Recently on Cyclingnews.com

MTB News & racing round-up for September 7, 2005, part 2

Edited by Steve Medcroft

Welcome to our regular round-up of what's happening in the dirt. Feel free to send feedback, news and gossip to mtb@cyclingnews.com

Trent Lowe interview: The Lowe down

Who's a lucky boy then?
Photo ©: Bill Parsons

After a season of highs and lows, young Australian mountain biker Trent Lowe will be riding the road in the colours of Discovery Channel for 2006. It's a huge opportunity for Lowe, who has been riding the NORBA series for Subaru-Gary Fisher in 2005, and he knows it. Cyclingnews' Les Clarke checked in with Lowe as he prepared for the MTB World Championships in Livigno, Italy to discuss this big development.

After a strong showing at the Tour de Georgia and Redlands Bicycle Classic, Lowe was signed to the Discovery Channel team just last week, adding to the growing list of Australian riders plying their trade with Pro Tour teams. A two-year deal to ride on the team of now-retired Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong, rising stars Yaroslav Popovych and Tom Danielson and two-time Giro d'Italia winner Paolo Savoldelli was an opportunity the 21-year-old Victorian "just couldn't resist."

Riding for the Jittery Joe's squad at Georgia and Redlands, Lowe took the best young rider jersey in the Georgia race, and shortly after this the good folk at Discovery Channel came a knockin'. "They started talking to me after Georgia, and then a bit more after the Tour de France. It all happened pretty quickly. I mean, a year ago, I had no idea this could've happened - it's such a great opportunity," said Lowe.

And like another ex-mountain biker Ryder Hesjedal before him, Lowe is already in the 'family' so to speak, riding for the Subaru-Gary Fisher MTB squad - Discovery Channel and the Subaru team are partners, sharing commercial links through the Trek corporation. Lowe believes this has, and will, make the transition easier, saying, "I'm not holding back with this, and neither are they. The team I ride for [Subaru-Gray Fisher] is linked to Discovery Channel; what has happened with me is similar to what happened with Ryder last year. It's pretty exciting."

It seems, therefore, that the road is now where it's at for Lowe, and he confirmed this. "I'm now one hundred per cent focused on the road. I mean, I'll still get off road for some training and a few races here and there, but for me it's the road now." And he follows good company, with dual MTB World Champion Cadel Evans riding for Mapei and T-Mobile after his switch from off road racing. He's now settled well and winning on the road with Davitamon-Lotto. When asked about comparisons between himself and Evans, Lowe is enthusiastic, saying, "I'd definitely like to aim for it. Road racing is so big, you've got to aim high. It's like the Formula 1 of cycling. I'm really happy I'm able to make the move early in my career, because you never know when you're going to get the chance. I'm definitely excited to be handed such a big opportunity so early."

Click here to read the rest of the story.

Aussie national champ injured in pre-worlds training crash

By Steve Medcroft

Australian women’s National Mountain Bike Cross Country Champion Emma Colson (Topbike Tours - Giant) says she feels glad to be alive after colliding head-on with a motorcycle on an evening training ride in Livigno, Italy prior to Sunday’s World Championships race.

Colson was in Livigno as part of the Australian National Team. In an email to CyclingNews, Colson says she was riding at the edge of a narrow road when “(the motorcycle driver) pulled out to overtake a car on the far right side of the road.” Colson says she was “pretty much in the gutter” herself and swerved to avoid the collision. "But he went the same way and I flew over the top of the bars.”

Colson says she is suffering knee pain and swelling but was spared head injury thanks to her helmet, which is now “all smashed up." Recovering, Colson was using crutches to keep the pressure off her injured leg just three days before the World Championship race. “I think I will start on Sunday,” she added. “Unless it’s very wet and requires a lot of running.”

Colson did start, and placed sixty-second in the event.

Chris King offers pink component groups for Breast Cancer awareness

None more pink
Photo ©: Chris King

For a limited time only (From September 1 - December 23, 2005), pink headsets, hubs, stem caps, tee shirts and stickers will be available for purchase from select channels throughout the United States and in some international markets. The Chris King component company will donate a portion of the sale of any pink Pretty and Strong item to King’s local affiliate of the Susan G. Komen Foundation.

King is also asking its domestic dealers and OEM customers to make similar contributions to their breast cancer charity of choice when they sell a King headset or hubs. Last year, many dealers took a creative approach to this program and built entire bikes around the color pink - raffling them off and donating the proceeds to breast cancer charities.

