MTB News & Racing Round-up, September 4, 2010

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Date published:

September 6, 2010, 03:25

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.

• Shenandoah Mountain 100 wraps up NUE series

  

  Article published:

  September 4, 2010, 15:26

  By:

  Ryan O'Dell

  Final race will decide women's title for Sornson, Carey

  The Shenandoah Mountain 100, held on Sunday over Labor Day weekend near Harrisonburg, Virginia, will decide the Kenda National Ultra Endurance (NUE) Series Champions for 2010. The event has been the finals for this prestigious series in years past and is hosting it again this year.

  The weather forecast looks amazing for race day with a forecast for "brilliant sunshine" with temperatures in the upper 70s. This is a departure from the norm for the 2010 series where all the NUE events east of the Rockies have been total wash outs except Shenandoah Mountain Touring's other NUE Series event: the Wilderness 101.
  
  Jeff Schalk (Trek Mountain Co-op) has the NUE Series locked up for the men's category, but for the race itself, he'll be the target of a group of super fast men all looking for a victory. Leading the charge will be Christian Tanguy (Team CF) who might have been quickest at the Wilderness 101 were it not for a mechanical. Thus far, a victory in a 100-miler has eluded him.

  Chris Beck (Subaru/Trek) and Mike Simonson (Trek 29 Crew/SRAM/Stans No Tubes) are other favorites and Sam Koerber (Trek 29er Crew) has had no trouble rolling the first 50 miles of the Shenandoah Mountain 100 with the leaders in past years. In 2010, he's enjoyed some high altitude training after getting married earlier this summer.

  Local pro Jeremiah Bishop (Cannondale Factory Racing) pulled it together last year in time to represent and break his home course record, but he may not yet be recovered from winning the Breck Epic in mid-August. Another local pro Nick Waite (Kenda/GT) just showed back up in town after a whirlwind tour of the northeast doing some racing and chilling with his courier brothers in New York City.
  
  Nobody can count out Brandon Draugalis (PAValleys.com), with his solid skills and super fitness. He will be rolling it without much support from his PA teammates, but even Virginia homies can appreciate his talent so he will be getting lots of support on the course.

  Some of the favored Pennsylvanians are missing including Jacob Loverich, Chip Koglemann and Giro D Ville champion Bob "Goldmember" Goldman, though Rich Straub (Freeze Thaw), Pistol Pete (Engin Cycles) and Andy Gorski are making the trip south.

  North Carolina is sending a strong contingent including Virginia State Champion Jason Laxton, Tour de 'Burg winner Drew Scharns (Boone Bike and Touring), Charlie Storm (Inland Construction) and Andy Applegate (Champion Systems/Cannondale).

  Mike Keefer (Gettysburg Bicycle/Cupcake Factory), Garth Prosser (Cannondale Factory Racing), Greg Kuhn (Team Fraser), David Wood (Trek 29er Crew), Jens "the Biking Viking" Nielsen (Sports Systems) and long shot Joe Fritsch (College Park Bicycles) round out the list of top 10 hopefuls.
  
  Women

  In the women's race, a battle is expected between Cheryl Sornson (Team CF) and Amanda Carey (Kenda), with her trademark World Cup start. Sornson needs to have Carey finish no better then fourth place to secure her second NUE Series Title.

  Local Sue Haywood (SBC/Turner Racing), Karen Potter (www.MTBRaceNews.com), Brenda Simril (Motor Mile Racing), Mandi Riddle (Joey's Bike Shop), Vicki Barclay (Freeze Thaw Cycles) and Anna Kelso (Gripped Racing) could throw a wrench into the winning plans of the two favorites.

  Singlespeed

  Justin Pokrivka (Pro Bikes/Cohen and Associates) is looking to repeat his Wilderness 101 singlespeed success and he'll face past NUE Series Champs Harlan Price (Team CF) and Gerry Pflug (Salsa/SPK/ProBikes). Matt Ferrari (Freeze Thaw/Hub Cap Cycles) is climbing well again and is hoping to light up the singletrack descents enough to contend and place in the top three. Dark horses are Rich Dillens (Team Dicky) and Mike Ramponi (Independent Fabrication).

  Masters
  
  Robert Herriman (Trek 29 Crew) has the masters men field locked up for the NUE title but the race should be exciting with Jim Matthews (MBR) and Ed McCalley (Team Ed) going for it. John Williams (Bike Line of Newark) is always a steady riding soldier having a good time and Mark Drogalis (Team CF) will be lighting up the climbs and looking to take the podium.
  
