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USA Cycling Mountain Bike National Championships - CN
Mt. Snow, Vermont, USA, July 17-22, 2008
Main Page Results Overall standings Previous Race Next Race
Race 3 - Friday, July 18: Semi-pro & junior expert cross country
Amateur racing heats up at Mount Snow
By Dave McElwaine in West Dover, Vermont
Four races took place simultaneously this morning on the newly revised Mount Snow cross country course. They included Semi-Pro, Junior X Men 15-16, Junior X Men 17-18, and Junior X Women 15-18. Riders faced temperatures near 90 degrees with high humidity by the end of the race, so there was a lot of suffering out on the course.
The cross country course was tweaked a bit this year. Changes included the removal of a couple sections of technical uphill single-track, which was replaced with very steep fire roads. The downhill sections were mostly unchanged from last year, however the very technical and often muddy final descent was re-routed onto a fire road.
Semi Pro
Weston Schempf (C3-Sollay) got away from Benjamin Portilla (Honey Stin) with one lap to go to win his second national championship – after last year’s short track title – by 84 seconds. Portilla was second, and Gian Dalle Angelini was third.
For much of the race Schempf, Portilla, and Angelini were together, but as the race entered the third lap, gaps were starting to appear. “The new course is a lot steeper than last year,” Schempf commented. “Not a lot of technical single-track, which is my strength so I just tried to stay up front.”
Junior X Men 17-18
Robie Squire (Devo) fought off John Bennet to take the national championship by over three minutes. Seamus Powell (Windham Mountain Racing) nearly caught Bennett towards the end and finished third, only five seconds further back.
Squire, a relatively new racer from Utah, made his mark this year in the NMBS series by winning both the Deer Valley and Windham Mountain races, as well as finishing 23rd at the World Championships in Val di Sole, Italy.
“Jon Bennett pulled on the climbs and I pulled on the descents,” said Squire. They battled until Squire crashed into some rocks on the descent of lap three.
“On the fourth lap I caught him and went a little hard towards the top and got onto the descent first,” Squire added. After that Squire opened a sizeable gap and took the victory.
Junior X Women 15-18
Essence Barton (Devo) edged out a resilient Jill Behlen (Tokyo Joes) by 12 seconds to win her first national championship. Behlen could be seen yo-yoing behind Barton but always seemed to climb back into the race when it seemed that the elastic would break. Emily Parker (Vantaggio) took third place, several minutes behind the leaders.
“My first lap I felt really sketchy,” said Barton. “I was all over the place and not really focused. But by the time I hit my second lap I was really getting into a rhythm. My third (lap) was just using every ounce of energy I had left.”
When asked about the heat, Barton replied: “At first I thought the heat would affect me. I don’t really do good in heat and humidity. But honestly, I think it kind of helped me warm up my core because I work more like a diesel. I warm up, then start going harder and harder.”
It was a successful day for the storied Devo team as it won both the men’s and women’s races. Many exceptional racers have come out of this program including Adam Craig, a double national champion who was recently named to the United States of America Olympic Team.
Junior Expert Men 15-16
Seth Kemp (KHS/Kenda) dominated the race against eight other racers by more than five minutes. Henry Spreng (Dirty Harry) was second followed by Ben Sukys (Expert Tree) in third.
“I like the new course a lot, it’s really fun,” said Kemp “I like the technical a lot and it’s pretty technical in there. I took it a little easy on the downhills so I wouldn’t pinch flat since I had a pretty good lead.”
Photography
For a thumbnail gallery of these images, click here
Images by Dave McElwaine/www.trailwatch.net
- Essence Barton (Devo) leads the junior women 15-18 race early.
- Essence Barton (Devo)
- Jill Behlen (Tokyo Joes) descends in the junior women 15-18 race.
- Diedre York (Velobum) in the junior women 15-18 race.
- Diedre York (Velobum) corners in the junior women 15-18 race.
- Emily Parker (Vantaggio) chases the leaders in the junior women 15-18 race.
- Jill Behlen (Tokyo Joes) attempts to bridge across to Essence Barton (Devo) in the junior women 15-18 race.
- Emily Parker (Vantaggio) rides in third place in the junior women 15-18 race.
- Essence Barton (Devo) wins the junior women 15-18 national championship.
- Diedre York after the junior women 15-18 race.
- Women's Junior Expert 15-18 Podium: (left to right) Diedre York (Velobum) fourth, Jill Behlen (Tokyo Joes) second, Essence Barton (Devo) first, Emily Parker (Vantaggio) third Essence Barton (Devo) fifth
- Devo team-mates Essence Barton and Robbie Squire both won championships at Mount Snow.
