NORBA National Series #2 - NE

Park City, Utah, USA, July 6-9, 2006

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Race 1 - July 6: Marathon

Brown and Beggs climb to victory

By Steve Medcroft

Racing at the Park City, Utah NORBA got underway Thursday with the third event in the four-race marathon series where, after 4,000 feet of climbing for three 17-mile laps, Travis Brown (Trek/FRS) and Josie Beggs (Starbucks) took top honors.

Daily late-afternoon thunderstorms had knocked down the traditional Deer Valley dust wich left altitude as the major challenge for racers; the base of the course sat at 7,300-feet then crisscrossed the slopes of the Deer Valley ski resort repeatedly from there.

At 51 miles (82 kilometers) and because of all the climbing, the marathon was long by normal standards. Brown spent almost five hours on course. Josie Beggs, winner of the women's category, spent an hour more.

"It was a 17-mile lap and there was a lot of singletrack," Brown said by phone on Friday. " It was long - we ended up doing three laps and about 4,000 feet of climbing per lap - but it was all very scenic."

Since retiring from racing at the end of the 2004 season, Brown's primary focus for Trek is as a product developer and tester. His work has given birth to the 69er, a singlespeed hardtail with a 26-inch rear wheel and 29-inch front wheel. Brown rode a carbon Trek Top Fuel in the Deer Valley marathon.

The former Olympian and US National Cross Country Champion has been selective about the races he enters and says he's just coming into shape in time for the West coast swing of NORBA's and the National Championships in Sonoma next week. "I've been busy more than usual with product stuff," he said about his racing ambitions for 2006. "My test riding is not the best thing for preparing for races but I'm finally getting into race shape."

Now that he has it, Brown hopes his form will hold into next week's National Championships (Sonoma, CA, July 13-16) where he'll enter the marathon, singlespeed cross-country race and the short track.

Brown's win did nothing to affect the overall marathon series standings. Canadian Troy Misseghers (Mountain Bike City) leads that race with 476 points and one race to go. Evan Plews (Santiam Bicycles) trails by 38 points and Michael Lee (Trek/VW) sits one point behind in third.

Kate Aardal (X-Fusion) leads the women's series. Mandy Eakins (Content Works) and Rebecca Rusch (Specialized) sit second and third respectively.

Results

Men
 
1 Travis Brown, Trek/FRS                         4.44.03
2 Chris Eatough, Trek/VW                            1.41
3 Eric Jones, Raleigh                               9.03
4 Cale Redpath, 3D Racing                          11.49
5 Evan Plews, Santiam Bikes                        15.38
6 Michael Janelle, Tokyo Joes                      20.51
7 Michael Lee, Trek/VW                             23.24
8 Aren Timmel, Soulcraft                           26.28
9 Clint Muhlfeld, Sportsman                        27.13
10 Troy Misseghers,                                30.24
11 David Yakaitis, Motion Based                    31.28
12 Brandon Draugelis, Bear Naked                   33.34
13 Paul Clark, Jans Park                           36.52
14 Nat Ross, Subaru-Gary Fisher                    45.00
15 Sean Mclaughlin,                                49.28
16 Ryan Watts, Pemberton                         1.35.06
17 David Thompson, Intense Cycles                1.37.34
DNF Jason Sager, Hotel                                  
DNF Kip Biese, Cannondale                               
DNF Andreas Hestler, Rocky Mountain/Business Objects    
 
Men 19-25
 
1 Travis Swicegood,                              4.43.54
 
Men 30-39
 
1 Steve Rescigno, Pearl Izumi                    3.23.01
2 Brad Pilling, Revolution                         10.48
3 Aaron Phillips,                                  22.57
4 Rich Mularski,                                   23.52
5 John Seckinger,                                  46.51
6 Don Mclaughlin,                                1.06.04
7 Mike Kaeske,                                   1.06.36
8 Linde Smith, Biogen                            2.04.48
9 Michael Mcdonald, Intermountain                2.47.55
 
Men 40-49
 
1 Bruce Muhlfeld, Trek/VW                        3.26.27
2 Brent Peacock, Gurus                              6.30
3 Peter Tempest, Adventrure                        12.25
4 Troy Nye, Bikeman.Com                            21.28
5 Kelly Mcgrew, Ggbc                               33.19
6 Trever Bushnell, Titus Cycles                    37.01
7 Gavin Burke, Bike Barn                           51.43
8 Scott Sterrett, Lone Peak                     80.56.01
9 Steven Sprinkle,                               1.02.56
10 Patrick Harrigan, Hlhap                       2.06.57
 
Men 50-59
 
1 Dick Newson,                                   4.56.13
 
Women
 
1 Josie Beggs, Starbucks                         6.15.17
2 Sue Abbene, Raleigh                               7.43
3 Kate Aardal, X-Fusion                             9.31
4 Monique Sawicki, Team Mata                       10.25
5 Leslie Williams, Niner Bikes                     16.41
6 Rebecca Rusch, Specialized                       19.53
7 Julie Minahan, Jans                              21.58
8 Mandy Eakins, Content                            41.13
 
Women 30-39
 
1 Lyna Saffell, Revolution                       5.42.31
 
Women 40+
 
1 Cyndi Schwandt, Sugar/Whit                     4.50.20