Just hours before the start of Saturday’s dual slalom at the No. 5 NORBA National Mountain Bike Series race in Brian Head, Utah, veteran gravity racer John Kirkcaldie announced his pending retirement from mountain-bike racing. "I’m getting too old for this," said the 30-year-old Kiwi, who admitted he had contemplated ending his 11-year career several times over the past two seasons.

Kirkaldie (Maxxis) appeared motivated by his impromptu announcement, and rode like a man possessed, fighting his way past Cody Warren (C-Dub Racing) and Andrew Neethling (Mongoose) and into the finals of the dual slalom. There, he faced off against 19-year-old Aussie Amiel Cavalier (Giant), the reigning junior world downhill champion. Sporting a head of wild hair and eyebrow piercing, Cavalier offered the sentimental favorite no pulled punches, and squeaked by Kirkcaldie for the win.

"Yeah, I’m happy with my result," said Kirkcaldie after the race. "I can still stay with those younger guys."

Taking the women’s win was Melissa Buhl (KHS), who beat series leader Joanna Petterson (Morewood) in the finals. Buhl, a full-time student at Arizona State University, also came out swinging in Sunday’s downhill finals, where she beat World Cup talents Sabrina Jonnier (Monster-Intense) and Tracey Hannah (Orange).

"It felt good winning today with Sabrina and Tracey in the mix," Buhl said. "I’m glad to see them here. When people say, ‘NORBAs don’t mean anything because no one shows up,’ it trivializes the series. When someone like Sabrina shows up it gives clout to the series and makes you feel great when you win. It’s nice to have big names. People recognize the series."

The men’s downhill proved to be a battle between Aussie Sam Hill (Monster-Iron Horse) and reigning World Cup champ Greg Minnaar (Honda-Iron Horse). Minnaar, who has been in South Africa and Utah for the last weeks preparing for the August 22-27 world championships in Rotorua, New Zealand, rode his way into the hot seat with just Hill remaining. But the Aussie proved the better man on Brian Head’s rocky, stump-filled course. After the race, both athletes said the 11000-foot altitude was a factor.

"I tried to push it in the sections where I had an advantage, but it just wasn’t there today," Minnaar said. "You start to feel blood in the back of your throat."

Buhl and Hill celebrate downhill wins

Hill, a staple on the World Cup circuit, has raced four of five NMBS races this year.

"I’m actually trying to win the [NMBS] series overall, and I’m sitting pretty good now," said Hill. "The whole event here isn’t as big as a World Cup, but the tracks are good. Some of the World Cups this year haven’t been built that good, and sometimes the places with the best money haven’t always built the best tracks."

Bishop, Reeves win marathon
Sunday’s action began with the 46-mile marathon cross-country, which saw NMBS cross-country regulars Jeremiah Bishop (Trek-Volkswagen) and Adam Craig (Giant) taking on marathon regulars Jay Henry (3D Hillenbrand) and Travis Brown (Trek-Volkswagen).

Craig said his effort was intended to help build up for the 2006 world championships. Bishop, who in 2005 won the marathon, finished second in the cross-country and raced the short-track, appeared undeterred by his third place in Saturday’s cross-country. After changing a flat in the first tech zone, Bishop caught Henry and Brown. The Trek rider held a 30-second advantage at the top of a long descent, then grew his advantage to nearly two minutes by the base of the drop. Bishop soloed to victory, with Brown finishing second.

Taking the women’s race was 2005 marathon national champ Gretchen Reeves, now riding for Trek-Volkswagen. Reeves, who sat out the first half of the season, beat second-place Kate Aardel by half an hour.

Haywood, JHK take short-track
Racing closed with the short-track cross-country, which spun half-pavement, half-dirt laps around the Brian Head resort parking lot. Dominating the first half of the women’s race was the Luna team, which looked to set up Argentine Jimena Florit. Florit stretched an early flyer into a dangerous 10-second advantage.

"I’m the only Luna who hasn’t had a win this year," said Florit. "I said I felt good, and the team agreed to give me the chance to attack. It’s hard to be out there for so long at high altitude. It felt like my lungs were on fire."

Florit faded back to the group and made another effort to set up teammate Katerina Nash, the current NMBS short-track series leader. But on the penultimate lap, Saturday’s cross-country champion Heather Irmiger (Subaru-Gary Fisher) threw a monkey wrench in the Luna’s strategy, and dropped the women’s field. The move forced a response from Nash, whose chase pulled reigning short-track national champion Susan Haywood to the front. Haywood attacked on the final climb, passed Irmiger in the last corner and scooted across the line for the win.

"Strange strategy by Luna. They had the numbers and they didn’t do anything," Haywood said. "I guess they thought that Jimena could set up Katerina. I had already made up my mind at the beginning of the race that I was going to draft as much as I could and then attack up the last lap. I had to cut off Heather in the last corner and snake around for the win."

