Grant and Dong win Park City Point to Point

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The Park City Point 2 Point put up a $14,000 total cash purse, featuring equal payout to both women and men. The Utah race features the area's best singletrack, hitting Park City's three world-class resorts along the way.

According to Race Director Jay Burke, "This race challenges racers to big miles and lots of vertical both up and down, and it's not gentle!" The race course features 75+ miles and is composed of about 90% singletrack.

Men

Four-time defending PCP2P champion Alex Grant (Sho-Air/Cannondale) made it five in a row completing the course in 6:24:37.

"Coming into this year I tried not to put too much pressure on myself, but I was confident that I could take a fifth win," said Grant. "I knew it wouldn't come easy with all the other great riders in the race. I know this streak can't go on forever and I've been happy to stretch it out for as long as I have."

Eight minutes later, Jay Henry (Tokyo Joe's) captured second in 6:32:22. Nine minutes behind Henry was Nathan Miller (Pivot Cycles) at 6:41:55. "At the bottom of the Deer Valley climb is where I saw Alex attack. Jay got on his wheel while Evan Plews and I followed closely behind. Half-way up the climb, I was able to get into third place and stay there for the remainder of the day."

Just seconds apart, Cary Smith (Team CF) took fourth place in 6:51:18 ahead of Sam Sweetser (Cole Sport Racing), who finished in 6:51:39. After admittedly missing a critical turn at high speed near the Park City aid station, before turning back and climbing up to where he missed the turn, Evan Plews (Ibis/Kenda/Reall) lost several spots yet still managed to finish sixth on the day.

Women

In one of the largest women's fields this season with 28 women competing, Evelyn Dong (White Pine Racing/Jans.com) crossed the line more than 20 minutes ahead of her nearest competitor to take the women's division in 7:18:09.

"I was a little disappointed that my all-time favorite trail TG's was taken out but at the end, I was glad we came down the new Corvair Trail instead, way more forgiving on the arms," said Dong.

"The only snafu in my race was accidentally detouring about five minutes past the turn at the top of Deer Valley. I ended up on the Guard road and realized I was in the wrong spot, so had to do a little backtracking. Gretchen caught me soon after that and kept me on my toes! I stayed on the gas after that and having the home trail advantage helped. Not to mention the hometown cheering squad, that boosted morale a lot."

Gretchen Reeves (Tokyo Joe's) took second in 7:39:27, one of just three women to finish sub eight on the day. "I was riding in a pack of guys and was pretty surprised to see Evelyn around the 40-mile mark. I rode up within striking distance hoping to follow her lines to the next feed zone. Unfortunately, I detonated shortly thereafter when I ran out of food and water and started to overheat. It took a while to bounce back and after taking a digger, I decided to play it safe and just enjoy the rest of the ride, which I did."

Seventeen minutes later, Marlee Dixon (Summit Velo) crossed the line at 7:56:35 with Rachel Hadley (Basalt Bike and Ski) in fourth in 8:06:03 and Sarah Kaufman (NoTubes Elite Women) taking the fifth podium spot in 8:23:42.

Singlespeed

After finishing second in 2011 and getting the win in 2012, Cory Larrabee (Kuhl) repeated by edging out NUE Series contender, AJ Linnell, by just one minute finishing 7:03:47. Linnell (Fitzgerald's Bicycles/Misfit Psycles), an NUE SS contender desperately needed this win to challenge four-time reigning champion Gerry Pflug (Team CF) for the NUE Series title at the Fool's Gold 100 Championship.

At the start of the race, Linnell mistakenly left with the men's open wave. He led the entire race and appeared to have won the race in front of cheering fans at the finish line in 7:04:49. That is until chip timing revealed that Larrabee, who had correctly left in a later wave, had bested him by one minute.

"I'm not really sure what to think about the race, still shocked by the outcome. I was way stoked to have held my lead and stayed in contention for the NUE Series SS championship, so it was crushing to check the results board an hour later and discover that because Corey started in a wave two minutes behind me, he had completed the course a minute faster and thus was the actual winner, brutal. It seemed like everybody was a little surprised by that outcome, an unexpected side-effect of chip-timing. I'm going to the Fool's Gold anyway to see how I can compete against the singlespeed field at the NUE championship event. Here's to riding fast and racing hard!"

Brent Cannon (Canyon Bicycles) finished third in 7:50:14. Seven minutes later, Darrell Roundy (Wild Child Cycles) rolled into fourth in 7:57:20, three minutes ahead of Jacob Whipple (Methow Cycle Sport/Blue Star Coffee) in 8:00:05.

2011 Master's Champion turned SS, Doug "The Hulk" Andrews (Goeladders.com) blew in three minutes later, riding rigid and sporting a skinny "Furious Fred" tire lacking few signs of visible tread, bubbled out, and ready to blow. Interesting to note, had the 52-year-old Andrews been entered in the masters division, he would have handily won the division finishing 8:03.00.

Gary Gardiner (Bountiful Bikes) rolled into victory finishing in 8:14:52. Five minutes behind the lead, Marland Whaley (Red Barn Bicycles) finished second in 8:19:36.

"At approximately one hour into the race, I had a rock rip up my rear tire. Because it was so soon after the start and I spent too much time repairing it, I was caught and passed by the 8 and 9-hour seeds."

"I was stuck sometimes behind 10-20 riders in line and actually stopping on some of the many hairpin turns. It wasn't their fault, they were doing their best, but there was just nowhere to pass. I was able to find my way free at about 50 miles and had a really fun race to the finish with a fairly clean trail before me."

John Lauck (Bountiful Bikes p/b Threshold) finished third in 8:32:59. "After last year's slugfest through the rain, lightning and cold, I was looking forward to a rematch with better training and nice weather. Saturday didn't disappoint with sunny warm weather and better legs coming off of a good day and podium at Pierre's Hole."

Three minutes later, Steve Mower (3B Yoga) rolled into fourth at 8:34:49 with Andy Leifer (Willas Wheels) hot on his heels just two minutes back at 8:36:06.

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