NORBA US national series #1 - 2

Fontana, CA, USA, May 5-7, 2006

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Race 6 - May 7: Short track cross-country

By Harlan Price

The thunder from up yonder came to sunny Fontana California to win the NORBA pro Short Track on Sunday. Two Canadians; Geoff Kabush of Team Maxxis and Alison Sydor of Rocky Mountain used similar attacks on the final climb to take the wins.

Organizers got creative and ran part of the Short-Track racecourse backwards up the Mountain Cross course. Aware the passing opportunities would dry up at the top, Sydors' years racing the road paid off when she pulled an attack on the last lap up the MX course climb from her bag of tricks.

After watching Sydor make her winning move an hour earlier, Kabush dropped his famous "K-Bomb" by making sure he was to the top first.

Women's race

Team Big Bear race organizers surprised the pro and semi-pro fields with a unique section that incorporated part of the Mountain Cross course, some single track and a technical rock chute into the short track race. There was plenty of room for passing but the wind helped control the attacks in the open dual-track sections.

Alison Sydor left no doubt that road racing experience and a sprinters legs were key to winning the short track. "I knew I had to lead up the final climb and be first into the corner decent" Sydor said.

From the top of the course, it was mostly single track into the finish. Sue Haywood (Trek/VW) took the initiative in the group of almost sixty riders and charged through the first three laps mostly in the front. The field was willing to leave her out in the wind on the open sections where no one was eager to pull through.

Expecting Sydor to be strong and aware of the teamwork between Luna teammates Georgia Gould, Shonny Vanlandingham and Katarina Nash, Haywood slipped back a couple of spots to conserve and watch. With two laps to go Sydor, Haywood and Nash pulled away from the crowd with Gould and Vanlandingham hanging off the back.

Into the final climb Sydor made sure she was in front while Nash and Haywood jockeyed for position. Nash earned a second place just in front of Haywood with a quick aggressive pass in the short section before the final rocky decent. Haywood lamented her "mistake of not making a move and making it stick. In short track there is a lot of, could've, would've should've."

Rolling in just behind Haywood was Shonny Vanlandingham and Georgia Gould taking fourth and fifth. Willow Koerber (Subaru Gary Fisher) and Dara Marks-Marino (Titus/Kenda), battled for 6th place, with Koerber taking it.

Nash said felt a little vindicated after Saturday's cross country race where she placed eighth after going a lap without water. She says, if anything she "wished the [STXC] course was a little harder, with longer climbs." but overall, she had praise for the venue and was surprised by the riding quality. "It was like racing in Europe where they bring it closer to the city."

Men's race

Geoff Kabush (Team Maxxis) erased the doubts caused when illness hampered his early-season performances and showed up ready to prove his bomb was no dud. In similar fashion to yesterday's win, Kabush's patience paid off when he set himself up for the apex at the hairpin turn before the Mountain Cross course and "pinned it out of the corner," gunning the final rocky decent and single-track into the finish.

Just behind and unable to respond to the Canadian's attack, Jeremy Horgan Kobelski (Subaru-Gary Fisher) grabbed a second place from Carl Decker (Giant) in a sprint finish. "I felt that Geoff and I were saving it, waiting for the finish." said a happy Horgan-Kobelski.

Todd Wells (GT/Hyundai), wearing a brace on his hand after a crash on Saturday, added another fourth place podium for the weekend just ahead of Adam Craig (Giant). With a field of over sixty men the STXC went out with Barry Wicks (KONA-Les Gets) taking the lead. Perhaps he was feeling a little feisty form Saturdays third place performance or maybe he just planned to work for teammate Ryan Trebon, but his reserves died early; He found himself sitting back in the top ten with Trebon taking a few pulls at the front.

Lead outs up the climbs came from all parts of the pack, with Wells, JHK, and the Kona boys taking turns going up the high-walled berms of the MX course first. On the second-to-last lap, the top five had their pens ready to sign some checks.

Jeremiah Bishop (Trek/VW) fought hard with a late surge that brought him to sixth place, but still added to an admiral but tiring weekend after just coming off the Tour of Shenandoah the week before (where he placed fifteenth).