  The 1000-mile club has long time heroes Larry Camp (Micahux Green) switching back to gears after almost a decade of going single. Mike Buchness (Team Bike Lane) and Barry Quigley (Team Green).

  Locals

  The battle for best local is always intense. On the men's side, look for Chris "Chas" Michaels (Schwalbe North America), Ryan Fawley (Trek Mountain Co-op) and Kyle Lawrence (Trek 29 Crew) and in the women's event watch Misty Tilson (Shenandoah Mountain Touring), Whitney March (JV Squad) and Jennifer Wolfson (SVBC).

  Race note

  Past winner Chris Eatough (Trek Mountain Co-op) will be coming to the event to enjoy some of his favorite singletrack and to promote his coaching services and training programs. He has been coaching some of the top athletes, including Chris Beck and Team CF riders Cheryl Sornson, Christian Tanguy, and Harlan Price.

• Compton to start Worlds cross country despite injury

  

  Article published:

  September 3, 2010, 22:00

  By:

  Sue George, Mountain Bike Editor

  American recovering after crash during Wednesday's team relay

  Despite a nasty crash on Wednesday during the team relay, Katie Compton will take to the start line in the elite women's cross country world championship on Saturday. She went down while racing the anchor leg for the USA team relay, which finished ninth.

  Compton crashed while riding the notoriously difficult rocky drop. With her front wheel, she hit a rock that had rolled onto the course. Her front end went out from under her and she landed on the sharp rocks. A laceraction on her elbow required stitches from the US team's medical staff. She also lacerated her knee, which cut into the bursa.

  Walking and riding were difficult one day after the crash and her start in the cross country was uncertain, but on Friday morning, Compton optimistically reported she was feeling much better.

  "I seem to be doing better now and will race tomorrow," sad Compton to Cyclingnews. "I'm just not sure about how hard I'll be able to push on the pedals. Today is much better than yesterday and it's early yet, so that is a good sign."

  "I've just been taking it easy and recovering since the relay, and I was planning to do that anyway, so that it hasn't affected my prep too much. A little forced rest at this point won't hurt. My knee is still sore but I don't think it will be bad for too much longer."

  Compton predicted a hard race. "The course is tougher than it looks and the dust makes things techy in a different way since the corners aren't as predictable as they were a few days ago. I think it has a good mix of technical rocks and roots and climbing, which will make for an exciting race."

  The elite women will race the cross country world championship at 11:00 am local time (EDT) on Saturday. Stay tuned to Cyclingnews for live coverage of the women's race and the subsequent men's race at 2:00 pm.

• Changes pay off for new World Champion Engen

  

  Article published:

  September 3, 2010, 15:35

  By:

  Sue George, Mountain Bike Editor

  Swedish mountain biker caps off season with coveted title

  Newly crowned under 23 women's cross country World Champion Alexandra Engen made some big changes this year. First she moved from her native Sweden to Germany, then she joined the Rothaus Cube pro team, and finally, she learned how to manage a lengthy season by balancing her racing with some down time.

  Last year, Engen finished as runner-up at the Worlds, a result that motivated her toward a victory on Thursday in Mont-Sainte-Anne, Canada.

  "I think even if I hadn't been second last year, I would have wanted to win. It's always been a dream," said a beaming Engen in her brand new rainbow striped jersey.

  "I've always had big goals and have dreamed of what I wanted to achieve. Winning this race is a reward for all the work I've done. I went out there and rode the ride of my life, and I'm so happy I could nail it when it was really important," said Engen to Cyclingnews.

  Engen explained her move from Jonkopings, Sweden, to Freiburg, Germany, during the offseason, crediting it with some of her success in 2010.

  "If you're from Sweden, it's hard to be a pro cyclist. It's too small of a country for cycling, and last year, I was riding and doing all the logistics myself, and I had to ask people to feed me at races."

  Her move was tied to signing with the Rothaus Cube team. "They're like a family, and it works well for me. When making the decision, I thought, 'Hey I'm 22. I'm moving to a new country and learning a new language.' It's like an adventure, so I figured I'd do it. I'd already been living on my own for a few years."

  The transition worked out well for Engen, who was mixing it up in the early season with the elite women in Cyprus for the Sunshine Cup back in March.

