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Sea Otter Classic MTB Stage Race - D2
California, USA, April 14-17, 2005
Main Page Results Previous Stage
Stage 4 - April 17: Cross-country, 36 miles
Kabush wraps up a good week and Sydor dominates to take the overall win
By Kristy Scrymgeour
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After trying so hard yesterday in an effort that didn’t quite work out, Geoff Kabush (Maxxis) put in an amazing performance today, storming ahead in the Men’s cross country race, eventually taking the win and making up the minute he needed to take the overall win from Bart Brentjens (Giant). In the women’s race, despite many attempts from Alison Dunlap (Luna Women) to shake things up, the wind was against her and the race ended in a seven-up bunch sprint, taken by race leader Alison Sydor winning the stage and the overall. Her first Sea Otter title “in a decade” she joked.
The men’s race started with no rest for the wicked, as Kabush was on a mission. He simply started hard and kept it going, losing everybody but Liam Killeen in the first ten minutes. “I have a lot of experience with this race and I wanted to split it up before we hit the time trial course. I could see Bart back in about ninth wheel, so I started out hard and a small group formed with just me, Sid Tiberlay (Specialized), Liam Killeen (Specialized) and Florian Vogel (Swiss Power),” Kabush told Cyclingnews after the race.
Not before too long Tiberlay and Vogel also fell of the back and it was Kabush and Killeen alone, with Kabush incessantly pushing the pace.
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Kabush explained, “I said to Liam, ‘lets go Liam, you and me.’” And so it went, with the pair powering off, leaving riders in their wake. By the time they hit the Laguna Seca raceway for the finishing lap, they had a lead of over two minutes to Tiberlay, who was coming in solo.
Despite his determination, Kabush said he was nervous on the hills coming home. “[Liam] was hurting me on the climbs, so I was worried that he’d attack me. We also didn’t know the time splits so I had no idea how much time we had on the guys behind.”
Killeen didn’t attack, and Kabush survived the final climb and made it to the finish, winning the stage and the overall. The win was a joyous end to an already exciting week for Kabush, who got engaged a few days ago (on his birthday) to Miss Pink.
Cyclingnews also caught up with Brentjens after the race, who had one of those bad days today. After losing one of his contact lenses in the first lap and crashing in the second, it just wasn’t his day. “I crashed but it wasn’t the crash that let me down today,” he said. “The race was already gone by then. It was just a hard day for me.”
“It was a nice course, very windy. The guys were just very strong,” he added.
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In the women’s race it was Dunlap who pushed the pace from the gun, but didn’t have the success Kabush did. “I had to try,” she expained, “I had nothing to lose if I wanted to win the overall.”
Despite constant efforts, her attacks which split the bunch, continued to be in vain as things just continued to regroup.
“It didn’t really break up,” commented Lyne Bessette (Louis Garneau) because of the wind. You could easily hide.” This was backed up by Dunlap, who said, “Every time I’d attack, they’d catch me and just sit on again and I’d be out in front in the wind.”
In the second lap the pace was forced by Kelli Emmett (Ford Cycling) but still a lead group of about ten riders stayed together. Dunlap tried again on the last climb, but the headwind continued to hinder her efforts and the group ended up together for the bunch sprint.
“I went into the sprint on Dunlap’s wheel,” said race winner Sydor, who pulled it off. “It was a really good course to defend on,”she explained, because of the open course and the wind, but I always had to pay attention to the time bonuses. If Dunlap had won and I had failed to get points, then she would have won.”
Sydor, who has had great success already this season domestically, was very pleased with this one. “It’s definitely a great race to win,” she said.
Second place getter Wendy Simms was very excited with her placing, which earned her third in the overall - “I felt like I was going to get dropped so many times. There was always someone attacking and increasing the pace and we’d get dropped, but I told myself to hang on because it kept coming back together. “By the time we got to the sprint,” she added, “I just grabbed Sydor’s wheel, and it worked.”
