West, Emmett race to US Super D national championships

Image 1 of 2

Mike West (Maverick) and Kelli Emmett (Giant) won the elite Super D US national championships on Sunday morning at Sol Vista resort in Granby, Colorado.

Racers started with a lengthy run to their bikes and then began a descent that featured in last year's cross country course, but was omitted from this year's. A long uphill broke up the descending, testing the legs and spirits of many.

West, who has finished second four times at nationals but never previously won, was seen sliding his way around turns as he approached the finish on a flat rear tire, on which he'd done the second half of the run. Kevin Soller (Summit Velo) followed soon after in second place and Mitchell Hoke (Tokyo Joes) was third.

"I'm excited. I've been doing this forever and ever," said West. "I've had so much bad luck (in the past)."

West made it into the singletrack descent in the top five and picked a few people off as he raced through the trees. He caught his final man, Chad Cheeney (Duragno Devo) on the climb mid-course.

"Passing was tough and you had to get a good start. I got a good shot and followed Cheeney and then I got around him going into the uphill and gave it all I had," said West. "I went from there and got a gap. I didn't look back ever and was surprised by the gap I got."

He was also surprised to find his tire going flat. "I was like 'oh no, not again!', but I kept on pinning it," said West. "My tail was flying all over. I almost felt like I was sliding around in circles." Nonetheless, he held on for the win.

Soller finished second, ahead of Hoke in third. "I got a pretty good start, maybe in 10th," said Hoke. "I picked some people off in the woods and then several more on the climb in the middle. I haven't done a super D like that in four years, but I know the trails pretty well."

Emmett drops everyone en route to victory

Kelli Emmett (Giant) dusted her competition, finishing far ahead of everyone else. The Giant rider collected her second Super D national championship. Behind her, Krista Park finished second despite an asthma attack mid-race, and Allison Mann (Rock n Road) was third. Last year's winner Elke Bruksaert finished in the top five.

"I'm psyched. I haven't won a Super D national championship in a long time," said Emmett, before describing her race.

"The climb separated us pretty well this year. I was able to get around and away there and make up time, which was my strategy," said Emmett. "The start wasn't too crazy, but it was a long run. I had my rubber shoes on today, but they didn't help me much, I'm not much of a runner."

Park (Incycle/Cannondale) got to the singletrack first, but she crashed and was passed by Bruksaert on the wooded part of the downhill.

Emmett came by everyone on the climb, leaving the others to fight for second in her wake. Park hung on for second despite suffering severe asthma symptoms on the way down.

Gasping for breath at the finish and barely able to speak, she said, "I pulled out of the cross country yesterday with an asthma attack. I'm usually ok at altitude, so that's no excuse for me. Something else must have triggered it."

Bruksaert, who retired from a pro career after the 2001 World Championships in Vail, Colorado, said she wasn't surprised to loose ground on the uphill portions. "I got shelled at the climb, which is to be expected. As soon as the climbing started, these guys came flying by me. It was followed by a long flat. I don't have the fitness to do that," said last year's winner.

Full Results