  "(Racing in) Cyprus was just training after I moved to Germany in January. That transition took a lot of energy, so I've been cautious to spare my energy and use it on the right stuff," said Engen, who sounded wiser than her racing age of 23 years.

  To break up what otherwise would have been a long competitive season, Engen, who is also the European Under 23 cross country champion, treated many of her races at training, deciding to save her maximal focus for the top priority events, such as Worlds.

  "After the Europeans, I was totally dead, so I didn't do the Val di Sole World Cup. I stayed home with my friends and family and watched movies. I still did my training, but I think sometimes I really need to have time off from the biking."

  When it came to the race at Mont-Sainte-Anne, Engen was focused. "There are so many good girls. I knew I had to have the perfect race."

  One factor that made a big difference was racing only the Under 23 women - rather than the Under 23 women mixed in with the elite women, as at a World Cup.

  "It's a big difference to race the U23s only vs. the elites. I can do my own race with my own strategy. When I'm in the World Cup, all of us U23s are spread out among the elites, and I just end up somewhere in under 23s. Here, I can look at the other riders and see if they are tired or not.

  "The start is also different; I had the chance to get on the wheels of the other u23 riders directly and I wasn't guessing where everyone is by where they were ranked on the start line."

  Watching the top under 23 women race, it was clear that they they had honed their skills among the elite, racing speedily and smoothly around the course.

  Engen will move up to the elite ranks for 2011, a transition she's anticipating. "I'm looking forward to my elite years. I'll give myself some time to get used to it."

• Minnaar is all business

  

  Article published:

  September 3, 2010, 12:25

  By:

  Sue George, Mountain Bike Editor

  South African as busy off the bike as on it

  Former downhill World Champion and multi-time World Cup overall winner Greg Minnaar is up to more than being a pro downhill cyclist. The South African, who has tried his hand at business before, has started a new business called Global Racing Imports with 23 Degrees Sports' Martin Whiteley.

  The company will open operations by importing and selling OGK Kabuto helmets from Japan. Minnaar announced the news at the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships in Mont-Sainte-Anne, Quebec, on Thursday evening.

  The helmets are currently in prototype versions, one of which Minnaar is racing. They will become available via the new company and it's website in early spring of 2011.

  OGK has been in the bicycle helmet business in Japan since the 1960s although the shift to racing oriented helmets is more recent. One company official in attendance for the announcement noted that the performance helmets are now wind tunnel tested to maximize aerodynamic performance. The new helmets also reflect the experience the company has gained with motorcycle helmets.

  Minnaar is a director in the new business. "We've sent everything up and we've been getting product ready. We're based in Grenada. I like business and I'm delighted to be involved."

  It's not Minnaar's first foray into business. "In one of my other business ventures, we have villas where people can come and stay and mountain bike. We set up their holidays. They can ride or surf and just enjoy the outdoors in places like Marin County, South Africa and Costa Rica."

  When asked how his downhill background was helping him in business, Minnaar laughed and said, "It probably doesn't at all." Then he added more seriously, "Through the years of dealing with sponsors, I have practice negotiating, and I've made lots of great connections during my career."

  Though Minnaar said he's been busy spending "10 hours a day in business meetings and only about an hour a day riding," he still managed to finish first in the official timed downhill run on Thursday. The run sets up the seeding for the world championship finals on Sunday.

• Nys hopes for top ten in mountain bike worlds

  

  Article published:

  September 3, 2010, 11:32

  By:

  Susan Westemeyer

  Cyclo-cross champion will be the only Belgian in the men's XC race

  Sven Nys is Belgium's only representative in the men's elite race at the mountain bike world championship cross-country race on Saturday, and he is aiming for a top ten finish.

  Nys is better known as a cyclo-cross rider, having won the Belgian national title seven times and the world title once. But he has also won the Belgian national mountain bike title twice, and finished ninth in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

  “I have already proved that I can place in the top ten in the World Cup,” he pointed out as he prepared for the race in Mont-Saint-Anne, near Quebec, Canada.

  Nys is building toward the 2012 Olympics in London. “I would like to improve on my ninth place in Beijing,” he told the Dutch Sport Magazine.

  “I think I am on schedule. I wouldn't dare to say the word 'medal'. But if things keep going so well, I think I can be close to it. It is a dream which may come true.”

  After returning from the Worlds in Mont-Sainte-Anne, Canada, he will get back to cyclo-cross. “I will give myself three weeks to adapt back to cross. I will have to be ready in early October and will ride regularly over the winter.”

