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Nash, Wells take Windham Mountain short tracks
With a strong headwind on one of two climbs, tactics akin to road racing played a role in both the men’s and women’s pro short track races.
In the men’s race it was Ryan Trebon (Kona) who first opened the aggression, surging to a 20-second lead on the first lap. However he was soon caught by a group of five chasers. Leading the chase were Adam Craig (Giant) Carl Decker (Giant), Todd Wells (GT), Troy Wells (Tokyo Joe’s), and Jeremiah Bishop (Trek/VW). Twenty-two-year old Sam Schultz (Subaru/Gary Fischer), who took fifth in Saturday’s XC race, tacked himself onto the back of the elite group, along with teammate Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski, but both were soon dropped.
“I sat on Bishop until the last climb, and then surged,” said Todd Wells, who took the win over Bishop after the Trek rider surged at the beginning of the last lap to create a two-rider split.
Wells said high speeds kept the group largely together. He attributed the high speed, in part to the shorter XC race, which kept racers fresh. Although he abandoned the XC with a flat after two laps, he said he rode 50 miles to his family’s home in Kingston, NY, following the race.
Crowds at the Windham ski are lined the course at the mountain’s base. “It’s cool that we could give everyone an exciting race,” Wells said.
Bishop, who was third in Saturday’s XC, said the tactical race forced a lot of decisions.
“We were taking turns at the front,” he said. “You have to chose what you’re going to cover.” Going into the last lap Bishop was on the front driving the pace, and knew no one was going to help.
“I went off the front, and it’s difficult to win like that,” he said.
Bishop added that Todd Wells had some help from his brother Troy, who also made the elite group.
“Troy was coasting through turns and slowing it down,” Bishop said. But whatever collaboration the Wells brother had working for them ended mid-way through the race when Troy Wells put in a searing attack, only to have his right pedal malfunction. He was soon back to the group and then dropped. Adam Craig (Giant), rounded out the podium.
Women's short track
The womens’ short track was nearly a second all-Luna affair, with NMBS leader Katerina Nash taking the win by a few second over teammate Georgia Gould. The race stayed largely together until the latter half, when a few riders were able to get up the road.
“It was a big group, which I didn’t expect,” said Nash. Nash, who has a different style than her US-Olympian teammate, said she was getting gap on the course’s two flat sections, but Gould was catching her on the climbs.
“We have different strengths, so that made it an exciting race,” she said.
Gould said the tactical nature of the race turned it into a waiting game. “We all kept trading attacks, and people would follow — or not,” she said.
Dowhill
Scattered showers preceded a brief downpour during the morning’s qualifying runs for the men’s and women’s pro downhill races.
Joanna Petterson (Maxxis), who also won Saturday’s dual slalom, took the win with a time of 3:48.2, down the newly constructed course.
“It was wet during the qualifying, and I almost went off a few times, but the semi-pro men and pro men cleaned it our before our race,” Petterson said, noting that she ran her regular High Roller tires, rather than mud spikes.
Amy Laird and Alexis Wruble (Vitamin Water) were second and third, respectively.
Fifth placed Lauren Petersen, who finished in a time of 4:11.9, said the course was so steep she couldn’t feel her arms by the bottom. “It was tough even when it was dry, and we didn’t get to practice on it wet,” she said. “It’s tough to transition like that.”
Kieran Bennett (ODI), the last rider to leave the start house, won the men’s Pro downhill, posting 2:51.5.
Second placed-Geritt Beytagh (Big Bear) said he got off to a rough start, entering one of the course’s drops sideways, but righted himself to finish in 2:53.9, one of only four riders to go under three minutes. He also said the morning’s rain was a factor in the race. “I ran mud tires even though it was dry in the woods. It was really nice in the wet grass,” he said.
The weekend concluded with a Super-D race. Craig doubled up, winning the pro men’s race over Sam Kerber (Subaru/Gary Fischer), Brian Fawley (Park Place), Dustin Grear (The Bike Shop) and Carl Decker (Giant).
Wendy Simms (Kona) won the women’s race over Lindsay Bishop (Mafia Racing), Danae York (Velobum.com), Joanna Petterson (Maxxis), and Rachael Throop (Devo).
Pro Women's Downhill
1. Joanna Petterson, Maxxis, 3:48.24
2. Amy Laird, NZL, 3:50.63
3. Alexis Wruble, Vitamin Wa, 4:01.41
4. Allegra Burch, Velo Bella, 4:03.59
5. Lauren Petersen, Liquid Lig, 4:11.92
Pro Men's Downhill
1. Kieran Bennett, ODI/Southr, 2:51.54
2. Geritt Beytagh, Morewoodbi, 2:53.98
3. Cameron Cole, Maxxis, 2:53.98
4. Brad Benedict, X-Fusion, 2:58.70
5. Ryan Condrashoff, X-Fusion, 3:00.53
Men's Short track
1. Todd Wells, GT BIKES in 24:01.67
2. Jeremiah Bishop, TREK/VW in 24:05.15
3.Adam Craig, GIANT MTB TEAM in 24:05.78
4. Ryan Trebon, KONA in 24:07.75
5. Carl Decker, GIANT MTB TEAM in 24:15.52
Women's Short track
1. Katerina Nash, LUNA WOMENS MTB TEAM in 25:19.95
2. Georgia Gould, LUNA WOMENS MTB TEAM in 25:21.02
3. Mical Dyck, TREK/TERRASCAPE RACING in 25:22.20
4. Wendy Simms, KONA in 25:22.86
5. Heather Irmiger, SUBARU-GARY FISHER in 25:29.27
Men's Super D
1. Adam Craig, Giant. 9:17.8.
2. Samuel Koerber, Gary Fisher, 9:25.4
3. Brian Fawley, 9:25.4
4. Dustin Greer, The Bike Shop, 9:25.7
5. Carl Decker, Giant, 10:02.5
