NORBA series round 5 - E1

Mt. Snow, Vermont, August 16-18, 2002

Main Page Results

Day 2 - August 17: Four-cross

Lopes, Buhl National Champions

Miller wins Women's SoBe Mountain Cross series

Brian Lopes (GT/Fox) returned to his season's opening form to fend off several challengers and win the first ever SoBe Mountain Cross series and national championship title at the final stop of the Chevy Trucks NORBA National Championship Mountain Bike Series. Australia's Katrina Miller (Jamis) took the women's series while Melissa Buhl (KHS/ODI) became the USA's first female Mountain Cross national champion.

Mountain cross pits four riders at a time on a short downhill course with turns and jumps. The first two of each heat advance until a final four determines the championship.

Lopes entered the contest narrowly ahead of New Zealander John Kirkcaldie (Maxxis), and Eric Carter (Mongoose/Hyundai). As the qualifiers and brackets shook out, however, Carter and Kirkcaldie found themselves matched in the second round. And soon after both riders found themselves in the dirt when a freak crash brought them down.

This left Lopes in command of the U.S. title but in danger of losing the series to Wade Bootes (Trek/Volkswagen). His series aspirations were saved when Bootes went out in the semi-finals, another victim of a loose first turn facing riders close to the start gate.

On a tricky course, experience came to the fore and played well for Mike King (Haro/Lee Dungarees). Having qualified second, he pushed into the finals alongside his teammate and protégé, Mick Hannah, a neophyte to Mountain Cross. The surprise of the night proved to be ninth-place qualifier, Chris Powell (Profile).

In the finals Lopes drew his gate position and stuck it from the start. King roared down for second, followed by Hannah and Powell.

The women's race saw Miller and Sabrina Jonnier (Intense) tied on points for the series lead. The top American had been Tara Llanes (Yeti/Pearl Izumi), but a broken collarbone knocked her out of contention at Round 4. This opened the door for Buhl, who only needed to reach the semis to lock up the national title. She got to the finals, where she lined up with Tai-Lee Muxlow (Dirt Works), Jonnier and Miller. From the start, it was Miller, who established a solid line from the gate and then defended it to the bottom.

"Once I reached the straights I knew she couldn't make a pass," said Miller. Jonnier finished second, Buhl third.

Results

Men
 
1 Brian Lopes (USA) GT Bicycles
2 Mike King (USA) Team Haro Lee Dungarees
3 Mick Hannah (Aus) Haro Lee Dungarees
4 Chris Powell (USA) Profile Racing
5 Christopher Herndon (USA) Specialized/Cane Creek
5 Jared Rando (Aus) Foes/Azonic
5 Wade Bootes (Aus) Trek/Volkswagon
5 Brian Schmith (USA) Mongoose/Hyundai
9 Jordie Lunn (Can) Sunrace Santa Cruz
9 Philip Tinstman (USA) Spy/Mascats/Orange
9 Orlando Martinez (Cub) Spy Profile
9 Joe Lawwill (USA) Trek/ Fox Shox
9 Tim Krentz (USA) Chumba Wumba Bikes
9 Christopher Odriscoll (USA) Azonic/Oakley
9 Thomas Allier (Fra) Giant
9 Todd Leduc (USA) Foes/Azonic
17 Ryan Finney (USA) Jerricho/WTB/Fox
17 Joe Haley (USA) Specialized
17 Tom Oakes (USA) Trailmasters
17 Chuck Pitts (USA) Dirtworks
17 Gary Houseman (USA) Team Houseman
17 Stephane Mailhot (Can) DM Cycid Sport
17 Dave Ziegman (USA) Big Crank Racing
17 Kevin Liebig (USA) Racers Edge
17 Seth Lolli (USA) Evil Bikes/Warpt Industries
17 Erick Morningstar (USA) Specialized/Jones Soda
17 Eric Carter (USA) Mongoose/Hyundai
17 Kyle Ebbett (USA) Iron Horse
17 Steve Herrmann (USA) Giant/Axo
17 Brian Schroyer (USA) 
17 Trevor Ellingham (USA) High Rollers/Spy/Tlp
17 John Kirkcaldie (NZl) Maxxis
33 Nate Adams (USA) Big Crank
33 Jeff Evans (USA) Cheeta/Spy/Romic
33 Jonathan Canfield (USA) Trek/Volkswagon
33 Matt Thompson (USA) Big Crank Racin
33 Jon Gabor (USA) OC Racing
33 Jay De Jesus (USA) Racers Edge
33 Corey Lewis (USA) LV High Rollers
33 Dakota Martin (USA) Intense/Fox/Spy
33 Tommy Tokarczyk (USA) Oakley/Azonic/
33 Aaron Peters (USA) Sunrace Santa Cruz
33 Robin Baloochi (USA) Oakley/Romic
33 Juan Ashworth (USA) Kovachi Wheels
33 Jody Stoddard (USA) Fox/Intense/Maxxis
33 David Mock (USA) Looking
33 Sean Methven (USA) Hopey Dampers
33 Aaron Chase (USA) Sobe/Cannondale
33 Jiro Nakamura (Jpn) WTB
33 Cecil Linder (USA) Trails End Racing
33 Vince Valdez (USA) Arrow Racing
33 Ken Avery (USA) Team Maxxis
33 Colin Bailey (USA) Maxxis Tires
33 Todd August (USA) Iron Horse
33 Nicholas Oneil (USA) WTB/Sunrace
33 Ross Milian (USA) RPM/Yeti
33 Bryn Atkinson (Aus) Royal Orange/Oakley
33 John Waddell (Aus) Sunrace/Santacruz
    
Women   
    
1 Katrina Miller (Aus) Jamis Bicycles
2 Sabrina Jonnier (Fra) Intense
3 Tai-Lee Muxlow (Aus) Dirtworks/Fox
4 Melissa Buhl (USA) Odi Southridge
5 Diana Marggraff (Ecu) Royal Orange
5 Vanessa Quin (NZl) Intense Cycles
5 Gale Dahlager (USA) Razor Rock Racings
5 Maxine Irving (USA) Turner/Romick
9 Kathy Pruitt (USA) Sunrace/ Santa Cruz
9 Jamie Lilly (USA) Systems Web
9 Jill Kintner (USA) Intense/Troyleedesigns/Sharp