• Choices lie ahead for Ferrand Prevot

  

  Article published:

  September 2, 2010, 19:57

  By:

  Sue George, Mountain Bike Editor

  Double world champ excels on and off road

  Pauline Ferrand Prevot is used to winning, both on and off road. The French woman earned her second consecutive junior cross country world mountain bike championship on Wednesday at Mont-Saint-Anne, Quebec, Canada. It was also her second world title of the year; earlier this season she won the junior women's road race world championships.

  Wednesday marked her first time competing in Canada and the petite racer, with a long blond braid, smiled and patiently answered reporters' questions while beaming in her new rainbow-striped jersey.

  While many young riders can race and excel at multiple disciplines, older riders are often forced to chose between road and mountain bike competition. As a junior in her final year, she knows that a decision may be in her future, but she aims to postpone it as long as possible.

  "It'll be a tough choice to make to decide what to do," she said. "In my mind, it's possible to do both. I can't imagine a season without both mountain biking and road racing. The two disciplines bring a certain balance in my life, and I'd like to keep doing both."

  Ferrand Prevot admitted that this summer, she's done more road racing than mountain biking. "I've still been getting out on a mountain bike to keep my technical skills up." She spent extra time on the course at Mont-Saint-Anne with her coach, honing her technical skills on a course perceived to be technically challenging by most of the racers.

  As she matures, her decision may come down to the Olympics. The young rider has a dream to compete at the Olympic Games, but she did not specify which year she might be targeting: 2012, 2016 or beyond.

  "There are only two spots for the Olympics for mountain biking and there are more on the road," she said, hinting at a possible direction, before qualifying her response. "I haven't made a decision; I love both."

• Aussie world champs commence title defence

  

  Article published:

  September 1, 2010, 01:33

  By:

  Cycling News

  Graves, Buchanan aim to keep rainbow jerseys

  Australia's world four cross champions Jared Graves (Toowoomba) and Caroline Buchanan (Canberra) will begin their campaign to retain their coveted rainbow jerseys when racing gets underway at the 2010 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships in Canada this week.

  The formidable pair spearhead a 32-racer strong Australian team, who will join more than 800 athletes from over 50 countries in Mont-Sainte-Anne, Quebec, Canada, to vie for the world title from September 1-5.

  Graves, 27, enters the 2010 championships in impressive form after taking out his second World Cup series title in the United States last weekend.

  Buchanan is even more determined to win back-to-back world mountain bike titles after a disastrous BMX world championships campaign last month, during which the 20-year-old crashed out in the semi finals when a stroke of bad luck saw her brake lever get caught on her pants and put her out of the final.

  The duo were the star performers on home soil in Canberra last year, when Australia played host to the 2009 world championships. Australia recorded its most successful campaign in history, securing five medals - Graves and Buchanan earning the coveted rainbow jersey, Shaun O'Connor winning silver in the junior men's downhill and a bronze for Michael Hannah (men's downhill) and Holly Baarspul (junior women's downhill).

  Two-time downhill world champion Samuel Hill (2006-2007) from Western Australia will also line up on the start line in Mont-Sainte-Anne, as will 17-year-old downhill young gun Troy Brosnan from South Australia, one of the most promising junior talents on the world circuit.

  Australian cross country champion Rowena Fry and national series victor Lachlan Norris will lead Australia's cross country charge.

  Australian team for 2010 Mountain Bike World Championships

  Elite women four cross
  aroline Buchanan
  Sarsha Huntington

  Elite men four cross
  Richard Levinson
  David Habicht
  Jared Graves
  Randall Huntington

  Elite women cross country
  Rowena Fry
  Heather Logie
  Kate Potter
  Katherine O’Shea

  Elite men cross country
  Andrew Blair
  Lachlan Norris

  Under 23 women cross country
  Gracie Elvin
  Therese Rhodes

  Under 23 men cross country
  Cal Britten (VIC)

  Junior men cross country
  Kyle Ward (NSW)
  Mitchell Codner (NSW)
  Trenton Day (NSW)
  Cameron Ivory (NSW)

  Elite men downhill
  Shaun O'Connor
  Bryn Atkinson
  Mitchell Delfs
  Samuel Hill
  Chris Kovarik

  Junior men downhill
  Troy Brosnan
  Phillip Piazza
  Daniel Lavis

  Junior women downhill
  Holly Baarspul
  Emily Hockey
   

• All eyes on Mont-Sainte-Anne for mountain bike Worlds

  

  Article published:

  September 1, 2010, 00:30

  By:

  Rob Jones

  Team relay kicks off five days of championship racing

  The 2010 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships get underway on Wednesday morning with the team relay and junior women's cross country. After finishing up the World Cup in Windham, New York, the top pros for all three disciplines - cross country, four cross and downhill - made the 800-kilometre trek north to Mont-Sainte-Anne, Quebec. They are joined by the trials athletes for the Worlds. A total of 719 athletes from 39 countries will participate in these championships.

