Horgan-Kobelski wins short track title with last lap move

Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski (Subaru-Trek) charged to victory in the elite men's short track national championship in Sun Valley, Idaho, on Sunday afternoon. He battled Todd Wells (Specialized) and Ryan Trebon (LTS Felt) until the very last lap and timed his surge perfectly on the tight, twisty course. A day after winning the cross country, Wells rode to second place ahead of Trebon in third.

"It feels good. I did not expect that today and it's a nice surprise," said Horgan-Kobelski, who has been battling an untimely cold.

"I was sick this week and it took me down a big notch for yesterday's cross country on a course that really suited me. I was coughing up green and brown gunk all morning and wondering how I was going to do a short track, but that's why racing is fun. You never know what you're going to get. This is a fantastic way to finish off the weekend."

In the early laps, Wells, Horgan-Kobelski, Trebon, Sam Schultz (Subaru-Trek), Jeremiah Bishop (Cannondale) and Stephen Ettinger (BMC) formed the lead group. The pace was fast and furious on a course with lots of twists and turns.

The speed began to take its toll as Wells motored along at his blistering pace at the front. Only Horgan-Kobelski and Trebon could hang with him.

"I was leading for most of the race and it was a fast course, but there wasn't much drafting because you're always turning," said Wells. "It was a course where it was easy to go down due to the loose, gravelly corners, so the less people in front of you, the less chance of crashing."

Horgan-Kobelski and Trebon mostly sat on.

"I was in the perfect position the whole race because Todd was pretty close to trailing us off a few times," said Horgan-Kobelski. "He was riding so powerfully. Ryan and I had to close a lot of gaps, but I never saw the front of the race."

"I tried to go to the front a few times to separate it but Todd was just riding fast," said Trebon. "I could have come around him, but I couldn't have gone any faster than him."

"It was hard and fast and a good course and a good race," said Trebon. "Everyone said it was wide open, but there were so many turns, it was hard to pass."

That's just what Wells was banking on, but it didn't work out for him.

"I felt like I was riding that drop section fast, and if I led I could go faster on the technical sections and easier on the pedalling sections," said Wells. "I thought that once I got to the drop section in the lead that I'd be able to hold it until the finish, but JHK came around me right before the pavement, and it's hard to pass after that. I tried to come inside on the start/finish straight, but kind of slid out and he was able to take the victory."

JHK passed Trebon on the off camber climb and then got Wells in the final moments of the race. "Todd was flying but I knew he was hurting. He had to be hurting," said JHK. "Once I got in front, there were a few flat, gravel corners on which it was all I could do to control the two wheeled drift."

Horgan-Kobelski's timing was good and he kept it upright to take the victory. He last won the short track national championship in 2008, but he's previously won it in 2003 and 2004.

Wells claimed second and Trebon rolled in for third. Trebon had DNF'ed in the cross country, but was riding well today. "Yesterday, on the second lap on the long climb, it was so steep and I was going hard and overheated. The third time up it, I was so bad, it took me almost a half hour to get down off the mountain. I got hot fast and was dizzy and naseaous," said Trebon.

Schultz led in the chasers for a fourth place and Bishop claimed the final podium spot in fifth, five seconds ahead of Ettinger.

