Some info off usacycling.org
Page down for: Final Cross-Country Calendar Standings. How They Did It.
Remembering Calendar Champs (Before they are forever forgotten). Collegiate Mountain Bike National Championships. IMBA Trail Tune-Up Grants. Crocodile Trophy. Xterra World Champ's.
PINEY HILLS CLASSIC
The final event on the 2007 Mountain Bike Cross-Country Calendar took place last weekend in Ruston, VA at the Piney Hills Classic XIV. In the pro cross-country, Bryan Fawley (Robinson, TX; Kenda/Titus/X-Fusion) came away with the victory, followed by Noel Reuter (Cedar Park, TX/Austin Flyers-BSS) and Andy Lee (Austin, TX). In the pro women's contest, Christina Smith (Denton, TX/Lonestarworks) took the victory ahead of Shae Rainer (Austin, TX/Trek-VW) and Kim Jennings (Waco, TX/Ortho-Sage Cycles).
CROSS-COUNTRY CALENDAR WRAP
Even though they haven't contested the ill-conceived Mountain Bike Cross-Country Calendar since August, USA Cycling (not Norba) recognized Canadian Geoff Kabush and Georgia Gould (Ketchum, ID) as overall winners. After 29 events, none of which were tied together as a true and sensible national series, Kabush beat out Todd Wells (Durango, CO) for the top spot in the men's standings by 55 points, 500-445. In the women's division, Gould won the overall calendar title with 650 points while runner-up Willow Koerber (Asheville, NC) collected 361 points to finish second. In other words, it wasn't very close.
FINAL CROSS-COUNTRY CALENDAR STANDINGS
1. Geoff Kabush...Maxxis...500 points
2. Todd Wells...GT-Hyundai...445
3. Jeremiah Bishop...Trek-VW...400
4. Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski...Subaru-GF...399
5. Adam Craig...Giant) 365
WOMAN
1. Georgia Gould...Luna Chix...650 points
2. Willow Koerber...Subaru-Gary Fisher...361
3. Shonny Vanlandingham...Luna Chix...335
4. Katerina Nash...Luna Chix...325
5. Heather Irmiger...Subaru-Gary Fisher...305
HOW THEY DID IT
Gould's dominance in the women's cross-county calendar came as result of seven key victories throughout the season. She began the year with a victory in the Sea Otter Classic before taking additional Category-1 wins at the Fontana Norba National, the Deer Valley Norba National and the Sugar Mountain Norba National. Gould added to her point total with additional victories at the Category-2 Nova Norba National, the Category-3 Firestone Santa Ynez Valley Mountain Norba National and the Category-4 Snowmass Norba National. Gould also scored points at the U.S. Mountain Bike National Championships with a second place effort in the cross-country and a fifth in the short track.
What a stupid series. The winner only raced 8 out of 29 events.
Like Gould, Kabush was clearly the one to beat, referenced by the collection of six calendar victories this summer. Kabush also opened the season with a win at the Sea Otter Classic before keeping pace with real deal Norba National wins at the Nova Desert Classic, Firestone Walker, Southridge, Deer Valley and Snowmass. Kabush also scored significant second place points at the Sugar Mountain Norba National.
Kabush only raced 7 out of the 29 events to win his title. We commend USA Cycling for promoting such an idiotic series.
REMEMBERING CALENDAR CHAMP'S
Take a moment to look at the names of the 2007 Mountain Bike Calendar Champions. That way they will get some play out of a series that has absolutely no importance or relevance. Gould and Kabush join Jared Graves, (Aus/Yeti-Fox), Melissa Buhl (Chandler, AZ/KHS), Nat Ross (Golden, CO/Subaru-Gary Fisher) and Rebecca Rusch (Ketchum, ID/Red Bull-Specialized) as inaugural Mountain Bike Calendar Champions. Buhl and Graves won the men's and women's Gravity Calendar standings earlier this month while Ross and Rusch captured overall Ultra-Endurance titles in July.
