Sea Otter Classic - NE

USA, April 6-9, 2006

Photography

Stage 6 - Sunday, April 9: MTB stage race #4, Cross Country,  

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Images by Rob O'Dea/www.baldzebra.com

• Michael Weiss set a blistering pace around the track to lead the men's pro XC field onto the dirt.
• Sid Taberlay leads several favorites from the Laguna Seca raceway.
• Liam Killeen started the race comfortably in mid-pack before turning on the afterburners!
• Riders backed up leaving the raceway for the trails of Fort Ord.
• Gunn-Rita Dahle led from start to finish…shown here leading the women to the dirt.
• Spectators braved steady rain to cheer for the pro racers.
• A youngster from Santa Cruz gave one of the day's climbs a try… and opted to walk.
• At least one rider climbed the famed Hurl Hill…a different XC course for 2006 gave the land a break...and broke a 15 year tradition.
• Killeen punished the chase group halfway through the race.
• Adam Craig struggled to find his legs after yesterday's short track victory.
• Gunn-Rita Dahle smiles as she blows by semi-pro men halfway through the race…the men had a 5-minute head start.
• The face of a champion.
• Kiara Bisaro leads the chase… with Wendy Simms hot in pursuit.
• Willow Koerber pushes on…
• The women's field was blown to bits midway through the race.
• A new Dual Slalom course record was almost broken…unfortunately, gravity took over before the "racers" could reach the finish.
• Liam Killeen celebrates an impressive day in the saddle.
• Alban Lakata crosses the line for a powerhouse 1-2 sweep for Specialized.
• Adam Craig pips Sam Schultz of the U23 National Team at the line.
• Gunn-Rita Dahle cruises to victory…with more than 5 minutes on the #2 finisher.
• Sabine Spitz (Specialized) raised her bike in joy as she crossed the line in 2nd place!
• Wendy Simms (Velo Bela) with an impressive 4th place finish.
• Gunn-Rita Dahle finishes her interviews while the rest of the women's pro field complete the course.

Stage 4 - Saturday, April 8: Gravity Omnium event #1, Dual Slalom,  

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Images by Rob O'Dea/www.baldzebra.com

• A Kona rider airs it out on the DS course
• Team Specialized racer shows 'em how it's done.
• Brian Lopes looked strong, but was out of the running in the round of 8
• The competition was neck and neck
• The womens' #1 looked the part
• Jamis racer took no prisoners as she attacked the course
• Nice afternoon for a flight...
• Practicing to unseat Lopes this youngster was all action.
• How about this for attitude?
• When the racing is done at Sea Otter, it's party time!
• This should make for an interesting landing.
• Did someone remember to place the landing pad?
• Big air isn't all glamour!
• Where's my parachute?

Stage 3 - Saturday, April 8: MTB stage race #3, Short Track,  

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Images by Steve Medcroft/Cyclingnews

• The men’s short track was split into two heats. Ryan Trebon (Kona Les Gets) and Walker Ferguson battled for the win. Ferguson took it.
• Walker Ferguson in the men’s ‘B’ short-track heat.
• Trebon came within 10 meters of catching Ferguson but three crashes between the two riders in the final fifty meters left Ferguson with enough of a gap to win.
• Subaru/Gary Fisher ultra-endurance racer Nat Ross brought his two-niner to the short track race. And placed sixth!
• Mary McConneloug (Kenda/Seven) before the start of the women’s race.
• World champion Gunn-Rita Dahle-Flesjaa (Multivan Merida) missed her call up and barely made it to the start line in time for the race. “I’m so sorry to be late to the start,” she said, “but my warm-up is timed to the minute.”
• The Luna Chix women’s team had a fan club at the sideline of the race. That’s retired former world champion Alison Dunlap leading the cheer on the left.
• Katerina Nash dragged several pounds of mud with her to the finish line.
• 1996 Olympic gold medalist Bart Brentjens (Team Giant) stuck with the lead group for most of the race.
• Frenchman Jean-Christoph Peraud (Team Orbea) finished second, holding onto his solid lead in the Sea Otter omnium points competition.
• The clean uniforms on the men’s start line is a testament to the lack of pre-riding any of the racers did on Saturday.
• Canadian national champion Geoff Kabush looked focused on the start line of the Sea Otter short track race.
• Young Englishman Liam Killeen lines up next to an elite group of mountain bikers.
• Looks like Barry Wicks (Kona Les Gets) wanted to follow Thomas Frischknecht’s lines, who wanted to follow Geoff Kabush’s line.
• Kabush soils his beautiful custom-made mountain-bike shoes in the nasty Sea Otter terrain.
• Chaos reigned and the crowds heckled at the high spot on the course.
• Even the best riders in the world were thrown off by the tricky and slimy corners in Saturday’s short-track race.
• Mike Broderick (Kenda/Seven) puts some of his motocross skills to use.
• Trek/VW rider Tristan Schouten appears to have run 26in slicks in the short track.
• NORBA’s new roller-derby style short track.
• Peraud had the lead for much of the second half of the race but American Adam Craig was able to come around for the win.
• Like many other rider, Geoff Kabush pulled out the cyclo-cross skills to get through some of the testier sections of the course.
• Craig laughed as he crossed the line, amazed at his own success.
• Adam Craig’s custom carbon Anthem weighed three pounds less than this when he started the race.

