DURANGO’S NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES FINALE

DURANGO’S NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES FINALE

More NORBA national titles have been decided in Durango than any other place. Originally the site of NORBA’s one day national event, Durango was once again used as the culminating race for the National Championship Series. While most of the national titles had already been locked up heading into the final, many of the overall series titles were still up for grabs. And for the first time in recent history, we actually had a male cross country racer who had a shot at an overall title.
STEVE PEAT

DURANGO REMADE
Instead of the piecemeal arrangement used at last year’s second to last NCS stop in Durango, all racing took place 30 miles north at the Durango Mountain Resort. This was the popular location used for last year’s downhill, while the mountain cross, cross country and short track where held closer in town.

For the XC riders, the starting elevation of 8900 feet turned the altitude into as formidable of a competitor as fellow man.
ERIC CARTER

Mountain Bike TV in Florida paid each NCS overall winner $2000. That’s $16000 total. Thank you.

Here’s the chronological look of how it went down in Durango.

MEN’S XC
What was on the line?: With a 68-point lead over American Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski, all Canadian Ryder Hesjedal had to do was finish in the top seven to wrap up the overall. Horgan-Kobelski had 76 points over his closest American rival, Jeremiah Bishop. There’s a 78 point difference between a first and tenth place finish at Durango.
JERMY HORGAN-KOBELSKI

What happened?: Hesjedal took off from the start, big ringed it up the first climb, and steadily put 22 seconds a lap on the chasers. Horgan-Kobelski landed the national jersey with a strong third place showing behind Bishop.

The men did three laps of the eight mile course. Each time around the circuit riders climbed 1400 feet up to an oxygen deprived altitude of 10,300 feet. Rumored to have come down with chicken pox, defending champion Roland Green was a no-show. After having pulled out at Big Bear and missing Snowshoe, Green wasn’t in contention anyway.

WOMEN’S XC
What was on the line?: Argentina’s defending overall champion Jimena Florit had 68 points on Canada’s Chrissy Redden. She has the same chance of winning as Hesjedal. American Mary McConneloug owns 50 points over countrywoman Sue Haywood.
JIMENZ FLORIT

What happened?: The women did two laps for a total distance of 16 miles. Hometown favorite Luna Chix rider Shonny Vanlandingham took her first, and a very popular, NORBA NCS win. Jimena Florit suffered in the thin air, but her eighth place finish was enough to wrap up the overall. Both McConneloug and Haywood finished outside of the top ten, with Mary gaining six more points on Sue en route to the National title.

MEN’S MTX
What was on the line?: World Cup Four Cross Champion Eric Carter led the NORBA MTX by 45 points over Mike King. The battle for the overall and national crown was between these two. 46 points divided first and fourth.

What happened?: France’s Cedric Gracia passed Australian Chris Kovarki before the finish to capture the win. Carter did just enough to win the overall and National Championship title; staying safely in third just in front of Mike King.

WOMEN’S MTX
What was on the line?: Nothing. Jill Kintner’s early season wins have given earned her an unsurmountable 230 point lead over defending National Champion Melissa Buhl. Jill also led the overall standings at 60 and 70 points over Sabrina Jonnier and Katrina Miller.

What happened?: The race should have been just a formality for Jill. Instead, she crashed in the semi and didn’t make the final. By winning that final, Sabrina Jonier snatched the overall series title from Jill. But don’t feel too bad for Jill, a national title isn’t that bad in your first try.

MEN’S ST

What was on the line?: Here’s a race where an American in a cross country-type event could actually win the overall title. Horgan-Kobelski comes into Durango with 46 points up on Canadian Seamus McGrath.

What happened?: Afternoon rain turned the course into a slippery mess. While sitting fifth with McGrath running away with the win, Horgan-Kobelski knew he had to finish third to win the overall. A fourth place would mean that Jeremy and Seamus would tie in overall series points. But Seamus would win the tie breaker by virtue of a better finish in the final event. So Jeremy made a last ditch effort to move into third place in the final turn. There simply wasn’t enough traction and America’s best XC rider lost traction and went down. Jeremy ran his bike across the line for sixth; just good enough to capture the national crown.