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Photography
For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here
Images by Colin Meagher
- Geoff Kabush (Maxxis) leading from the start of the first lap
- Geoff Kabush towing Liam Killeen (Specialized) heading up the last climb of the race.
- Men's XC Podium L-R - Todd Wells (GT/Hyundai) 5th, Sid Taberly (Specialized) 3rd, Geoff Kabush (Maxxis) 1st, Liam Killeen (Specialized) 2nd, Florian Vogel (Swiss Power) 4rth.
- Willow Koerber (Subaru/Gary Fisher) leading on the final climb.
- Allison Dunlap (Luna) grinding on the final climb
- Wmn's XC Podium - L-R Kelli Emmett (Ford Cycling) 5th, Allison Dunlap (Luna) 3rd, Allison Sydor (Rocky Mountain) 1st, Wendy Simms (Front runners/Brodies) 2nd, Lyne Bessette 4rth.
- Allison Dunlap (Luna) leading the bunch on a climb on the first lap
Images by Rob Jones
- Geoff Kabush (Maxxis) and Miss Pink announced their engagement at Sea Otter
Images by Rob O'Dea/onetrak@comcast.net
- Alison Dunlap out to an early lead
- Kabush chasing Killeen hard up Hurl Hill on the final lap
- Killeen leads Kabush up Hurl Hill on lap 2
- Kabush shadows Kileen over the top of Hurl Hill on Lap2
- Taberley of Specialized suffers away from Todd Wells and Vogel
- Vogel and Wells locked in a battle of their own
- Brentjens has his eyes on Adam Craig on Hurl Hill
- Roland Green showing good form on Hurl Hill
- Frischi brings the World Champion stripes over the hill
- Carl Decker shows how Hurl Hill got its name
- Dunlap & Sydor locked in a fierce battle
- Dunlap begins to open it up a bit
- Sydor refuses to let a gap open
- Dunlap & Sydor finally hit the top
- Wendy Simms in hot pursuit
- Kiara Bisaro of Gearsracing.com locked in concentration
- Kabush leads Killeen over the top of the final climb in the men's XC
- Kabush leads Killeen over the top of the final climb in the men's XC
- Adam Craig flying to try and close down the gap to Bart before the track
- Willow leads the top women on to the track for the deciding final mile
- Wendy Simms chasing and being chased onto the track for the finale
- Sydor closing fast on Dunlap as they hit the track
- Kiara Bisaro getting ready to pick-up several positions on the final stretch!
Results (provisional)
Men 1 Geoff Kabush (Can) Team Maxxis 2.17.23 2 Liam Killeen (GBr) Specialized 0.01 3 Sid Taberley (Aus) Specialized 2.34 4 Florian Vogel (Swi) SwissPower 3.35 5 Todd Wells (USA) GT 6 Bart Brentjens (Ned) Specialized 3.37 7 Adam Craig (USA) Giant Bicycyles 4.14 8 Barry Wicks (USA) Kona LesGets Factory Team 6.21 9 Roland Green (Can) LesGets Factory Team 6.22 10 Mathiew Toullouse (Can) 6.48 Final general classification 1 Geoff Kabush (Can) Team Maxxis 3.34.03 2 Liam Killeen (GBr) Specialized 0.21 3 Bart Brentjens (Ned) Specialized 3.01 4 Sid Taberley (Aus) Specialized 3.22 5 Florian Vogel (Swi) SwissPower 4.12 6 Todd Wells (USA) GT 4.42 7 Adam Craig (USA) Giant Bicycles 5.24 8 Roland Green (Can) Kona LesGets Factory Team 8.51 Women 1 Alison Sydor (Can) Rocky Mountain/Business Objects 3.03.54 2 Wendy Simms (Can) Frontrunners/Brodies 3 Alison Dunlap (USA) Luna Womens MTB Team 4 Kiara Bisaro (Can) Gearsracing.com Final general classification 1 Alison Sydor (Can) Rocky Mountain/Business Objects
