2002 Chevy Trucks NORBA National Championship Mountain Bike
Series
Carter, Jonnier Keep Rolling in SoBe Mountain
Cross
Broken clavicle ends Series for Llanes
DURANGO, Colo. (Aug. 3, 2002) - One of the founders of mountain cross in the USA, Eric Carter, Temecula, Calif. (Mongoose/Hyundai) rocked'n'rolled to victory in the SoBe Mountain Cross, putting him into contention for the Chevy Trucks NORBA National Championhip Mountain Bike Series mountain cross title. France's heiress apparent of gravity cycling, Sabrina Jonnier (Intense), took firm command with her third straight victory, with one event to go in the four-stop series.
Rain showers followed by sun created a hard, fast course on the northern slope of a mesa towering above the town of Durango. Yet the racing was far from predictable. A series of jumps and tabletops near the end of the course provided myriad opportunities to win or lose in the closing yards.
After qualifying second, disaster struck pre-race favorite Tara Llanes (Yeti/Pearl Izumi) when she crashed heavily in the first round, breaking her clavicle. While medical staff evacuated Llanes, the male contenders were allowed to practice starts. In doing so, series leader
Brian Lopes (Fox/GT) snapped his chain and crashed heavily, aggravating an injury he sustained two weeks ago at the Telluride 360? Festival.
With Llanes out, the women's finalists included top-qualifer Sabrina Jonnier (Intense), Katrina Miller (Jamis), Tai-Lee Muxlow (Dirtworks) and Melissa Buhl (KHS-ODI). Jonnier roared out of the gate, established her lead and easily held off her challengers. Muxlow held for second, Miller took third and Buhl fourth. With one race to go, this result leaves Jonnier and Miller tied in the series lead.
The pro men's race indicated that the new discipline of mountain cross is starting to develop. "It's getting harder and harder. A lot of the guys are figuring this sport out," said Carter, who designed the ground-breaking Sea Otter Classic course in 2001. "The semis are getting to be harder and harder; that's where you really have to be good." He added.
Carter qualified second behind Mike King (Haro/Lee Dungarees). En route to the finals he cruised through the ranks until the semi-finals, where he lined up against Rich Houseman (Team House), Ross Milian (Yeti/RPM), and Lopes. Lopes opted for a far left line, allowing the larger Houseman to dive inside and barge through to claim a finals berth along with Carter.
In the finals, number four qualifier Wade Bootes (Trek/Volkswagen) arrived at the expense of several riders, including East Coast rider Todd Bosch (Intense) who reached the quarter-finals. In that race, Bootes and Brian Schmith (Mongoose/Hyundai) advanced to the semis;
the same pair then knocked out King and Thomas Allier (Giant) to advance.
Carter, the top seed, got a great start, and led all the way home. Former Dual world champion Bootes messed his up. The amiable Australian muscled through the turns to pass Houseman, leaving as target ahead. In the final set of jumps, Schmith crashed and allowed Bootes to finish second.
Carter's win sets up a dramatic finals at Mount Snow, Vermont, in two weeks. Lopes holds the series lead, just 40 points ahead of Bootes and 80 points up on Carter. Should either Carter or Bootes win and Lopes fail to reach the finals, he would surrender the series title and national title.
The five race series opened May 9-12 at Snow Summit, Calif. and moved to a new venue, Alpine Valley Resort in Lake Geneva, Wisc., June 13-16. The series then traveled to Snowshoe, W. Va., June 20-23. The last two stops will be Durango, Colo, Aug. 1-4, and the traditional finale at Mount Snow, Vt., Aug. 15-18.
The Chevy Trucks NORBA National Championships Mountain Bike Series is North America's premier off-road cycling series. The series crowns USA Cycling's Mountain Bike Champions. The series is aired on the Outdoor Life Network - the leading resource for television coverage of cycling and adventure sports. GaleForce Sports Marketing is the series management and promotions company, and is recognized as the USA's leading cycling and events management group.
MOUNTAIN CROSS
Men
1. ERIC CARTER (USA), MONGOOSE/HYUNDAI
2. WADE BOOTES (AUS), TREK/VOLKSWAGON
3. RICH HOUSEMAN (USA), TEAM HOUSEMAN
4. BRIAN SCHMITH (USA), MONGOOSE/HYUNDAI
5. THOMAS ALLIER FRA, GIANT
5. MIKE KING (USA), TEAM HARO LEE DUNGAREES
5. ROSS MILIAN (USA), YETI/RPM
5. BRIAN LOPES (USA), GT BICYCLES
9. JARED GRAVES (USA), MAD CATS ORANGE
9. TODD BOSCH (USA), INTENSE/RACERS EDGE
9. AARON PETERS (USA), SUNRACE SANTA CRUZ
9. NATHAN RANKIN (NZ), FOES/AZONIC
9. JOE HALEY (USA), SPECIALIZED
9. CHRIS POWELL (USA), PROFILE RACING
9. JEFF EVANS (USA), CHEETA/SPY/ROMIC
9. KARL ROGNE, (USA), WTB/KARPIEL
WOMEN
1. SABRINA JONNIER (F), INTENSE
2. TAI-LEE MUXLOW (Aus), DIRTWORKS/FOX
3. KATRINA MILLER (USA), JAMIS BICYCLES
4. MELISSA BUHL (USA), KHS/ODI
5. MAXINE IRVING (USA), TURNER/ROMICK
5. JILL KINTER
5. JAMIE LILLY (USA), SYSTEMS WEB
5. VANESSA QUIN (NZ), INTENSE CYCLES
9. DIANA MARGGRAFF (ECU), ROYAL ORANGE
9. APRIL LAWYER (USA), MAXXIS TIRES
9. CASSANDRA BOON (CAN), GIANT BICYCLE
9. HIROKO INOMATA (JP), FOES/CREDIT
9. KATHY PRUITT (USA), ZEAL OPTICS/SANTA CRUZ
9. LISA SHER (USA), CHUMBA WUMBA
9. TARA LLANES (USA), YETI/PEARLIZUMI
9. GALE DAHLAGER (USA), RAZOR ROCK RACINGS
OVERALL STANDINGS AFTER 3 OF 4 RACES
MEN
1. Lopes...480 points
2. Bootes...440
3. Carter...360
4. Allier...320
5. Cedric Gracia (Fra)...Volvo Cannondale...260
6. King, 260
7. Nathan Rennie (Aus)...Yeti Pearl Izumi...220
8. Schmith...200
9. Houseman...200
10. Kirt Voreis...Haro Lee Dungaress...160
WOMEN
1. Jonnier...420 points
2. Miller...420
3. Tara Llanes...380
4. Buhl...320
5. Kintner...300
6. Mio Suemasa (Jpn)...Trek Volkswagen...220
7. Muxlow...220
8. Quin...200
9. Diana Marggraff...200
10. Hiroko Inomata...160
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