COLLEGIATE MOUNTAIN BIKE NATIONAL CHAMP'S
Durango Colorado's Fort Lewis College and the Colorado School of Mines took home the overall team titles at the 2007 Collegiate Mountain Bike National Championships. Fort Lewis beat out host Lees-McRae College in Banner Elk, NC to claim the Division I championship while the Colorado School of Mines edged North Carolina's Warren Wilson College for the Division II title. Fort Lewis College used the top three individual performances in the men's Division I omnium to help grab the team overall as Cross-Country Champion and short track runner-up Benjamin Sonntag, Rick Wetherland and Adam Snyder swept the top three respectively. In the women's Division I omnium competition, Chloe Forsman (University of Arizona) claimed the overall national title over second place finisher Eszter Horanyi (University of Colorado). With victories in both the cross-country and short track events, Colin Cares (Colorado College) took home the men's Division II omnium title while Kylie Krauss (Warren Wilson College) used a win in the cross-country race and a third place finish in the short track event to win the women's Division II overall title. Other National Champions from the Collegiate Mountain Bike National Championships included Forsman in the women's DI Cross-Country, Cody Wilderman (Fort Lewis College) in the men's DI Downhill and sister Sage Wilderman (Fort Lewis College) in the women's DI Downhill, Cody Stager (Lindsey Wilson College) in the men's DI Dual Slalom, Neven Steinmetz (University of Colorado) in the women's DI Dual Slalom, Phil Ott (Northern Michigan University) in the men's DII Downhill, Ashlee Robison (Warren Wilson College) in the women's DII Downhill, Geoff Freyer (East Tennessee State University) in the men's DII Dual Slalom, Leana Gerrard (Western Washington University) in the women's DII Dual Slalom, Mike Anderson (Lees-McRae College) in the men's DI Short Track Cross-Country, Kay Sherwood (Colorado College) in the women's DII Short Track and Eszter Horanyi (University of Arizona) in the women's Division I Short Track.
IMBA TRAIL TUNE-UP GRANTS
A reminder to all Mountain Bike Clubs and Race Promoters: USA Cycling and the International Mountain Biking Association (IMBA) have teamed up again this year to offer seven $500 USA Cycling/IMBA Trail Tune-Up Grants. These stipends are available to mountain bike groups seeking to jump start various trail improvement projects. Projects that create or improve trails for mountain bike racing will receive the highest consideration, but funding can also be used to improve trails for training and recreational riding. All applicants must be a current IMBA member as well as a USA Cycling-sanctioned club or race promoter. USA Cycling/IMBA Trail Tune-Up Grants are completely funded by USA Cycling members through an optional land access check box on USA Cycling license applications and renewal forms and administered through a partnership between USA Cycling and IMBA. The application deadline is November 15. Smoke up usacycling.org for more.
CROCODILE TROPHY
Known as the Tour de France of mountain biking, this Outback Australian event covers a total of 767 miles in six days and 10 stages. The race was dominated by World Cup Marathon rider Mauro Bettin of Italy (Dream Team). It took him a total of 38:09:48 to complete the distance. Ondrej Fojtik (Cze/Toyota Dolak) placed 25:47 back, while third position rider Tim Bennett (Aus/The Flight Centre Team) came in at 1:07:12.
The women's class was also taken by a World Cup Marathon competitor. Her name is Michela Benzoni (Ita/Team Lissone Isolmant) who took the overall with at a general classification time of 43:03:39. At 3:31:05 back was Sandra Klomp (Ita/Team Ironbike), and in third at 9:54:16 was Marika Covre (Ita/Bike Pro Action).
The only U.S. citizen in the event, a very un-American-sounding Allen St. Pierre, placed 5th in the M1 class. Allen placed 2:03:25 behind division winner Allan Carlsen (Den/Alb-Gold Mountainbike Team). The winning time was 38:59:26.
XTERRA PAYS THE BIG BUCKS
Once again this year 3-time Norba Champ Shonny Vanlandingham used the Xterra World Championships in Maui, Hawaii to test the waters of off-road triathalon. After posting the fastest bike split, the Luna Chix star placed 4th and 11:20 behind the 3:01:24 winning time of competitor Julie Dibens of England. Vanlandingham's time was 3:12:44. It bettered her 7th place finish from 2006.
Canadian National mountain biker Melainie McQuaid (BMC-Nature's Path) placed 2nd in a time of 3:09:52. In 3rd was the 4th best Super D rider in the U.S., Jamie Whitmore (Cannondale-Michelin) with a time of 3:11:37. Norba short track #2 Dara Marks-Marino (Titus-Kenda) finished 6th and at 3:14:41.
Trek-VW Rocky Mountain regional rider Brian Smith took an outstanding 3rd place. Like Shonny, Brain also had the fastest bike split for the men. He finished the race in 2:42:35 and 1:41 behind first place Xterra superstar Conrad Stoltz of South Africa. With his 2:40:54 finish Stoltz became the first man to ever win the Xterra 3 times. Olivier Marceau of France placed 2nd in a time of 2:42:05.
Stoltz and Dibens took home $25,000 for their winning efforts. McQuaid earned $15,000, Whitmore $8000, and Vanlandingham $5000. The 2nd and 3rd place men also earned $15,000 and $8000.