WOMEN’S ST

What was on the line?: Sue Haywood led Mary McConneloug by a secure 114 points for the National title. In the overall standings Haywood started the race with a 44 point cushion over Czech Katerina Hanusova, with Canadian Chrissy Redden ten more points back in third.

What happened?: Team tactics came into play as Trek-VW’s Alison Sydor out sprinted Luna Chix’s Hanusova to capture the win. If Alison hadn’t done that, teammate Haywood’s fifth place finish wouldn’t have been good enough to capture the overall title. (She still would have won the national title.) This is Haywood’s second ST title.

MEN’S DH

DURANGO?S DEMANDING DOWNHILL COURSE

The last NORBA downhill race of the season didn?t disappoint. The downhill course was fast, technical and whether permitting, would decide this year’s national champion.

From the instant racers left the start house, it was clear a top-notch course was designed to test the skills of the best in the world. As riders ripped out of the start house they slammed a perfectly formed right-hand berm leading them over a couple of large boulders and into a winding tree section full of Aspens.

Once cleanly through the trees, the pace quickened as racers navigated the first of several high-speed chutes into a series of flat, off-camber, S-shaped turns. As riders concentrated on maintaining speed and traction, the rock drops loomed ahead.

The first of two eight-to-ten foot rock drops did not pose a problem for most riders. A smooth, steep transition into a left hand turn sent racers into the next drop. The second drop was a different story, because unlike the first, the transition was full of tree stumps and partially buried boulders. Racers who took the inside line were able to keep it together and carry speed into a huge, perfectly groomed left-hand berm leading into the unforgiving rock section.

The demanding course was tough in perfect conditions, but when the skies opened up minutes before pro qualifying the carnage began. About halfway down the course was an intimidating rock section without a ‘safe? line. Racers could take it slow and easy on the low line, that without fail would stop them in their tracks; or courageously take the high route, blindly launching from a slippery ledge hoping to land near the exit of the rocks. How difficult was this? Just ask four of the best racers in the world, Chris Kovarik, Greg Minnaar, Mick Hannah, and John Kirkcaldie, all of whom crashed hard enough to end any spectator’s desire to ever race downhill.

After the rocks, racers either bloody, lucky or both, entered the fastest section of the course. Two very steep rock and stump filled chutes made racers appreciate every inch of travel as the G forces compressed their suspension upon entering a 90-degree right hand turn.

A series of off-camber switchbacks led to a 25-30 foot double and marked the entrance to the second tree section.   Wet and root-filled, the slippery course’s tight turns ruined many racers? days. The Aspens then spit racers out into the final section of sweeping, off-camber turns. In order to maintain traction, the World’s best racers leaned their bikes and did their best Alberto Tomba impression just to keep their wheels on the ground.

The sprint to the finish ran right through the center of the mountaincross course and across the mutual finish line.

What was on the line?: With five riders still having a chance of winning the overall, the downhill was the tightest battle of the weekend. Australian Chris Kovarik had a scant 12 point lead over South African Greg Minnaar, with Aussies Sam Hill, Joel Panozzo and Nathan Rennie sitting 26, 42 and 66 points further behind. Eric Carter was top American in eighth place. Countrymen Gary Houseman and brother Rich Houseman are 34 and 48 points behind Carter. It’s all in the family, as Carter is married to Laura Houseman.

What happened?: Kovarik choked once again. (It’s the third year now that he’s held the lead going into the final.) After a slow qualifying time Chris was one of the first few riders on the course when it was at its muddiest. Minnaar’s run was seven-and-a-half seconds faster than Kovarik’s and under a second slower than Steve Peat’s winning time of 3:42.76. You’ve got to give it to Peaty, that win came even after a crash during the final run. Carter was 13 seconds off the pace in ninth, a finish that still earned him seventh overall and the national championship.