The second part of the Chris King program is mobilization of their customers (shop owners, their employees and customers) to skip a bike ride and bring himself or herself or a woman they know in for a mammogram or screening during the month of October. October is breast cancer awareness month; October 21 is National Mammography Day. The company says they want every woman who rides a bicycle to get a breast exam before the end of 2005. They want every guy that rides bicycles to encourage an important woman in their life to get a breast exam before the end of 2005.

The Chris King Web site (www.chrisking.com) provides links to information about breast cancer, mammography facilities lookups, breast cancer charities and stories from people who took it upon themselves to take a friend for a screening. King's Pretty and Strong program debut in 2004 was far more successful than King anticipated. For 2005 the company has doubled its donation per item amount, doubled the amount of product available, expanded the product offerings, completely rebuilt the promotional website (including a place for people to post their own cancer stories), and lengthened the time period the items will be available.

(Note: 'Pretty and Strong' items are available for sale at select online retailers such as Competitive Cyclist.)

British 24 Hours race promoter makes US debut this weekend

Europe’s most renowned 24-hour endurance race promoter, Patrick Adams with ProVelo, has partnered with Nat Ross of Tough Guy Productions to bring a European standard in endurance mountain bike events to the United States. Bike maker Kona is on board as sponsor of the the first ever 24-hour global mountain bike series. The Kona Global 24 Hour Championships event is the second leg of the three-part Kona 24 Hour Global Championships and will take place September 10-11, 2005 at Snow Mountain Ranch in Granby, Colorado. A $20,000.00 cash purse is up for grabs.

The event is aimed to replicate the same caliber of European endurance mountain bike races to the United States. The success of Patrick Adam’s signature UK endurance events; Sleepless in the Saddle and Mountain Mayhem have been described as festivals, embodying the active, healthy lifestyle of mountain biking. According to Nat Ross, “Every event Patrick has done in Europe and Australia has been to the highest standard. Cycling abroad is synonymous with culture and lifestyle. This event is intended to bring the same ideal of cycling to the United States. In my belief, this is what the American cycling events have been missing.” This race includes some simple things like: affordable entries, free camping, parking, spectating, and massage for racers. Also, a unique lodging opportunity provides an option besides camping for participants. Colorado is famous worldwide for its singletrack, and this course is going to set a new standard in 24-hour courses, according to Ross.

By partnering with ProVelo, Tough Guy Productions’ focus for the US portion of Kona Global 24 Hour Championships is to further promote cycling in the states. “The race is geared to be all-inclusive, promoting the lifestyle, joy and culture of cycling to everyone. In this race, amateurs will ride along side some of the biggest professionals in the industry,” says Ross. To emulate the standard of Adam’s “festival” races, entertainment and healthy food will be served in large doses throughout the event.

The Kona 24 Hour Global Series 2005 Schedule comprises:

Event One - August 27-28, 2005 at Catton Park, Burton on Trent, UK.
Event Two - September 10-11, 2005 at Snow Mountain Ranch, Granby, Colorado.
Event Three - December 3-4, 2005, in Redesdale, Victoria, Australia.

This year, the Snow Mountain Ranch, USA race will crown the G24 global champion. The G24 championship is awarded to solo riders at one race a year: the USA event in 2005, Australia in 2006, UK in 2007. This is a solo category for men and women. There are also plans to establish a collegiate championship for colleges in the USA as well as shop/mechanics category (an unusual category which will incorporate a mechanical task to be completed by the rider just before the start/finish area between 1:00am and 2:30am).

To find additional information on the races, please visit:

• www.konasits.co.uk in the U.K.
• www.sleeplessinthesaddle.com in the USA .
• www.kona24hour.com in Australia.

24 Hours of Moab delivers largest solo cash purse in history of sport

The solo category in the 24 Hours of Moab mountain bike race (October 15-16) is offering what organiser Granny Gear productions claims is the largest cash prize in the history of solo 24-hour racing, with $15,000 up for grabs for a field recently increased from 75 to 100 riders thanks to permission from the Bureau of Land Management.

Ultra-endurance Pro/Solo racers arrive at 24 Hours of Moab to do battle against one of the largest and most elite fields in the world. Many solo racers best more than half the teams. Even more impressive than that, some will log as many as 17 laps, more than 250 miles and 18,700 feet of climbing.

More than 4,500 mountain bike racers and support crew are expected to take part in teh weekend's racing, which offers a total of $63,000 in cash and prizes and is claimed to be the largest mountain bike race west of the Mississippi.

For more information see www.grannygear.com.

Clif Bar and IMBA award 2005 Trail Preservation Grants

Clif Bar, a leading producer of energy foods and drinks, and the International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) are pleased to announce the 12 winners of the 2005 Trail Preservation Grants program. The $500 grants will help clubs preserve and enhance trail access, promote environmental education, and inspire conservation.

