Schultz claims victory over Plaxton in men's US Pro XCT cross country

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Riding a Superfly Elite for the first time Sam Schultz (Subaru-Trek) beat some of the biggest names in North American racing to take his first-ever national series victory. Four riders battled off the front, but nothing was decided until moments before the finish.

Max Plaxton (Sho-Air/Specialized) edged out Todd Wells (Specialized) for second. Wells was followed across the line by Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski (Subaru-Trek) and Derek Zandstra (3 Rox Racing).

Plaxton got the hole shot, but it was Wells who made it into the singletrack first. The twisty course with short punchy climbs meant that attacks had to be executed in a short amount of time to be successful. Both Wells and Schultz seemed to spend a lot of time at the front.

"It was nice to have Jeremy up there," said Schultz. "Wells was making some decent moves out there. He was kind of the instigator but one of us would cover each attack."

Schultz, a former USA U23 National Champion, has been getting experience in major races including the World Cup circuit for several years now. Last season he showed some flashes of brilliance, but consistency was lacking as it often is with young riders. His Pan Am Continental Games victory showed he could rise to the occasion in difficult racing conditions.

What is remarkable about Schultz’s victory is who he beat. Both JHK and Wells are former US Olympians while Plaxton won the last round of the USA Cycling Pro XCT in Austin, Texas. Geoff Kabush was the only top North American rider missing today, as he's racing the BC Bike Race with fellow Canadian Catherine Pendrel.

Derek Zandstra was not quite able to hold on to the leaders and found himself in "no-man's land" for the entire race. It is quite impressive that he was able keep the gap to the leaders relatively close, given that they were constantly attacking on the front.

The WORS Subaru Cup is the largest race held in Wisconsin, and is the Midwest series finals.  The Wisconsin Off Road Series will continue throughout 2010. This is the first time that the national professionals have attended the event which has been UCI-sanctioned for the first time.

The crowds on the course today were large, and as enthusiastic as those you find at World Cup races. Adam Craig said, "This is the biggest crowd we’ve seen in a long time at a national series race. WORS…they love it."

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