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National Mountain Bike Series #4 (NMBS) - 1
Deer Valley, Park City, Utah, June 27-29, 2008
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Race 6 - June 28: Elite Men Cross Country
Trebon wins the hard way
By Dave McElwaine in Park City, Utah
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It appeared that Ryan Trebon (Kona) was going backwards as a surging Jeremiah Bishop (Trek/VW) passed him on the second lap. But Trebon, a former US National cross country champion, came back and won the race with superior climbing ability.
"I'd take time on Jeremiah on the climbs and then he'd catch me on the descents," said Trebon. "I feel really comfortable on this bike [a 29er] so I don't have as big a deficit on the descents. But Jeremiah still was definitely going downhill faster."
Trebon's victory at Deer Valley was the first time a 29inch wheeled bike has won a NMBS cross country race. There have been two previous wins by Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski (Subaru/Gary Fisher) in short track and a time trial.
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Bishop, finishing second, raced his best race of the year, but in the end could not hold off Trebon on the long climbs. Geoff Kabush (Maxxis), who just returned from a good European racing campaign, was third but never a factor in challenging for the win.
"I definitely stepped up to full gas," said Bishop. "I'm back and celebrated when I crossed the line because I went for the win. I kind of just followed my instincts and I attacked a little earlier than I thought I would [on the second lap].
"I started to cramp on lap three and really felt it on the last lap," he added. "[Trebon] won the race on the virtue of a steady, strong race."
As exciting as it was to watch the leaders duke it out, another enthralling battle was developing behind between brothers Sam (Subaru/Gary Fisher) and Andy Schultz (Kenda/Titus). The two competed for fifth and sixth place for much of the race, before older brother Andy put a move on Ross Schnell (Trek/VW) to finish fourth - his best ever NMBS finish.
How it unfolded
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After a somewhat disappointing World Cup season, Bishop seemed like a man on a mission as he took the lead from the start. Trebon made a move on the climb and by the end of the first lap Bishop trailed by 10 seconds.
Trebon had increased his lead to 30 seconds by the top of the climb on the second lap. Bishop, Kabush, and Horgan-Kobelski trailed closely together. But in the next half lap, Bishop not only caught Trebon but opened a 15 second gap.
Behind the leaders Kabush was nearly a minute down after two laps, followed by Schnell and Andy Schultz. Further back was Sam Schultz being chased closely by Carl Decker (Giant), who would later pass Schnell to take the last spot on the podium.
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Horgan-Kobelski continued his streak of bad luck, first with a flat tire that lost him at least eight positions. He recovered well and was moving up when he broke a chain, which forced the rider to run his bike to the finish and ride home in eighth place.
With one lap to go, Trebon and Bishop came through the start/finish together.
The Schultz brothers were ecstatic with their races. Andy claimed fourth place after a late move up the leader board while Sam held out for sixth position.
"It was my best race ever," said Andy. "On the third lap Ross and I had a gap. I thought that if I could pass Ross it would give me one more spot. Those guys were out-descending me so I had to climb as hard as I could."
"I was suffering the whole time but I guess that was normal with the altitude," added Sam. "It was right up there with one of my best national races ever."
Men's cross country action continues on Sunday with the short track.
Photography
For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here
Images by Dave McElwaine/www.trailwatch.net
- Sam Schultz (Gary Fisher/Subaru) at the start line.
- Jeremiah Bishop (Trek/VW) won the start with Geoff Kabush (Maxxis) close behind.
- Geoff Kabush (Maxxis) trying to defend his series XC lead.
- Ryan Trebon (Kona) leading after lap one by 15 seconds.
- Jeremiah Bishop (Trek/VW) chasing Ryan Trebon (Kona).
- Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski descending in third place.
- Sam Schultz (Subaru/Gary Fisher) in fifth place.
- Cody Peterson (Scott) would go on to finish ninth.
- Jeremiah Bishop (Trek/VW) staying hydrated in 87 degree heat.
- Ryan Trebon (Kona) trying to close a 15 second gap to Jeremiah Bishop (Trek/VW).
- Ross Schnell (Trek/VW) coming through the start/finish in fourth place.
- Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski had one flat tire and later suffered a broken chain.
- Jeremiah Bishop (Trek/VW) with Ryan Trebon (Kona) in tow with one lap to go.