"Clif Bar's ongoing relationship with IMBA is an incredibly valuable one. As a company devoted to community service and environmental education, supporting the IMBA Trail Preservation Grants is a no-brainer. We commend IMBA and the grant winners," says Grady O'Shaughnessy, sports marketing manager at Clif Bar.

Fifty-eight grants totaling $29,000 have been distributed since the IMBA/Clif Bar Trail Preservation Grants program was established in 2001. Previous IMBA/Clif Bar Trail. The 2005 Trail Preservation grant winners are:

Palm Beach Mountain Bike Association, West Palm Beach, FL - Palm Beach Mountain Bike Association will work with local planners to reinforce the Dyer Park trail, one of the few mountain bike trails in this heavily populated county. The reinforced trail will be better able to resist erosion caused by users, as well as intense South Florida weather.

Trips For Kids Laurel Highlands, Melcroft, PA - Trips For Kids Laurel Highlands will extend the Indian Creek Valley Bike Trail, a rail trail that connects the communities of Champion and Indian Head. They will also construct a stream crossing for cattle in order to minimize impact on Indian Creek. Extending the trail will provide a safe, comfortable riding opportunity for kids and families.

Kokopelli Bike Club, Cortez, CO - The Kokopelli Bike Club will continue working on the Boggy Draw Trails Project, a network of trails near Dolores, Colorado. In partnership with the U.S. Forest Service, they will purchase and install signs to help users navigate the 35+ miles of trail safely and responsibly.

Southeast Off-Road Bicycle Organization, Atlanta, Gainesville, GA - The Southeast Off-Road Bicycle Organization’s Atlanta chapter will develop a stacked-loop trail system at Utoy Creek, located only 1 mile from a high-volume public transportation station. The trail system at Utoy Creek will be the first new trail for mountain bikers within Atlanta city limits for over a decade, and will serve a wide range of cyclists.

Kentucky Mountain Bike Association, Louisville, KY - The Kentucky Mountain Bike Association’s (KYMBA) grant will be used for construction of a new bridge, and to educate trail users about sustainable access in General Butler State Resort Park. By bridging wet areas and rerouting fall-line trails, KYMBA hopes to substantially reduce user impacts.

Concerned Long Island Mountain Bicyclists, Woodbury, NY - Concerned Long Island Mountain Bicyclists will install interpretive signage on a beginner’s trail at Stillwell Woods Nature Preserve, in Syosset, NY. The signs will teach trail etiquette, mountain bike skills, and identify native plants and animals.

Pend Oreille Pedalers, Sandpoint, ID - Working cooperatively with landowners, the Pend Oreille Pedalers will build and sign trails on several parcels of private property. The signs will help guide users toward responsible and sustainable land use, which will strengthen the relationship between private landowners and cyclists.

Peoria Area Mountain Bike Association, Peoria, IL - The Peoria Area Mountain Bike Association will complete a stacked-loop trail system consisting of beginner, advanced, and ADA-accessible trails at Black Partridge Park in Metamora, Illinois. The area was once slated to become a golf course, but through the efforts of local advocates it remains a wooded area, home to several endangered and protected species.

Big Bear Adventure Racing, Big Bear Lake, CA - Big Bear Adventure Racing will complete repair work on a trail they adopted through a U.S. Forest Service program. They will also educate local users about sustainable trail design and use.

Charlottesville Area Mountain Bike Club, Earlysville, VA - The Charlottesville Area Mountain Bike Club (CAMBC) will construct and install an information kiosk in Walnut Creek Park, allowing trail users to view maps and read guidelines about riding conditions. The park manager will team with CAMBC to install the kiosk.

Austin Ridge Riders Mountain Bike Club, Austin, TX - The Ridge Riders will construct the six-mile, multi-use Slaughter Creek Trail on public land under the authority of the City of Austin Water Utility. The trail, as well as the accompanying ADA-compliant corridor, will serve a growing community of users in the Austin area.

Cronies Outdoor Adventure Tribe, Waupaca, WI - Cronies Outdoor Adventure Tribe (COAT) will build the Bramble Loop Trail, an expansion of an existing system that hosts the annual Riverfest Ride. The Riverfest Ride helps raise funds for bike programs in the city of Waupaca.

Blind downhiller racer ready for Cougar Mountain Classic

Considering all that Bobby McMullen has been through, it’s reassuring to know he has a keen sense of humor.

McMullen, a self-described “train wreck,” has encountered just about every obstacle — from blindness to two kidney/pancreas transplants — but that hasn’t stopped him from fully enjoying life.