Images by Rob O'Dea/www.baldzebra.com

• Mary McConneloug (Kenda/Seven) couldn't have been happier with the sunny weather.
• Ryan Trebon animated the first heat of the pro men's short track race.
• Heat one winner Walker Ferguson crashes 400m before the finish as Trebon was closing fast
• Ryan Trebon has one final slide-out just as he was about to pass Ferguson on the final stretch…the crowd went WILD!
• The men's short track course was littered with bodies by the end of the race day!
• Even the women had their moments.
• Gunn-Rita Dahle carried the day in the pro women's short track
• Mary McConneloug rode hard, but couldn't keep pace with Gunn-Rita
• Some racers even took time for a facial!
• A Ford rider perfects the art of the endo.
• Canadian Alison Sydor looked at home in the mud.
• Heather Irminger and Willow Koerber have a little fun after the work is over.
• Willow Koerber takes a moment to let the sun work on her mudpack.
• Heather Irminger is all business…
• Heat 2 in the men's short track was off to a sloppy, but fast start.
• Michal Broderick (Seven Cycles) sets up to navigate around a World Champion obsticle.
• Jean Cristoph Peraud (Orbea) led much of the race.
• Justin Robinson (Village Peddler/Cal Giant) earned style points if not finishing points!
• Some racers even tried to hide behind the mud
• Adam Craig (Gian) slowly closed the gap on Peraud
• Adam Craig makes the pass on Peraud on the final lap to take home the win for Giant!!!
• Here's mud in your eye…
• Peraud was pleased with his 2nd place finish.

Stage 2 - Friday, April 7: MTB stage race #2, Time Trial,  

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Images by Rob O'Dea/onetrak@gmail.com

• This is the best the Dual Slalom course looked all day…with more rain, the pros are going to have their hands full on Saturday!
• Mary McConnelough attacked the technical corners enroute to the TimeTrial win!
• Gunn-Rita Dahle motors on to an impressive 2nd place
• Be all you can be - including a mud-slogging MTB racer!
• Conditions brought a nervous smile to World Champ Thomas Frishcknecht's face as he inspected the TT course.
• SoulCraft team rider Aren Timmel practiced his gymnastics
• Bart Brentjens was all business in the mud.
• Peraud looked strong again today as he rode on to 2nd place.
• Dark skies and heavy afternoon rains couldn't keep the kids from having fun!
• Adam Craig's Giant sported prototype XTR hardward
• A glimpse of the future of XTR shifter/disc brake controls…
• In 15 years I'm guessing he'll be in the rainbow jersey!
• Riders braved the afternoon rain to test out the all new Mountain Cross course.

Images by Steve Medcroft/Cyclingnews

• Pink Specialized S-Works Epic as ridden by members of the company's sponsored team to commemorate the very first Stumpjumper.
• Chloe Forsman demonstrates the delicate balancing act needed to get out of the start house at the Sea Otter Classic MTB time trial on Friday morning.

Stage 1 - Thursday, April 6: MTB stage race #1, Super XC,  

For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here

Images by Rob O'Dea/onetrak@gmail.com

• Jean Christoph Peraud sets a blistering early pace.
• Spring time in Monterey…
• Geoff Kabush looked strong early.
• Todd Wells working hard to limit the early lead.
• If that's what the race leader looked like, you can imagine the rest of the pack!
• Carl Decker takes a new line on the slog/climb.
• Peraud navigates the slick downhill midway through the race.
• A rough day for the mechanics!
• Adam Craig leads the chase… actually, it looked as though the chasers were resting for the main event…
• Despite the huge margin of victory Peraud kept racing past the finish…he thought he still had one lap left to race!
• Big Bart leads out the sprint for second
• Brentjens cleans up second place in a bunch sprint
• A face only a mother could love...
• Fastest legs at Sea Otter!
• Gunn-Rita Dahle Flesjaa (Merida-Multivan) enjoys a beautiful spring time ride in Monterey…
• The sun was out but the track was WET, WET, WET!
• The pack's view of Gunn-Rita
• Gunn-Rita takes the win with a huge margin over the pack!
• …let the Sea Otter media blitz begin!
• Alison Sydor nabs second in the field sprint.