- Geoff Kabush (Maxxis) trying to close a 30 second gap to the leaders with one lap to go.
- Ross Schnell (Trek/VW) about to be caught by Andy Schultz (Kenda/Titus).
- Andy Schultz (Kenda/Titus) would finish fourth, his best national XC result to date.
- Ryan Trebon (Kona) wins his first NMBS XC race of 2008.
- Jeremiah Bishop (Trek/VW) celebrating his second place finish and return to good form.
- Adam Morka (3 Rox Cycles) celebrates his 14th place, shown with Emily Batty (Trek/VW).
- Podium (L-R): Carl Decker (Giant), Geoff Kabush (Maxxis), Ryan Trebon (Kona), Jeremiah Bishop (Trek/VW), and Andy Schultz (Kenda/Titus).
Results
1 Ryan Trebon (USA) Kona 2.08.42 2 Jeremiah Bishop (USA) Trek/VW 0.44 3 Geoff Kabush (Can) Team Maxxis 1.29 4 Andy Schultz (USA) Kenda Titus Hayes 3.12 5 Carl Decker (USA) Giant MTB Team 3.24 6 Sam Schultz (USA) Subaru-Gary Fisher 4.19 7 Ross Schnell (USA) Trek/VW 4.51 8 Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski (USA) Subaru-Gary Fisher 6.52 9 Cody Peterson (USA) Scott Bicycles 8.39 10 Samuel Koerber (USA) Gary Fisher 29Er Crew 9.04 11 Alex Grant (USA) Rocky Mountain Bicycles 9.27 12 Ignacio Torres (Mex) Turbo Bikes 9.35 13 Charles Pendry (USA) Inland - BTD 9.52 14 Adam Morka (Can) 3 Rox Cycling 10.34 15 Tad Elliott (USA) U23 National Team 10.35 16 Colin Cares (USA) U23 National Team 12.58 17 Spencer Paxson (USA) Middlebury College 13.22 18 Dana Weber (USA) Trek VW/Westcoast 13.22 19 Troy Wells (USA) Tokyo Joes 14.23 20 Mitchell Hoke (USA) Tokyo Joes 14.31 21 Mcconnell Franklin (USA) Team Devo 14.50 22 Mike Phillips (USA) Adventure 212/Specialized 17.15 23 Robert Marion (USA) Kenda Titus 18.02 24 Adam Snyder (USA) 3-D Racing 18.46 25 Ken Burt (USA) Jamis Hayes Sun Ringle G-13 18.52 26 Chris Peariso (USA) Adventure 212 /Titus 18.58 27 Blake Zumbrunnen (USA) Revolution/Crank Bros 20.04 28 Tim Olson (USA) Trek/Vw Westcoast 20.25 29 Colin Osborn (USA) Team Bikeparts.Com 20.34 30 Kevin Bradford Parish (USA) Redline 21.15 31 Keith Hickerson (USA) Tamarack 21.15 32 Matt Rotroff (USA) Btd/Inland Construction 22.14 33 Dylan Stucki (USA) Mafia Racing 24.13 34 Christian Ball (USA) Mafia 24.14 35 Kirk Turner (USA) Bikeman.Com 24.49 36 Yuki Saito (USA) Fuentes Design/Walt Works 26.09 37 Bryan Alders (USA) Mona-Vie/Cannondale 26.11 38 Dustin Wanstrath (USA) Tamarack Resort/ Scott Bikes 27.21 39 Nathan Ringquist (USA) 27.56 40 Stephen Ettinger (USA) Black Diamond Sports Therapy 29.19 41 Shannon Boffeli (USA) Revolution MTN Sports/Crank Bros 31.26 42 Duncan Meyers (USA) Norcal Bike Sport 36.31 43 Brett Morgan (USA) Sobe/Cannondale 42.56 Behind one lap 44 Scott Keller (USA) Schampa/Tribe 45 Dallas Morris (Can) H&R Block 46 Trevor Downing (USA) Devo 47 Drew Edsall (USA) Endurancefactor.Com/Scott 48 Chris Peterson (USA) Devo Behind two laps 49 Aroussen Laflamme (Can) Webcor-Alto-Velo DNF Matthew Okeefe (USA) Ccb/Cannondale DNF Nathan Wyatt (USA) Carolina Fatz/Evil Bikes DNF Ryan Iddings (USA) Lapierre