WOMEN’S DH

What was on the line?: Another race where an American had a shot at the overall. Vet racer Marla Streb went into the final with the lead. Foreigners Fionn Griffiths, Tracy Moseley and Mio Suemasa sat 46, 68 and 88 points behind. With a 140 point gap over Melissa Buhl, Streb is all but assured the national title.

What happened?: Streb was at a disadvantage in the mud, and Brit Griffiths used her handling skills in inclement conditions to take the win and the overall championship title. Marla’s sixth was all it took to secure the NORBA NCS Championship jersey.

CROSS COUNTRY RESULTS
1. Ryder Hesjedal (Can)…Subaru-Gary Fisher…1:53:10
2. Jeremiah Bishop…Trek Volkswagen Regional…at 1:07
3. Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski…RLX Ralph Lauren…at 1:16
4. Seamus McGrath (Can)…Haro-Lee Dungarees…at 1:45
5. Walker Ferguson…Subaru-Gary Fisher…at 1:58
6. Jay Henry…Specialized…at 2:19
7. Carl Swenson…RLX Ralph Lauren…at 2:42
8. Travis Brown…Trek-Volkswagen…at 3:14
9. Geoff Kabush (Can)…Kona-Clarks…at 3:30
10. Todd Wells…Hyundai-Mongoose…at 3:49

Women:
1. Shonny Vanlandingham…Luna Chix…1:30:46
2. Alison Sydor (Can)…Trek-Volkswagen…at 1:26
3. Katerina Hanusova (CZ)…Luna Chix…at 1:45
4. Dara Marks…SoBe-Cannondale…at 2:11
5. Willow Koerber…RLX Ralph Lauren…at 2:33
6. Chrissy Redden (Can)…Subaru-Gary Fisher…at 2:55
7. Mary Grigson (Aus)…Subaru-Gary Fisher…at 3:02
8. Jimena Florit (Arg)…RLX Ralph Lauren…at 3:15
9. Kim Anderson…T-Mobile…at 3:18
10. Trish Sinclair (Can)…Gearsracing.com…at 3:31

FINAL OVERALL CROSS COUNTRY STANDINGS
1. Ryder Hesjedal…958 points
2. Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski…854
3. Seamus McGrath…814
4. Jeremiah Bishop…790
5. Carl Swenson…644
6. Travis Brown…634
7. Chris Sheppard……Haro-Lee Dungarees…630
8. Geoff Kabush…612
9. Todd Wells…602
10. Adam Craig…Giant-Pearl Izumi…568
RYDER HESJEDAL

Women:
1. Jimena Florit…878 points
2. Chrissy Redden…820
3. Mary McConneloug…Seven Cycles…744
4. Willow Koerber…722
5. Dara Marks…710
5. Katerina Hanusova…710
7. Trish Sinclair…704
8. Susan Haywood…Trek-Volkswagen…688
9. Alison Sydor…68l
10. Karen DeWolfe (Can)…Cal Dried Plums…600

MOUNTAIN CROSS RESULTS
1. Cedric Gracia (Fra)…Siemens-Cannondale
2. Chris Kovarik (Aus)…Intense-Fox
3. Eric Carter…Mongoose-Hyundai
4. Mike King…Haro-Lee Dungarees

Women:
1. Sabrina Jonnier (Fra)…Intense-Fox
2. Tai-Lee Muxlow (Aus)…Tioga-Orange
3. Fionn Griffiths (GBr)…Foes-Azonic
4. Anneke Beerten (Nld)…Willens Group

FINAL OVERALL MOUNTAIN CROSS STANDINGS
1. Eric Carter…750 points
2. Mike King…685
3. Chris Kovarik…665
4. Gary Houseman…ITS-Santa Cruz…400
5. Cedric Gracia…365
6. Chris Powell…Profile…360
7. Greg Minnaar (RSA)…Haro-Lee Dungarees…360
8. Brian Schmith…Mongoose-Hyundai…220
9. Robin Baloochi…SoBe Cannondale…220
10. Neal Wood (GBr)…Tioga-Orange…220