JHK solos for the win

Irmiger watched as her husband, Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski, dueled with Brent Miller (Santa Cruz), Geoff Kabush (Maxxis) and Todd Wells (GT) at the front of the men’s short track. Known for his prowess at altitude, Horgan-Kobelski, who won Saturday’s cross-country, dropped the field with five laps remaining, and soloed in for the win.

"Dang it, we almost pulled the double-double," said Irmiger. "I felt really strong at the beginning, but when we were riding, I was like, ‘We are so getting Luna-chicked right now.’"

Horgan-Kobelski took his first short-track win of 2006, with Kabush finishing second and Wells coming across third.

"I really wanted to wait until pretty late in the race to go," JHK said. "I went a little early. Todd and Geoff and I just looked at each other and they let me trail off the front. I just figured this was my one and only chance to go. It was a really tactical race. There was an attack every race. I’ve been wanting to win one of these things this year."

Race notes
Crashes at the Crankworx festival in Whistler, British Columbia, left a pair of gravity racers injured and unable to compete at Brian Head. Chilean downhiller Bernadita Pizarro (Bear Naked-Cannondale) is said to be in critical condition in a Canadian hospital after suffering a possible cranial edema. The 20-year-old was taking a practice run down Whistler’s A-Line downhill course when she went over the bars and slammed into a pile of large rocks, breaking a femur. She was rushed to a nearby hospital for surgery and suffered a circulatory blockage in her lungs. The A-line also sidelined Aussie gravity racer Jared Graves (Yeti), who broke his thumb and scaphoid. Graves, considered a favorite to contend for the world championships in four-cross, will miss the event.

Willow Koerber (Subaru-Gary Fisher) suffered a nasty crash in Saturday’s cross country after a stick flew into the spokes of her front wheel. The rider sustained cuts and bruises to her chest, arms and abdomen and sat out Sunday’s short track.

Newly crowned cross-country national champion Ryan Trebon (Kona) sat out the short track with a head cold. His teammate, newly crowned short-track national champ Barry Wicks, won the sprint for eighth place.

Seventeen-year-old Tracey Hannah tried her hand at gated racing this weekend. The Orange bicycles rider finished fourth in the women’s dual slalom event.

Craig competed in four events during the NMBS weekend. He finished second in the Super D, eighth in the cross-country, fifth in the marathon and fifth in the short track. "I’m surprised that guy can still pedal his bike," said Horgan-Kobelski.

NORBA National Mountain Bike Series No. 5
Brian Head, Utah
August 6, 2006
Dual slalom
Men
1. Amiel Cavalier (Aus), Giant
2. John Kirkcaldie (NZ), Maxxis
3. Andrew Neethling (SA), Mongoose
4. Brian Schmith
5. Jared Rando (Aus), Giant

Women
1. Melissa Buhl, KHS
2. Joanna Petterson (SA), Morewood
3. Leanna Gerrard, Bear Naked-Cannondale
4. Tracey Hannah (Aus), Orange

Downhill
Men
1. Sam Hill (Aus), Monster-Iron Horse, 3:26.94
2. Greg Minnaar (SA), G-Cross-Honda, 3:28.80
3. Matti Lehikoinen (Fin), G-Cross/Honda, 3:32.48
4. Cody Warren, C-Dub Racing; 3:34.11
5. Duncan Riffle, Honda-Iron Horse, 3:34.60

Women
1. Buhl, 4:02.2
2. Sabrina Jonnier (F), Monster-Iron Horse, 4:06.7
3. Hannah, 4:14.4
4. April Lawyer, Maxxis, 4:25.3
5. Lisa Myklak, Morewood, 4:27.4

Marathon cross-country
Men
1. Jeremiah Bishop, Trek-Volkswagen, 3:13:08
2. Travis Brown, Trek-Volkswagen, 3:14:26
3. Jay Henry, 3D-Hillenbrand, 3:16:01
4. Cale Redpath, 3D Racing, 3:24:12
5. Adam Craig, Giant, 3:27:23

Women
1. Gretchen Reeves, Trek-Volkswagen, 3:59:57
2. Kate Aardale, 4:33:59
3. Angela Sucich, Voodoo, 4:36:07
4. Tomarra Muhlfeld, Trek-Volkswagen, 4:41:53
5. Mandy Eakins, Content Works, 4:56:09

Short-track cross-country (unofficial)
Men
1. Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski, Subaru-Gary Fisher
2. Geoff Kabush (Can), Maxxis
3. Todd Wells, GT
4. Carl Decker, Giant
5. Adam Craig, Giant
6. Brent Miller (Aus), Santa Cruz
7. Ross Schnell, Trek-Volkswagen
8. Barry Wicks, Kona-Les Gets
9. Cody Peterson, 3D Racing
10. Alan Obye, SRAM

Women
1. Susan Haywood, Trek-Volkswagen
2. Heather Irmiger, Subaru-Gary Fisher
3. Katerina Nash (CZ), Luna
4. Dara Marks-Marino, Titus-Kenda
5. Shonny Vanlandingham, Luna