Full Results

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#Rider Name (Country) TeamResult
1Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski (Subaru-Trek)0:28:05
2Todd Wells0:00:02
3Ryan Trebon0:00:08
4Sam Schultz (Subaru-Trek)0:00:44
5Jeremiah Bishop (Cannondale)0:00:53
6Stephen Ettinger (BMC MTB Development Team USA)0:00:58
7Barry Wicks (Kona)0:01:22
8Carl DeckerRow 7 - Cell 2
9Troy Wells0:01:24
10Mitchell HokeRow 9 - Cell 2
11Spencer Paxson (Kona Bicycles)0:01:28
12Braden Kappius (Team Clif Bar)0:02:00
13Bryan Alders (Epic Endurance)Row 12 - Cell 2
14Tad Elliott (Durango Devo Sweet Elite Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory)Row 13 - Cell 2
15Russell Finsterwald (Subaru-Trek)0:02:04
16Robert Marion (Carpediem Racing)Row 15 - Cell 2
17Drew Edsall0:02:14
18Colin Cares (Kenda/Felt)0:02:15
19Justin Lindine (BikeReg.com / Joe's Garage / Scott)0:02:17
20Jack Hinkens (BMC Mountainbike Development Team USA)Row 19 - Cell 2
21Ryan WoodallRow 20 - Cell 2
22Skyler Trujillo (Niner/Stans/Ergon)0:02:23
23Macky FranklinRow 22 - Cell 2
24Adam Craig0:02:53
25Kerry Werner (BMC Mountainbike Development Team USA)0:03:01
-2lapsColton Andersen (Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory Devo Sweet Elite)Row 25 - Cell 2
-2lapsKalan BeiselRow 26 - Cell 2
-2lapsBradford Perley (Champion System / Canondale)Row 27 - Cell 2
-2lapsBrennan WodtliRow 28 - Cell 2
-2lapsZachary KellerRow 29 - Cell 2
-2lapsCody Kaiser (California Giant Strawberries/Specialize)Row 30 - Cell 2
-2lapsJohn Nobil (Team Velosport Club)Row 31 - Cell 2
-2lapsMichael Broderick (Kenda/Seven/NoTubes)Row 32 - Cell 2
-2lapsAndy Schultz (Kenda/Felt)Row 33 - Cell 2
-2lapsKevin Bradford-ParishRow 34 - Cell 2
-3lapsZachary Valdez (Whole Athlete/Whole Athlete-Specialized)Row 35 - Cell 2
-3lapsAlexander Grant (Cannondale)Row 36 - Cell 2
-4lapsNate Byrom (Nevada Union High School Mt Bike Team)Row 37 - Cell 2
-4lapsAaron ElwellRow 38 - Cell 2
-4lapsKevin FishRow 39 - Cell 2
-4lapsChris Peariso (Adventure 212)Row 40 - Cell 2
-4lapsNicholas Weighall (California Giant Cycling/California Giant Berry Farms/Specialized)Row 41 - Cell 2
-4lapsBrent Steinberg (Livetrainrace.com)Row 42 - Cell 2
-4lapsSeamus PowellRow 43 - Cell 2
-4lapsChristopher Michaels (American Classic/Kenda/Tomac)Row 44 - Cell 2
-4lapsAnthony Sinyard (Specialized)Row 45 - Cell 2
-4lapsLewis Gaffney (Team F.I.Taos)Row 46 - Cell 2
-4lapsNoah Tautfest (Bicycle Express/ Kona)Row 47 - Cell 2
-5lapsJoe SchneiderRow 48 - Cell 2
-5lapsDarren Lightfield (Wild Rockies Inc/Wild Rockies Racing Team)Row 49 - Cell 2
-5lapsKevin Kane (Rocky Mountain Factory Team)Row 50 - Cell 2
-5lapsAlex WildRow 51 - Cell 2
-6lapsEric Emsky (Fort Lewis College)Row 52 - Cell 2
-6lapsRichard Schoenfelder (Gallatin Valley Bicycle Club/Gallatin Alpine Sports/Intrinsik Archite)Row 53 - Cell 2
-6lapsDavid Harrison (Dollarhide)Row 54 - Cell 2
-6lapsCraig Wohlschlaeger (Hub Bicycle Company/ The Cannonball-Hub Racing Team)Row 55 - Cell 2
DNSStevie Cullinan (Racelab Cycling Team)Row 56 - Cell 2
DNSTravis (TJ) Woodruff (Trek Bicycle Store Boulder)Row 57 - Cell 2

 

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Sue George is an editor at Cyclingnews.  She coordinates all of the site's mountain bike race coverage and assists with the road, 'cross and track coverage.

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