Women:
1. Sabrina Jonnier…755 points
2. Jill Kintner…Staats-Fox…690
3. Katrina Miller (Aus)…Jamis…620
4. Tai-Lee Muxlow…460
5. Melissa Buhl…KHS…460
6. Fionn Griffiths…420
7. Tara Llanes…Giant-Pearl Izumi…380
8. Marla Streb…Luna Chix…340
9. Tracy Moseley (GBr)…Kona-Clarks…320
10. Lisa Sher…Chumba Wumba…300

SHORT TRACK RESULTS
1. Seamus McGrath
2. Ryder Hesjedal
3. Geoff Kabush
4. Chris Sheppard
5. Travis Brown
6. Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski
7. Todd Wells
8. Doug Swanson…Trek-VW Regional
9. Adam Craig
10. Frank Mapel…Specialized

Women:
1. Alison Sydor
2. Katerina Hanusova
3. Dara Marks
4. Chrissy Redden
5. Susan Haywood
6. Shonny Vanlandingham
7. Heather Irminger…Ritchey-K2
8. Kiara Bisaro…Gearsracing.com
9. Rhonda Quick…Trek-Clif Bar
10. Willow Koerber

FINAL OVERALL SHORT TRACK STANDINGS
1. Seamus McGrath…926 points
2. Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski…912
3. Paul Rowney…SoBe-Cannondale…784
4. Geoff Kabush…766
5. Chris Sheppard…740
6. Ryder Hesjedal…738
7. Todd Wells…728
8. Travis Brown…682
9. Doug Swanson…652
10. Carl Swenson…622

Women:
1. Susan Haywood…912 points
2. Katerina Hanusova…898
3. Chrissy Redden…866
4. Mary McConneloug…768
5. Dara Marks…728
6. Alison Sydor…04
7. Jimena Florit…694
8. Willow Koerber…672
9. Lanie Mason…Cane Creek…628
10. Trish Sinclair…616

DOWNHILL RESULTS
1. Steve Peat (GBr)…Royal Orange…3:42.76
2. Greg Minnaar 3:43.64
3. Chris Kovarik…3:51.21
4. Cedric Gracia…3:51.71
5. Rich Houseman…ITS-Santa Cruz…3:52.64
6. Mick Hannah (Aus)…Haro-Lee Dungarees…3:53.08
7. Colin Bailey…Maxxis…3:55.15
8. Liam Panozzo (Aus)…Santa Cruz…3:55.31
9. Eric Carter…3:55.39
10. Bryn Atkinson (Aus)…Mad Catz-Iron Horse…3:55.48

Women:
1. Fionn Griffiths…4:27.9
2. Missy Giove…Foes…4:31.0
3. Tracy Moseley…4:35.3
4. Sabrina Jonnier…4:37.0
5. Kathy Pruitt…Luna Chix…4:38.3
6. Marla Streb…4:39.1
7. Mio Suemasa (Jpn)…Trek-Volkswagen…4:49.6
8. April Lawyer…Maxxis…4:52.2
9. Anka Martin…Turner-Honda…5:24.9
10. Holly Kuhn…Zoo York…5:47.3

FINAL OVERALL DOWNHILL STANDINGS
1. Greg Minnaar…820 points
2. Chris Kovarik…820
3. Sam Hill (Aus)…Mad Catz-Iron Horse…722
4. Joel Panozzo…712
5. Nathan Rennie (Aus)…Mad Catz-Iron Horse…696
6. John Kirkcaldie (Nzl)…Maxxis…678
7. Eric Carter…664
8. Jared Rando (Aus)…Giant-Pearl Izumi…648
9. Rich Houseman…636
10. Cedric Gracia…584

Women:
1. Fionn Griffiths…878 points
2. Marla Streb…864
3. Tracy Moseley…820
4. Mio Suemasa…770
5. Melissa Buhl…698
6. Kathy Pruitt…696
7. Dawn Bourque…Dried Plums-Orbitz…686
8. Sabrina Jonnier…634
9. Anka Martin…620
10. Holly Kuhn…606