Mosher rides to backcountry win ahead of Wood after Koerber flats

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Virginia's first backcountry mountain bike race of the season, Dragon's Tale, was held on Sunday, in New Castle, Virginia. The 40-mile course in Virginia's Jefferson National Forest, just outside of New Castle, challenged riders with lengthy singletrack climbs and difficult miles, but gave them scenic, ridge riding and flowy, singletrack downhills on a beautiful almost summer-like spring day.

For many, including 2008 National Ultra Endurance (NUE) Series champion Cheryl Sornson (Team CF), as well as Sam Koerber (Gary Fisher 29 Crew), and David Wood (Gary Fisher 29 Crew), the grassroots-style event was an excellent warm up for the upcoming NUE Series Opener, the Cohutta 100 in Tennessee on April 24.

The action at the front of the men's race was tight from beginning to end with Koerber, Wood, and Tim Mosher (Champion Systems/Cannondale) riding within seconds of each other throughout the race. Koerber led the race until a flat tire during the final six miles allowed Mosher and Wood to pass. Mosher put in a strong final leg to take the race win, with Wood coming in half a minute behind. Koerber pushed hard after fixing his flat to catch Wood, finishing just a minute back in third.

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There was no lack of local competition between riders from Harrisonburg, Virginia, and Boone, North Carolina, with Kyle Lawrence (Gary Fisher 29 Crew), Drew Scharns (Boone Velo), Darrell Prillaman (Boone Bike & Touring), "Men's Leader" Ryan Fawley (Trek Mountain Co-Op), and Aran Cacciola (Boone Bike & Touring) riding hard against each other. Lawrence and Scharns were fighting closely throughout the day with Prillaman and Fawley just behind. In the end, some late cramping put Lawrence just seconds behind fourth place Scharns, with Prillaman rolling in for sixth. Ryan Fawley seemed to be saving himself for Harrisonburg's famed Tour de Burg, rolling in eighth behind Zack Morrey (Boo Bicycles, Hokie Spokes). Multi-time Tour Divide winner Matthew Lee (Cannondale Factory Racing) was out getting in some early competitive riding, in preparation to defend his title at the next edition of the Tour Divide Race in June.

Cheryl Sornson led the women's field from the start and kept the pace up all day, with Misty Tilson (Shenandoah Mountain Touring), and Sue George (Shenandoah Yoga) rounding out the top three women. Sornson's time was fast enough that she finished 11th among the men.

Three singlespeeders began the race with only two to finish. David Tompkins (East Coasters / Roanoke Valley Mountain Bike Patrol) and Jonathan Wheaton (Continuum Solar/Family Bike Shop) put in hard efforts on their one-geared machines. There is no word yet on whether they will come back next year with their singlespeeds.

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