Young but experienced Max Plaxton (Rocky Mountain / Business Objects) reeled in seventh place to cap off off a double top-ten weekend. Wicks and Trebon held on to eigthth and ninth while Jason Sager (Hotel San Jose-Cannondale) snagged tenth.

Results

Women
 
1 Alison Sydor (Can) Rocky Mtn Business Objects       0.26.39
2 Katerina Nash (Cze) Luna Womens MTB Team
3 Susan Haywood (USA) Trek-Volkswagen                    0.01
4 Shonny Vanlandingham (USA) Luna Womens MTB Team        0.03
5 Georgia Gould (USA) Luna Womens MTB                    0.08
6 Willow Koerber (USA) Subaru-Gary Fisher                0.17
7 Dara Marks-Marino (USA) Titus/Kenda
8 Kelli Emmett (USA) Ford Cycling                        0.18
9 Kathy Sherwin (USA) Ford Cycling                       0.28
10 Heather Irmiger (USA) Subaru-Gary Fisher              0.35
11 Wendy Simms (Can) Velo Bella/Kona                     0.38
12 Jimena Florit (Arg) Luna Womens MTB                   0.43
13 Mical Dyck (Can) Terrascape Racing                    0.44
14 Lea Davison (USA) Trek/VW                             0.50
15 Sara Bresnick-Zocchi (USA) Ford Cycling               1.00
16 Nina Baum (USA) Bear Naked/Cannondale                 1.20
17 Kyia Malenkovich (USA) Headmethod.Com                 1.25
18 Zephanie Blasi (USA) Kenda/Gu/Reno Wheelman           1.29
19 Jennifer Smith (NZl) Trek/VW                          1.39
20 Jamie Whitmore (USA) Felt Racing                      1.47
21 Catherine Pendrel (Can) Norco                         1.52
22 Stacey Scanlan (USA) Tamarack                         1.54
23 Kristy Lanier-Mantz (USA) Dirtbean
24 Jenna Zander (USA) Bear Naked/Cannondale
25 Jean Ann McKirdy (Can) Rocky Mtn/Business Objects
26 Chloe Forsman (USA) Tokyo Joes
27 Shannon Gibson (USA) Crazy Cat Cyclery/Yeti Grassroots
28 Heather Svahn (USA) Reno Whhelmen/Backcountry
29 Carolyn Popovic (USA) MTBikechicks.Com/Cannondale
30 Josie Beggs (USA) Starbucks-Doubleshot
31 Patricia Sinclair (Can) Scott Usa/Kenda
32 Kim Passafiume (USA) Velo Bella
33 Theresa Richardson (USA) Bear Naked/Cannondale
34 Christie Pleiss (USA) Tm K&N Performance
35 Ann Fitzsimmons (USA) Schwalbe Tires
36 Christina Smith (USA) Orthopedic Store.Com
37 Krista Park (USA) Colavita/Addictive Cycles
38 Rebecca Gross (USA) Armed Forces
39 Mary-Ellen Ash (USA) 3 Rox Racing
40 Sami Fournier (USA) Velo Bella/Kona
41 Kristi Lewis (USA) Orbea
42 Kristina Andrus (USA)
43 Teri Strayer (USA) Tm K&N Perfomance
44 Leah Guloien (USA) Tm Sugoi/Giant
45 Paula Burks (USA) Vantaggio/Specialized
46 Chrissy Bono (USA) Bicycle Johns Serious Cycling
47 Becca Blay (USA) Team Dean
48 Susie Fiore (USA) Colavita
49 Jennifer Tilley (USA) Kona/Velo Bella
50 Christine Misseghers (Can) Mountain Bike City
51 Kimberly Flynn (USA) Vantaggio/ Specialized
52 Jennifer Hanks (USA) Revolution Mtn Sports
53 Hilary Wright (USA) Devo
 
