Luna women's team returns for 2009 without Nash

By Sue George, Mountain Bike Editor

Canadian Catharine Pendrel and American Georgia Gould will continue to head up the Luna Women's team for the 2009 mountain bike season. The veteran duo will be joined by Chloe Forsman.

Last year, Pendrel won her first-ever World Cup round in Bromont, and ended up second in the overall rankings. Gould finished second in both the mountain bike and cyclo-cross US National championships. She also wrapped up the season as the fifth-ranked woman in the UCI World Cup cross country standings.

Notably absent from the roster is Czech Katerina Nash, who raced on the team. Nash, who lives near Lake Tahoe in the US and has represented Czech in the Olympic Games for cross country skiing and mountain biking, has retired.

Team spokesperson and 2001 mountain bike World Champion Alison Dunlap, 39, will be returning to a racing role on the team. She had retired at the end of the 2004 season.

"I am coming back to race the full (cyclo-) cross series next fall. [I] can't wait!" said an excited Dunlap. Gould will also race 'cross next year.

Luna continues to support its women's off and on-road triathlon teams with former mountain bike professional Shonny Vanlandingham, Danelle Kabush (sister of pro mountain biker Geoff Kabush), Terra Castro, Tyler Stewart, Linda Gallo and Cathy Chesky.