The first Short Track race of the season provided team Specialized with an inspiring one-two result that impressed both spectators and sponsors. The course holds many of the same features as the tomorrow's cross-country course with bumpy, rutted conditions and fine dust that proved slippery for more than a few pros. However, the fast Short Track format could not be more different from cross-country with racers paying the price if they did not get up-front and dominate from start.

Todd Wells Photo: Brightroom.com

Team Specialized led from the start with Todd Wells getting the holeshot at the start going into the first climb. Favoring the Short Track format, he remarked prior to the race, "I tend to do pretty good on short track but also do well on the second day so maybe I'll have good luck for both."

From there, the fellow teammates Swiss rider, Christoph Sauser, and South African, Burry Stander, were constant players in the first pack with Sauser taking the cash preem on lap three. Sauser was fresh off the previous week's World Cup race in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa where he took a respectable second place finish on the reportedly hot and hilly course.

Other players in the mix during the first half were Olympian Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski (Subaru/Gary Fisher) and Sam Schultz (Subaru/Gary Fisher) who made their presence known early on but did not reappear until the end.

Things changed for the top three on lap seven when Sauser rear-flatted from a rolled tire as he landed hard following a jump on the rutty course. This placed Bend, Oregon local, Ryan Trebon (Kona), in third place with Shultz, Carl Decker (Giant) and more than 80 other top pros hot on their tail.

By the final four laps (of 14) the fight for places four and five proved to be great as Shultz, Horgan-Kobelski and crowd favorite, Seamus McGrath (Fuji), battled for the remaining podium spots. All the while Wells and Stander held strong for 1-2 while Trebon slowly started losing ground to the chase pack saying, "I was going back as fast as those guys were coming forward."

In the end, Trebon lost his third-place podium spot to Decker, with Jeremiah Bishop (Monavie/Cannondale) and Shultz arriving in fourth and fifth.

During final laps it was all about the Wells-Stander duo with the two trading places until Wells pulled out front to lead the final lap to a first place finish. Stander, still happy with his second place stated, "The plan was for someone from the team to win so I went really hard at the start but it was tough because I woke up this morning with a bit if a head cold." Commenting on the no-drama ease at which he took the podium, Wells finished by saying, "Sometimes Trebon goes fast off the start and when I saw he wasn't going that good, I just punched it across with those guys and we were gone!"

TrailWatch.net Women's Pro XCT Short Track Series presented by EscapeAdventures.com Saturday, April 18, 2009

Known for producing lung-busting efforts, Short Track combines cross-country distance specialists with short distance crit racers for one fast and furious race. Being the first short track - and for many women the first race - of the season, the course proved to be fast and challenging. Bumpy, hot, dry and dusty describe the course conditions with temps in the 70's and a stiff wind out of the west making visibility less than ideal.

Emily Batty Photo: Brightroom.com

After a frenzied start, a small crash happened just meters past the start-finish with five riders going down. The skirmish quickly split the main pack up with Boulder Colo.'s Heather Irmiger (Subaru/Gary Fisher) dominating the first half and winning the cash preem on lap three. When asked if she went to fast at the beginning she remarked, "No, I felt totally in my comfort zone at the start then in the final two laps, I just didn't have it."

Georgia Gould (LUNA) was also a standout player in the first half of the 20-minute-plus-three-laps, action-packed race. Clinging to Irmiger's rear tire for the first few laps, she eventually scored a respectable fifth position. Coming off a fall cyclocross season and solid win at the Fontana City National in March, she was favored to take the short track and is one to watch for tomorrow's XC event.

Also in the mix was Catherine Pendrel (LUNA) who, along with Gould, took the lead in the final four laps.

"It was really close but you're never safe when there's a group behind you, and there were a couple a girls who made the move and unfortunately I couldn't hold them off," said Pendrel.

Coming off a strong second-place finish at Fontana Pendrel was a favorite of the crowd and sure to be a contender in tomorrow's XC event.

By the end, the final three laps came down to a group of five with Emily Batty (Trek), Pendrel, Irmiger, Gould and Lene Byberg (Specialized) holding back the rest of an impressive pack containing both former World Champs and Olympians. Irmiger's impressive fast start eventually caught up with her and she was consumed by the duo of Pendrel and Byberg.

At the final lap it was Batty taking the final climb with Byberg in chase.

"I Just sat on third for the last four laps, then jumped in front of first on the last corner before the climb and I knew that the win was the first to the top of the climb," said Batty.

She took the top podium spot in a near-sprint finish over Lene Byberg in second and Catherine Pendrel in third.

"It's pretty cool...It's my first Sea Otter Win, I'm excited," a clearly happy Batty said.

A full list of today's results can be found HERE.

TrailWatch.net Junior Men's Pro XCT Short Track Series presented by EscapeAdventures.com

The Junior Men's category at the Short Track had an impressive field of international competitors and fast kids.

The top three podium spots were almost completely dominated by a crew of South Africans from the DCM Team. A strong group of US riders gave them a run for their money including Salinas rider, Jesse Roger, and others.

At the end, South African Rouke Crouser - finishing first - and fellow DCM rider, Adrian Louw, rode to a second-place finish. When asked about the conditions and event, Rouke commented, "The heat does not bother me...this is rather pleasant compared to the South African race last week." Further commenting, "It was literally Africa Hot!"

On the podium was also Colorado rider, Russell Finsterwald, chasing in for a solid third place finish, almost reeling in second.

A full list of today's results can be found HERE.