- Junior expert men 15-16 line up at the start
- Junior expert men 15-16 start
- Seth Kemp (KHS/Kenda) wins the junior men 15-16 national championship
- Seth Kemp (KHS/Kenda)
- Junior expert 17-18 start
- Cory Rimmer (KHS/Kenda) wins the start in the junior 17-18 race.
- Tight racing at the start of the junior 17-18 race
- Cory Rimmer (KHS/Kenda) leads the junior 17-18 race
- Devo racer finishes the parade lap in the junior 17-18 race.
- Robbie Squire (Devo) was faster running a steep climb than others who were riding in the junior 17-18 race.
- Chris Peterson, Rachael Throop, and Mitchell Peterson were on hand to cheer for Devo riders.
- The Petersons pace one of their team-mates up the hill in the 17-18 race.
- Robbie Squire (Devo) won the national championship in the junior 17-18 race.
- Kyle Ashton (Village Peddler) and the semi-pro field at the start
- Thomas Bender (Adventure) leads the semi-pros up the hill.
- Semi-pro racers head up Mount Snow.
- Ward Baker (Rocky Mountain) in the semi-pro race.
- Gian Dalle Angelini rides in third place in the semi-pro race.
- Benjamin Portilla (Honey Stinger) climbs in second place in the semi-pro race.
- Weston Schempf (C3-Sollay) with the semi-pro leaders
- Ryan Leech (Visitpa.com) tries to stay hydrated in the heat in the semi-pro-race.
- Justin Raynes (Bikes Bian) climbs in the semi-pro race.
- Benjamin Portilla (Honey Stinger) leads a group of three up the mountain in the semi-pro race.
- Weston Schempf (C3-Sollay) rides in second place in the semi-pro race.
- Gian Dalle Angelini rides in third position in the semi-pro race.
- Martin Kell (Mountains) climbs a fire road in the semi-pro race.
- Benjamin Portilla (Honey Stinger) heads out for his last lap in the semi-pro race.
- Weston Schempf (C3-Sollay) wins the semi-pro national championship
- Men's podium: (left to right) Ryan Lech (Visitpa.com) fourth, Benjamin Portilla (Honey Stinger) second, Weston Schempf (C3-Sollay) first, Gian Dale Angelini third, Benjamin Moore (UW Madison) fifth
Results
Semi-Pro Men 1 Weston Schempf (USA) C3-Sollay. 1.56.10 2 Benjamin Portilla (USA) Honey Stin 1.25 3 Gian Dalle Angelini (USA) 5.45 4 Ryan Leech (USA) Visitpa.Co 7.42 5 Benjamin Moore (USA) Uw Madison 8.34 6 Justin Raynes (USA) Bikes Bian 9.40 7 Martin Kell (USA) Mountainsi 9.55 8 Ben Ortt (USA) Ray Indoor 10.05 9 Brett Nichols (USA) Trek/Vw Re 10.24 10 Troy Adams (USA) The Bike S 10.38 11 John Peterson (USA) Www.Bikeba 10.54 12 Christopher Hamlin (USA) University 12.13 13 Dave Walker (USA) Raysindoor 13.03 14 Jacob Virostko (USA) Bike Stati 13.04 15 Brent Mellen (USA) Omer And B 13.09 16 Gabriel Keck (USA) 13.26 17 Matt Googe (USA) Bicycles O 14.02 18 Michael Bartlett (USA) Cyclethera 14.16 19 John Burns (USA) Bikeman.Co 14.22 20 Todd Wheelden (USA) Kona/Portl 14.27 21 Sean Sindt (USA) Bicycle Sp 14.41 22 Ben Ollett (USA) Peloton Cy 15.28 23 Timothy Carson (USA) Mongoose/E 15.36 24 Tsering Alleyne (USA) Lost Coast 16.15 25 Thomas Bender (USA) Adventure 16.21 26 Robert Kelley (USA) Pawling Cy 16.27 27 Charles Erndl (USA) Mtbnj.Com 17.18 28 Caley Fretz (USA) Bliss Raci 17.22 29 Greg Derosa (USA) Dedicated 18.01 30 