Dong wins WORS Cup Pro XCT

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The sixth race for the Wisconsin Off Road Series (WORS) also happened to be the penultimate event for the US Pro Cross Country Tour or Pro XCT, giving competitors seeking national recognition a final chance to race before cross country national. The newly named WORS Cup was held in a new venue compared to previous Pro XCT races in Wisconsin. Conveniently located near Madison, Cascade Mountain in Portage, Wisconsin hosted the three-day event.

The elite women raced for five laps of a 3.6-mile course. The newly designed track featured a more than fair amount of climbing mixed with a number of man-made obstacles to keep riders on their toes and out of their saddles. Volunteers have been working on the course for several weeks in preparation for the event. Spectators lined the trail in sections like the Boarder Lans, an obstacle course featuring a gap jump followed by a section of whoops and a descent through a set of timber stairs. This was followed by the Trek Skills Area which consisted of a curved wood bridge between two narrow trees followed by a fan filled stepped rock garden descent. The trail came back on itself a few times to allow the crowds many cheering and photo opportunities.

The lap started with a steep, sandy climb. Some early confusion by a few riders at the top allowed Evelyn Dong (backcountry.com) to take the lead. She handled the course smoothly and stretched out her gap on each lap.

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Behind her was Erin Huck (Tokyo Joes-VCGraphix.com) trying to close the gap. Huck had been right on the wheel of Chloe Woodruff in the short track on Friday night for a second place finish in that race, too, so she finished the weekend with two silver medals.

Third and fourth spots were up in the air until Megan Carrington (Naked Womens Racing USA) moved away from Chloe Woodruff (Backcountry.com) to solidify third place. Woodruff finished strong with fourth place added to her short track win from the night before.

Full results