765 Pro Men, Women and Amatuer starts, the opening round of the H2O Overdrive Triple Crown All Mountain Series proved to be a huge success. Saturday started off with fireworks in the Men’s Cross Country race, as a select group of seven riders went off the Front.  That group contained all the heavy hitters, Sho-Air/Specialized’s Max Plaxton and Sid Taberlay, Maxxis/Rocky Mountain’s Geoff Kabush, Gary Fisher/Subaru’s Sam Schultz and JHK, CFR rider Jeremiah Bishop and Specialized’s Factory rider Todd Wells.
 

Big crowds on hand for the first race of the series.

These seven riders would set the tone of the H2O Overdrive cross country race. Subaru/Fisher’s JHK was the first to get popped late into lap one, but the scrappy veteran would fight all day getting back on to the freight train, only to get dropped when the front six made multiple accelerations. Newly signed Cannondale Factory rider Jeremiah Bishop stretched his legs taking pulls at the front, but the former National Champ would soon surrender to the blistering pace set by Plaxton, Taberlay, Wells, Kabush and Schultz.
 

Kabush, Taberlay and Schultz rip the downhill.

Then on lap 3, Sho-Air/Specialized’s Max Plaxton went on a suicide mission and rode off the front with three laps to go, leaving North America’s top cross country riders in his dust. While the “Mountie” went off the front, the cat and mouse games began in the chase group between Wells, Kabush, Taberlay and Schultz. These games continued, and allowed Bishop and JHK to join the group, as well as Trek’s Adam Morka.  But that was short lived, as Todd Wells made an excerlation on the backside of the course, with only Kabush, Taberlay, Schultz able to respond.
 

Lene Byberg leads eventual winner Kelli Emmett. 

These seven riders would set the tone of the H2O Overdrive cross country race. Subaru/Fisher’s JHK was the first to get popped late into lap one, but the scrappy veteran would fight all day getting back on to the freight train, only to get dropped when the front six made multiple accelerations. Newly signed Cannondale Factory rider Jeremiah Bishop stretched his legs taking pulls at the front, but the former National Champ would soon surrender to the blistering pace set by Plaxton, Taberlay, Wells, Kabush and Schultz.
 

Plaxton, all alone at the finish.

Then on lap 3, Sho-Air/Specialized’s Max Plaxton went on a suicide mission and rode off the front with three laps to go, leaving North America’s top cross country riders in his dust. While the “Mountie” went off the front, the cat and mouse games began in the chase group between Wells, Kabush, Taberlay and Schultz. These games continued, and allowed Bishop and JHK to join the group, as well as Trek’s Adam Morka.  But that was short lived, as Todd Wells made an excerlation on the backside of the course, with only Kabush, Taberlay, Schultz able to respond.
 

Mens XC Podium

Then with one to go, both Taberlay and Kabush suffered from flat tires, as they came into the tech zone side by side NASCAR style.  That allowed Wells and Schultz to get away. But in a display of sheer determination, Sho-Air/Specialized’s Sid Taberlay clawed his way back to the trio, taking Kabush along with him. Out front, Plaxton was on cruise control, having no idea of the drama unfolding behind him. On the final climb, Taberlay punched it into the forest section, dropping the trio of Kabush, Wells and Schultz and rode in for second alone.  Kabush and Schultz sprinted for third with Sam getting the nod, while Wells captured fifth.