Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, California was billed as a weekend spectacle that included roadrace, road criterium, BMX jumping, and more importantly, cross-country, short track, mountaincross, Jeep KOM and the reintroduction of elite dual slalom racing.
MOUNTAINCROSS
Infineon's short, tight MTNX course was all about the start. Both top guns after qualifying, Kintner and Boots continued on in the finals with the best gate pick and fastest start speed.
MOUNTAINCROSS RESULTS
1. Wade Boots (Aus)...Trek-Volkswagen
2. Brian Schmith...Mongoose-Hyundai
3. Eric Carter...Mongoose-Hyundai
4. Michael Robinson (Aus)...Intense
5. Chris Powell...Specialized
6. Mike King...Haro-Adidas
7. Colin Bailey...Maxxis-Turner
8. Jared Graves (Aus)...Yeti
Women
1. Jill Kintner...Yeti-Red Bull
2. Tara Llanes...Giant-Pearl Izumi
3. Sabrina Jonnier (Fra)...Intense Cycles
4. Katrina Miller (Aus)...Jamis Cycles
5. Melissa Buhl
6. Leana Gerrard
7. Lisa Sher...Chumba Wumba
8. Marla Streb...Luna Chix
DUAL SLALOM
After he lost his Santa Cruz ride, it wasn't even certain if Rich Houseman would be racing this year. But within a month America's second fastest downhill racer was back with full sponsorship from SponsorHouse and Foes. This year Rich is stronger and faster than ever!
DUAL SLALOM RESULTS
1. Rich Houseman...Sponsorhouse.com
2. Mike King...Haro-Adidas
3. Eric Carter...Mongoose-Hyundai
4. Mick Hannah...Haro-Adidas
Women
1. Sabrina Jonnier...Intense
2. Jill Kintner...Yeti
3. Katrina Miller...Jamis
4. Tara Llanes...Giant-Pearl Izumi
JEEP KING OF THE MOUNTAIN
The second running of this ski inspired, big bucks, run-off series started the year at Infineon. Competitors that weren't automatically invited to compete were seeded through qualifying. Like the Jeep KOM Ski event, riders start side-by-side on separate dual slalom courses. Midway through the run the lanes merge into one down to the finish.
Up for grabs is over $100,000 in prize money, a two-year lease on a Jeep Wrangler, and other adrenalin prizes. The prize money at Infineon was $3500, $5000 of which went to each winner. The second race will be held at Mount Snow, Vermont on June 19.
JEEP KING OF THE MOUNTAIN RESULTS
1. Mike King...Haro-Adidas
2. Wade Bootes...Trek-Volkswagen
3. Mick Hannah...Haro-Adidas
4. Brian Schmith...Mongoose-Hyundai
Women
1. Katrina Miller...Jamis
2. Sabrina Jonnier...Intense
3. Jill Kintner...Yeti
4. Melissa Buhl...KHS
CROSS COUNTRY NOTES
Almost immediately National Champ Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski and Todd Wells, both Olympic hopefuls, rode off the front together. The two took turns pulling into the brutal headwind until the halfway point when Todd was stopped with a broken derailleur. Facing the wind all by himself, National Champion JHK showed true grit as maintained a three-plus minute gap on the chase group.
In the women's event Melanie McQuaid was the first to test the field, as Alison Dunlap, Dara Marks-Marino and NORBA #1 Jimena Florit followed suit. At the halfway point of the three lap race Melanie dropped back as Alison attacked. The Luna Chix team leader stayed on the gas just hard enough to keep a gap on Dara and Jimena to the finish.
The XC talk at Infineon was that many of the racers were "saving themselves" for next week's World Cup opener in Madrid. Talking of the World Cup, Jeremiah Bishop, as well as usual NORBA foreigners Roland Green, Ryder Hesjedal, Seamus McGrath and Geoff Kabush, were all in Spain and opted out of racing NORBA #2.
CROSS COUNTRY RESULTS
1 Jeremy Horgan Kobelski...RLX Ralph Lauren...2:05:46
2 Travis Brown...Trek-Volkswagen...at 3:17
3 Paul Rowney (Aus)...Yeti...3:44
4 Ryan Trebon...Kona-Clarks-Les Gets...3:55
5 Carl Decker...Giant-Pearl Izumi...4:45
6 Chris Sheppard (Can)...Haro-Adidas...5:10
7 Trent Lowe...Yeti...5.23
8 Carl Swenson...RLX Ralph Lauren...6.15
9 Doug Swanson...Trek-VW...7.09
10 Jay Henry...Specialized...7.32
Women
1 Alison Dunlap...Luna Chix...2:01:23
2 Dara Marks-Marino...Ford Racing...at 0:33
3 Jimena Florit...RLX Ralph Lauren...0:35
4 Kelli Emmett...Specialized-Hillenbrand...0:47
5 Shonny Vanlandingham...Luna Chix...1:23
6 Kerry Barnholt...Subaru-Gary Fisher...1:31
7 Willow Koerber...RLX Ralph Lauren...5.18
8 Gretchen Reeves...Rocky Mtn-Business Objects...6.05
9 Heather Irmiger...Tokyo Joes...6.21
10 Melanie McQuaid (Can)...Ford Cycling...7.21
SHORT TRACK
How fast and paved was the short track layout? Carl Decker won on a road bike that was laying around in the team trailer! Actually, Specialized rider Frank Mapel won the race, receiving full podium honors and the top award. But after re-reviewing the photo finish and hashing out the protests, all agreed that Carl Decker was the official winner of a used first place trophy.
A strong gust turned the short track into a tactical event with smart riders sticking together and doing their best to stay out of the wind. The men's race came down to a sprint between the nine riders remaining in the lead group. Cross-country winner Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski flatted out.
Another win in the short track earned Alison Dunlap a clean sweep of the weekend.
SHORT TRACK RESULTS
1 Carl Decker...Giant-Pearl Izumi...25.11.10
2 Frank Mapel...Specialized...0.00.30
3 Paul Rowney (Aus)...Yeti...0.00.60
4 Chris Sheppard (Can)...Haro-Adidas...0.00.80
5 Max Plaxton (Can)...Rocky Mtn-Business Objects...0.01.19
6 Andreas Hestler (Can)...Rocky Mtn-Business Objects...0.01.41
7 Derek Wilkerson...Specialized-Hillenbrand...0.03.88
8 Todd Wells...Gt/Hyundi...0.05.29
9 Barry Wicks...Kona-Clarks Factory...0.06.29
10 Brent Bookwalter...Balance Bar-Devo...0.27.66
Women
1 Alison Dunlap...Luna Chix...23.11.50
2 Kerry Barnholt...Subaru-Gary Fisher...0.01.11
3 Jimena Florit (Arg)...RLX Ralph Lauren...0.01.36
4 Katerina Hanusova (Cze)...Luna Chix...0.01.63
5 Melanie McQuaid (Can)...Ford Cycling...0.01.90
6 Dara Marks-Marino...Ford Racing...0.04.12
7 Gretchen Reeves...Rocky Mtn-Business Objects...0.04.34
8 Willow Koerber...RLX Ralph Lauren...0.04.50
9 Kathy Sherwin...Cannondale...0.04.80
10 Shonny Vanlandingham...Luna Chix...0.05.14
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