Ward Baker (USA) Rockymount 18.32 31 Jon Rowe (USA) North Atla 18.46 32 Andrew Hoover (USA) Mountainsi 19.01 33 Don Galligher (USA) Hayes/Sun 19.56 34 Jamie Clechenko (USA) 20.29 35 Dax Kastrin (USA) Sport Syst 20.33 36 Luke Rozanski (USA) Maverick/S 20.57 37 Stephen Humphreys (USA) Khs 21.46 38 Joe Brzuchanski (USA) Bells Brew 21.47 39 Brad Nelson (USA) Khs/Kenda 22.02 40 Thom Parsons (USA) Internatio 22.21 41 Wiley Mosley (USA) North Atla 22.37 42 Dustin Greer (USA) The Bike S 22.39 43 Terry Blanchet (USA) Sobe/Canno 22.45 44 Matt Miller (USA) Gotham Cyc 22.54 45 Jed Prentice (USA) Bike Docto 24.38 46 Kurt Schmid (USA) Salem Cycl 25.46 47 Andrew Rigel (USA) Mafia Raci 26.48 48 Brandon Firth (USA) Rocky Mtn 26.50 49 Julian Hunter (USA) Team Bulld 27.08 50 Greg Montello (USA) Ft/If Pb L 29.17 51 Brian Lariviere (USA) Tm Bulldog 30.28 52 Ralph (Reuben) Kline (USA) Gettysburg 33.16 53 Brian Firliet (USA) Coyote Hil 36.43 54 Arthur White (USA) Campmor 37.41 55 Brian Wolff (USA) Gbsc/Carl 40.43 56 Chris Gagnon (USA) Duarte/Mtb 1.07.41 DNF Jordan Kahlenberg (USA) Rocky Mtn DNF Dean Poshard (USA) Rocklobste DNF Kevin Hofmann (USA) Cycle Haus DNF Chris Fisher (USA) Veloroches DNF Kyle Ashton (USA) Village Pe DNF Ty Kady (USA) Sho-Air/Ro DNF Christopher Michaels (USA) Enduranefa DNF Robert Campos (USA) Hvc/Wildth DNF Jonathan Gdowik (USA) Trek/Vw Ea DNF Zack Vestal (USA) Trek-Vw Jr Expert Men 17-18 1 Robbie Squire (USA) Devo 1.58.04 2 John Bennett (USA) Whole Athl 3.18 3 Seamus Powell (USA) Windham Mt 3.24 4 Eric Emsky (USA) Rad Racing 4.09 5 Kerry Werner Jr (USA) Shirks Pre 7.33 6 Zach Adams (USA) Yellow Bre 9.38 7 Wes Lamberson (USA) Khs/Kenda 10.44 8 Russell Finsterwald (USA) Front Rang 11.06 9 Will Curry (USA) Brick Oven 11.41 10 Daniel Boyes (USA) Soulcraft 11.54 11 Nate Byrom (USA) Devo / Wtb 12.31 12 Cody Cox (USA) 20.35 13 Graham Aldredge (USA) Gp Velotek 21.31 14 Clayton Omer (USA) Calistoga 25.31 15 Brent Hall (USA) Bents 25.42 16 Morgan Miller (USA) Wv 29Ers 29.31 17 Cory Rimmer (USA) Khs/Kenda 30.41 18 Bryan Underwood (USA) Cyclethera 31.36 19 Chris Parmer (USA) Bliss Raci 36.01 20 Andy Gallagher (USA) Liberty Cy 37.37 21 Matthew Wiebe (USA) Co Singlet 41.47 22 Zachary Dominque (USA) Hill Count 1.11.46 23 Jamie Knight (USA) Team Bents 1.16.46 DNF Erik Kristiansen (USA) Black Bear DNF Cody Chandler (USA) Khs/Kenda DNF Joseph Dombrowski (USA) Haymarket DNF Ian Fleming (USA) Solar Ecli DNF Joshua Berry (USA) Scott Usa DNF James Mccabe (USA) Efinger Sp DNF Adam Parke (USA) Orange Pee DNF Cody Kapetanakis (USA) Skylands C DNF Ben Kraushaar (USA) Devo DNF Ben Shultz (USA) Jr Expert Men 15-16 1 Seth Kemp (USA) Khs/Kenda 1.34.47 2 Henry Spreng (USA) Dirty Harr 5.12 3 Ben Sukys (USA) Expert Tre 5.24 4 William Curtis (USA) Whole Athl 8.19 5 Jake Richards (USA) Salsa/Holl 11.39 6 Payson Mcelveen (USA) Bicycle Sp 14.35 7 Ben Chase (USA) 15.26 8 Jonathan Merritt (USA) Byrds 23.41 9 Zane Enders (USA) Autoliv 30.09 DNF Kevin Fish (USA) Coachahmad Jr Expert Women 15-18 1 Essence Barton (USA) Devo/Nso 2.03.00 2 Jill Behlen (USA) Tokyo Joes 0.12 3 Emily Parker (USA) Vantaggio/ 4.32 4 Deidre York (USA) Velobum.Co 10.51