The Redding resident will take his zest for life to Infineon Raceway for the Infineon Technologies Cougar Mountain Classic, Sept. 9-11, competing in the Infineon Technologies Mountain Bike Downhill. His goal is to place in the top 10 and earn a berth in the National Off-Road Bicycle Association (NORBA) Championships the following weekend at Mammoth Mountain. It is the Super Bowl of downhill racing for McMullen.

That’s a tough goal for anyone to achieve, let alone McMullen. He is fully blind in his left eye and 80-percent blind in his right eye. When describing his right eye he says, “It’s like looking through a rolled up piece of paper with Vaseline smeared on the eye hole.”

McMullen, who is an avid skier, mountain biker and triathlete, has been legally blind since 1993 due to a degenerative eye disease. Moreover, he was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes — the most serious form of the disease — when he was 12 years old. He has also endured two kidney/pancreas transplants as a result of his diabetes.

To say his life has been a challenge would be an understatement.

“It was tough when I was told I wouldn’t see again,” said McMullen, a 42-year-old massage therapist whose dream of becoming a lawyer was cut short by his blindness. “I was pretty pissed off and disappointed and it was hard to swallow. When you look at it we are in a sight-oriented society and those of us who are visually impaired face a lot of obstacles.

“When I got the news I went home and my dad came out to meet me and I cried pretty hard right then. But then it was time to get on with my life.”

And he has certainly done that. He made the U.S. Disabled Ski Team and won the U.S. National Championships in both downhill and Super G in 1996. He also made the Nagano Paralympics in 1998 in Japan.

Ironically, he participated in the Paralympics at a disadvantage, having walked into a wall just two weeks prior. He broke the little toe on his right foot as a result of the mishap, but competed anyway. McMullen crashed in all four events he entered and damaged his toe so much it had to be removed.

His passion stems from his childhood where he was a standout athlete in Redding, earning varsity letters in three sports. He played football at Shasta Junior College before transferring to Weber State in Utah, where he was a walk-on for the Wildcats’ ski team. While at Weber State, he broke his femur in six places and shattered his hip during a high-speed ski crash.

“I was taught that if you get knocked down seven times, you get up eight times,” McMullen said. “I’ve taken everything that has been thrown my way and I will continue.”

His next goal is to reach the NORBA Nationals for downhill, and he has a good shot in Sonoma. McMullen placed 14th during an event in Sacramento and 15th in Temecula. At the prestigious Sea Otter Classic in Monterey earlier this year, McMullen was 15th in the downhill out of 28 competitors. He was just 30 seconds off the pace of the 10th-place finisher, which would have earned him an automatic berth to Mammoth Mountain.

“I was so close at Sea Otter, that’s what has me focused totally on Sonoma,” McMullen said. “I never thought it would be possible for someone like me to get to NORBA but it is possible. To reach NORBA in an able-bodied category would be incredible.”

McMullen races downhill by trailing his guide, who starts the trek down the hill in front of him and shouts instructions along the way. His guide is his girlfriend, Therese Connor, who has already qualified for NORBA in cross-country and downhill. It is an amazing sight to watch McMullen race down the hill, legally blind, with only his guide for instruction as he reaches speeds in excess of 30 mph.

“It is an unreal and intense experience for me” McMullen said of his downhill runs. “But I have a great communicator in Therese. She is the best I’ve ever had.”

For additional information on the Infineon Technologies Cougar Mountain Classic, visit www.cmclassic.com.

Gary Fisher Bicycles and Chris Duncan part ways

At the end of 2005 Gary Fisher Bicycles will end the two-year sponsorship arrangement with freeride athlete Chris Duncan. The relationship between the two parties has been very productive from both a product and promotional standpoint, but differences in priorities require that the two parties head in separate directions for the future.

Chris Duncan aims to focus more on his work with Bikeskills.com where he teaches and does outreach programs. Gary Fisher is very supportive of this work but looks to find an athlete that is more focused on competition to help promote their freeride products. Chris has spent many years in competition prior to joining with Gary Fisher, primarily as an X-Games BMX dirt jumper. He looks to reduce the amount of time he spends traveling to events, choosing only select events and competitions to attend.

"It’s been very fulfilling to work with Fisher,” says Duncan. “During the past two years I've worn many different hats involved in our agreement. My favorite area of work was in product consulting and testing. I look forward to seeing riders enjoy what we have come up with for years to come."

The relationship is ending on good terms. Gary Fisher plans to use Chris Duncan’s image through the end of the year to promote their freeride products. The company will offer more opportunities to other current Fisher athletes while also intending to hire a high profile athlete to represent the brand in competition.

Previous News    Next News

(All rights reserved/Copyright Knapp Communications Pty Limited 2005)