Stander wins cross country in three-up sprint

Burry Stander won the three-up sprint at the end of the elite men's cross country race at the Sea Otter Classic in Monterey, California. With two against one in the lead trio, the Specialized team dominated the race, taking first, third and fourth. However, the outnumbered Geoff Kabush (Maxxis Rocky Mountain) rode an intelligent race, making it to the final sprint despite Team Specialized's best efforts to drop him en route. Kabush finished second ahead of Todd Wells (Specialized) in third.

Not far behind, Christoph Sauser (Specialized) finished fourth. Roel Paulissen (Cannondale) made a late race surge to ride himself up into fifth place.

Early int he race a group of five riders formed, including Wells, Stander, Kabush, Marco Fontana (Cannondale) and Sauser, at the front, setting a pace that strung the large field out immediately.

Fontana and Sauser were gapped off. "It's tough to plan the start, but we hoped to get all three of us up there," said Wells. "We almost did, but it didn't quite work."

"I was behind Fontana and then got about five to 10m off Kabush, and then I didn't have the top speed to catch back up," said Sauser. "I thought maybe I could catch back on the climb, but I sat down a little too early and then there was a flat part and that was it." On his own on the flat parts, Sauser wasn't as fast as the lead trio, especially with a long, level paved section around the race track on each of the five total laps.

The rest of the race was a battle between the two Specialized men, Stander and Wells, and one Maxxis Rocky Mountain rider, Kabush. Stander and Wells did everything they could to shake Kabush, but the tenacious Canadian rode intelligently to defend his position in their group. Kabush had hoped to get some help against Specialized from the Cannondale riders, but after Fontana faded, he didn't see anything but red at the front for the duration.

"Obviously I wanted to win, but it was a good race," said Kabush. "It was tough going there with just me and the Specialized guys. I wasn't looking behind. I knew I had to stay in the top three. They'd go one-two in the singletrack and wanted to let a gap grow, so I worked to stay second wheel and try to control it and soften them up whenever I could."

"Todd and I were trying the whole time to get a gap on Kabush, but we couldn't. He was riding well today," said Stander.

"I thought for sure we'd be able to shake him," said Wells. "We'd get small gaps on him, and then he'd power back. At one point, we almost got both of us off, but he was too strong. I would attack and Burry would sit on Kabush, then he'd attack and I'd sit on Kabush."

However, both Specialized riders approached the finish with confidence. "I knew at the finish that Burry would beat Kabush in the sprint," said Wells.

"I knew it was going to be a sprint," said Stander. "I did a lot of road racing during my summer - the last couple of weeks. My sprinting has been good. I attacked first, then Todd went over me and Kabush followed him, so it gave me the perfect line-up and I knew when we came into the last straight that I had it."

"Burry led the last singletrack and I kept a bit of a gap. I was hoping to get it down to the last corner when I knew I could get to the finish," said Kabush, "but when Todd went on the inside, I had to cover that. On the last corner, I made my jump, but Burry was able to come by."

Sauser never did catch the lead trio and rode solo for three laps to finish fourth. On the final lap, Paulissen worked his way up significantly to leap away from the chase group of five that he'd joined near the end of the race. He was helped by two teammates, who blocked for him as he rode away for fifth place.

"It was hard today. I had some stomach problems and still do," said Paulissen. "I was suffering the first 40 minutes, and I tried to get in my rhythm. The legs got better though and on the long gravel climb, I went for it."

It was Paulissen's first time racing a 29er on a cross country course. "It was good on the rolling portions of this course. The course wasn't twisty, and the bike was so stable. I would race it again, depending on the course."

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