Men
 
1 Geoff Kabush (Can) Team Maxxis                      0.26.14
2 Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski (USA) Subaru-Gary Fisher        0.01
3 Carl Decker (USA) Giant                                0.02
4 Todd Wells (USA) GT/Hyundi                             0.05
5 Adam Craig (USA) Giant                                 0.06
6 Jeremiah Bishop (USA) Trek/VW                          0.14
7 Max Plaxton (Can) Rocky Mtn Business Objects           0.20
8 Barry Wicks (USA) Kona/Les Gets                        0.24
9 Ryan Trebon (USA) Kona/Les Gets                        0.30
10 Jason Sager (USA) Hotel San Jose/Cannondale           0.34
11 Sam Schultz (USA) U23 National Team                   0.34
12 Ricky Federau (Can) Teamrace.Com                      0.40
13 Mathieu Toulouse (Can) Team Maxxis                    0.42
14 Ross Schnell (USA) Trek VW                            0.42
15 Travis Brown (USA) Trek/Frs Nutrition                 0.45
16 Cody Peterson (USA) 3D Racing/SRAM/Lfp&Co             0.49
17 Bart Gillespie (USA) Raliegh Factory Team             0.51
18 Mike West (USA) Maverick                              0.56
19 Sam Jurekovic (USA) U23 National Team                 1.03
20 Kris Sneddon (Can) Kona/Lesgets                       1.13
21 Burry Stander (RSA) GT Bikes                          1.20
22 Tristan Schouten (USA) Trek/VW Regional               1.24
24 Troy Misseghers (Can) Mountain Bike City              1.27
25 Raita Suzuki (Jpn) Bridgestone Anchor                 1.29
26 Noah Singer (USA) Bearnaked/Cannondale                1.31
27 Brent Miller (Aus) Wtb/Fox Shox/Santa Cruz            1.32
28 Matt Kelly (USA) Subaru/Gary Fisher                   1.38
29 Walker Ferguson (USA) Scott Usa/Spinner               1.39
30 Christian Favata (USA) OverlookMTB/Hutchinson/Spy
31 Charles Pendry (USA) Inland - BTD
32 Nick Martin (USA) Trek-VW
33 Thomas Spannring (Aut) Cole Sport
34 Juan Carlos Hainandez (Mex) Turbo
35 Nick Ranno (USA) Trek/VW
36 Dana Weber (USA) Jax Bicycle Center
37 Bryan Fawley (USA) Wheelsinmotion/Giant
38 Ignacio Torres Acosta (USA)
39 Cale Redpath (USA) 3D Racing
40 Roddi Lega (Can) Norco Factory Team
41 Colin Cares (USA) U23 National Team
42 Nicholas Stevens (GBr) Fuentes Design/Waltworks
43 Rick Wetherald (USA) Tamarack Resort
44 Douglas Ryden (USA) Pro Cycling
45 Leonardo Sandoval (USA) Bicycle John's/Kenda/MGTec
46 Lucas Livermon (USA) Cylcing Spoken Here
47 Austin Carroll (USA) Team Devo
49 Brig Brandt (USA) Bend Elite
50 Kamden Reedy (USA) Titus Cycles
51 Jeff Schalk (USA) Trek VW- East
52 Mike Joos (USA) FLC
53 Adam Snyder (USA) Balance Bar/Devo
54 Carlos Mayoral (Mex) Turbo
55 Travis Woodruff (USA) Litespeed/Pcw
56 Daniel Corum (USA) Inland/Rtd
57 Andy Schultz (USA) Bear Naked/Cannondale
58 Patrick Bush (USA) Clif Bar
59 Sean Donovan (USA) Cytomax/KHS
60 Arlo Buijten (USA) X-Fusion/Fuji Bikes
61 Mitchell Peterson (USA) Devo
62 Shannon Boffeli (USA) Revolution Mtn Sports/Crank Bros
63 Paul Hanson (USA)
64 Steve Kinney (USA) Steven K Sports
65 Waylon Smith (GBr) KHS
66 Matt Freeman (USA) Team Redlands/Trek
67 Keiichi Tsujiura (Jpn) Bridgestone Anchor
68 Ryan Artale (USA)
69 Paul Freiwald (USA) Titus Cycles
70 Noah Holcomb (USA) Bear Naked/Cannondale
999 Gordon Yanota (USA) Flat Tire Bike Shop
999 Emanuel Valencia (Mex) Turbo
999 Patrick Brown (USA) Trek/VW
999 Evan Plews (USA) Santiam Bicycles
999 Perry Paolini (USA) Amgen Cycling