  Monte-Sainte-Anne has a long, long history with the sport - since the World Cup began in 1991 - and previously held the world championships in 1998. This year's World Championships courses are on par with previous courses built by the Gestev organization, and are already well received by the athletes.

  True to its reputation, the cross country course offers diversity; it is both technically and mentally challenging as well as physically demanding. When the athletes think they can rest; the course throws something at them, requiring constant focus. The 4.6-kilometre route is a shorter version of the World Cup course used last year, in line with the UCI's move toward more spectator and television friendly requirements.

  The short start loop takes the riders into the longest climb of the course, which is wide open before the righthand side narrower entrance leading to the first piece of singletrack. The riders then face "Beatrice", a difficult and spectacular rocky section under the Gondola, followed by the second shorter climb (La Marmotte), which features a couple of difficult hairpins towards the top but offers a great view of the St. Laurent river, for those who have time to admire the setting. The rock garden has already claimed one victim. Under 23 rider Martin Fanger from Swiss team crashed hard and is unlikely to race.

  A loose section of singletrack then follows as the riders return towards the finish area. After completing the western portion of the course, riders head to the east, where over a kilometre of up and down, twisty ribbon-like narrow tracks await. The course is dry and dusty but rain is forecasted for the weekend.

  The downhill is very similar to last year, at 3.1-kilometres in length and dropping from 800 metres down to 150 metres by the finish. The dry conditions will make the course even faster than normal, and repeated riding has smoothed out the rough edges.

  The four cross is also very similar to last year, with the first two turns critical for positioning before hitting the rock garden 150 metres into the 400-metre run.

  Stay tuned to Cyclingnews for full coverage of the 2010 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships and including live coverage of the elite women's and elite men's cross country races on Saturday, September 4 at 11:00 and 14:00 local (EDT) time.

• Schurter wins World Cup, slapped with fine

  

  Article published:

  August 30, 2010, 04:38

  By:

  Cycling News

  Absalon blamed for jersey protest

  Nino Schurter added the UCI World Cup Champion jersey to his current UCI Cross Country World Champion jersey with his second place at the weekend’s series final, but a dispute over those very jerseys has seen the Swiss rider handed a 5,000 Swiss Franc ($4865 US) fine. Schurter committed a mountain biking faux pas by starting the series’ New York round in his world champion jersey instead of the World Cup leader colours.

  Team director Thomas Frischknecht claimed that the leader's jersey he had been provided with was too small to race in, which is why the world championship jersey was worn. Frischknecht also pointed to Julien Absalon as the source of the protest that saw Schurter fined.

  Frischknecht distributed an inflammatory e-mail afterwards, which read:

  “Julien was at all times a great sportsmen when I raced against him and after too. I did not only respect him for his great results, I liked him as a person as well. Now he showed his real face of a sorry loser. Nino beat him over the whole season fair and square. A wrong jersey does not change the fact that Nino was better in 2010.

  “When I raced against the French armada with Martinez, Dupouey, Chiotti and Absalon I had to live with a second place many times. Sometimes even under special circumstances [when Chiotti won the world title and later admitted to doping]. But I tried to be a fair loser. A champion, and as such I counted Julien up ‘till today, also is a champion in losing.

  “Sorry Julien. I don't know what you were thinking!”

  The fine was 12.5 times that issued when Carlos Barredo (QuickStep) and Rui Alberto Costa (Caisse d'Epargne) came to blows at the Tour de France this year. In that incident Barredo struck Costa with the front wheel he’d removed from his bicycle, before the pair fell to the ground brawling. Each rider was slugged 400 Swiss francs for the incident.

  Despite the protest Schurter’s second place at the New York round secured him the overall title with 1136 points, followed by Absalon who claimed second place on a count-back after he and Jaroslav Kulhavy tied on 1040 points.