American cross country duo trades skinsuits for singletrack
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Heather Irmiger (Subaru Trek) races back to a fourth place finish after a slow start.(Image credit: Danny Marchewka)
Heather Irmiger (Subaru Trek) crosses the line to win the US Pro XCT Subaru Cup short track race(Image credit: Danny Marchewka)
Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski (USA) in his stars-and-stripes jersey.(Image credit: Wenceslao Rodriguez/ WRS IMAGENES)
Jeremy Horgan Kobelski (Subaru / Gary Fisher)(Image credit: Dave McElwaine/trailwatch.net)
Former US cross country national champions and long-time Trek mountain bike athletes Heather Irmiger and Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski will apply their talent and experience to enduro racing in 2013 and beyond. After a multi-decade career of cross country-focused racing during which the American pair took many titles, the duo will return to their riding roots to compete in the sport's fastest-growing race discipline.
The husband and wife pairing will represent Trek Factory Racing in an enduro-focused schedule. For the 2013 season, they will load their bikes into a 25-foot Airstream Safari and set out with their two canine companions for adventure at stops in the Big Mountain Enduro Series, North American Enduro Tour, and select Enduro World Series events.
Racing will take them from Whistler, British Columbia, to Val D'Isere France, to the Trestle Enduro held at Winter Park, Colorado, which holds particular importance to Irmiger.
"The Fraser Valley of Winter Park is where my family chose to go for mountain bike trips when I was a kid. Watching the Trestle Bike Park develop and grow into a top notch cycling destination has been very special - I can't wait to return and see what great features this season's race will bring."
Irmiger, the 2011 Pan American Games gold medalist, 2009 US National Champion and 2009 Singlespeed World Champion, said the new direction comes from wanting to get back to what got her into mountain biking in the first place:
"From the first day I ever rode a mountain bike, the biggest appeal was challenging myself to be the best in the natural setting and terrain of the forest and mountains," she said. "I loved testing myself around tight corners, through rushing streams, over awkward roots and rocks or seeing how far I could push myself up a high alpine climb."
Horgan-Kobelski, a five-time cross country national champion and 2004 Olympian, is looking forward to the adventure and sheer fun of the fast-growing format. "The enduro events I competed in in 2012 reminded me of all the reasons I got into mountain biking in the first place: Great trails, challenging terrain, and the ability to connect with fans and other racers in a casual atmosphere where we're all just out there doing something we love."
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The two will race on Trek Remedy 9.9 and Slash trail bikes.
