goseck.

  All venues will be the same except St. Märgen is replacing Bad Salzdetfurth, which is hosting the German national championships instead. In 2008 and 2009, the championships were held in St. Märgen in the Black Forest area.

  The German series is highly regarded among international competitors, and each event usually draws a world-class field. It is the only series worldwide to have two UCI-categorized hors categorie (HC) races. For 2010, Bike the Rock in Heubach and the Gonso Albstadt MTB Classic will enjoy HC status, which means more prize money and points available toward the world ranking.

  Although still under discussion, the sprint cup series and the under 23 series will likely be continued.

  MTB-Bundesliga International 2010
  April 10-11: Goseck (C2) (U23 only)
  April 17-18: Münsingen (C1)
  May 15-16: Heubach (HC)
  June 12-13: Albstadt (HC)
  July 3-4: St. Märgen (C1)
  August 14-15: Wetter (C1)
  September 18-19: Saalhausen (C1)

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• Milatz closes season with a win

  

  Article published:

  September 29, 2009, 21:22

  By:

  Sue George, Mountain Bike Editor

  German defeats Paulissen after Belgian's untimely crash

  Moritz Milatz ended his 2009 race season on a high note this Sunday in Belgium. The Multivan Merida racer won the GP Roel Paulissen, the final round of the Benelux Cup, ahead of the race's namesake.

  "I can't think of a better way to finish this season," said the 27-year-old Milatz. "Next I'm onto a couple of relaxing and bike-free weeks of vacation."

  The almost two-hour race ultimately proved to be a battle between Paulissen (Cannondale) and Milatz after the two disposed of the other top favorites Martin Gujan and Rudy van Houts. Paulissen had the clear homefield advantage, but an untimely crash on a corner near the end of the race cost the favorite the win.

  "I got to a corner (in the final mile) shortly after Roel went around it. I saw him in front of me on the ground," said Milatz, who finished with a 14-second margin. "As you do in sport, I took advantage of the circumstances and got to the finish before him. He didn't have enough time to close on me."

  "There was certainly a little luck involved, but in mountain bike racing, with the uncertainty of bike handling, this sort of occurence is not unusual."

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• 24 hours of Moab will double as US National Championships

  

  Article published:

  September 29, 2009, 20:35

  By:

  Sue George, Mountain Bike Editor

  Eatough saying farewell; Sawicki attempting world record in Utah

  The USA Cycling 24-hour National Championships are coming up next month in Moab, Utah. The October 10-11 event is being held in conjunction with the popular 24 hours of Moab in Utah. Thirteen titles - a mix of individual and team - will be awarded to newly crowned national champions.

  Chris Eatough and Pua Sawicki are just two of the favorites for the solo men's and women's titles. Eatough, who won Moab in 2007, will compete in the final race of his professional career. He will face challenges from current 24-hour National Points Series (NPS) leader Brandon Draugelis, who won both the 24 hours of Big Bear and the 24 hours of 9-Mile earlier this season. Last year's winner at Moab, Josh Tostado, is also expected to return to defend his title.

  In the women's race, current 24-hour national champion Pua Sawicki will defend her title. She and her husband have successfully petitioned the Guinness Book of World Records to have Moab designated as an official course for setting the "greatest distance cycled in 24 hours on a mountain bike course" record. According to race organizers, Granny Gear, any solo racer may make a bid for setting the world record; however, each racer will be responsible for providing his or her own documentation and submitting it to Guinness. In the 2008 championships, Sawicki completed 255.6 miles.

  Racers competing for the US National Championship titles must be US citizens and hold (or purchase) a current USA Cycling racing license; however, everyone is welcome to compete in non-championship categories.

  Follow Cyclingnews on Twitter for the very latest coverage of events taking place in the cycling world - twitter.com/cyclingnewsfeed.

• Road racer Mancebo wins Spanish marathon title

  

  Article published:

  September 29, 2009, 19:28

  By:

  Sue George, Mountain Bike Editor

  Rock Racing will return to pavement in Chihuahua, Mexico

  Road racer Francisco Mancebo proved that he is also fast offroad by winning the Spanish marathon national championships, with over 1,700 participants, in Cordoba on Sunday. The Spaniard, who races on the road for Rock Racing, raced his mountain bike for 85km to claim the national title.

  Mancebo finished in a time of 3:17:53, 1:13 ahead of runner-up Marc Trayter (Commençal-Northwave) and 3:44 fellow road racer Adolfo García (Dr. Bike). The three escaped together early in the race. Trayter hung with Mancebo the longest, but eventually fell back, leaving Mancebo to win solo.

  "I can't complain about my year, but I want to finish the season and then have a rest," said Mancebo after his victory.

  The 33-year-old Rock Racing rider will return to the pavement after just a short break. He travels Friday to Chihuahua, Mexico, where he will be seeking his third consecutive win in the Vuelta Ciclista Chihuahua Internacional, a 2.1 UCI-categorized race.

  "After Chihuahua, the team plans to race at the Critérium of Cancun on the 14th. Then it'll be a good time, and I'll be in a good place to start my holiday," he said.

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• Take A Kid Mountain Biking Day coming up on October 3

  

  Article published:

  September 29, 2009, 15:18

  By:

  Sue George, Mountain Bike Editor

  IMBA-supported event will celebrate sixth edition with events around the globe

  The International Mountain Bike Association (IMBA) is supporting its sixth annual International Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day (TAKMBD) on Saturday, October 3, 2009. Rides are being organized by mountain bike clubs around the globe.

  At many events, local clubs, bike shops and volunteers will teach kids mountain bike skills, bike safety and lead group rides. Many will offer free helmets, stickers and other prizes for participating.

  The day celebrates the life of Jack Doub, an avid teenage mountain biker from North Carolina who had a true passion for the sport from an early age but passed away in 2002. Funding is provided by the Jack Doub Memorial Endowment.

  Additional assistance is provided by Trips for Kids, an organization that has been helping disadvantaged kids discover mountain biking since 1988.

  To find a local event near you - for volunteering or to attend, visit http://www.imba.com/TKMBD/map.html, or check your local club's website.

  Follow Cyclingnews on Twitter for the very latest coverage of events taking place in the cycling world - twitter.com/cyclingnewsfeed.