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Cares and Dombroski take U23 titles at MTB Nats
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Colin Cares and Amy Dombroski required fresh, clean stars-and-stripes jerseys Friday after taking the U23 crowns at the 2009 USA Cycling national mountain bike championships, held at SolVista resort in Granby, Colorado. Both riders crossed the line coated in layers of dirt and trail grime after suffering mid-race crashes.
Cares even had a sizable rock wedged between the vents of his helmet.
“I went down on the last lap — I just washed out on a loose corner,” said Cares, who hails from Boulder, Colorado. “The adrenaline kicked in. I got right back on my bike.”
Cares (Kenda-Tomac-Hayes) had enough of a gap to remount his rig and continue racing — and post up for a finish line photo before crossing the finish line. He earned his advantage over second-place Rob Squire on the opening climb of the first of four laps around the 4.5-mile course.
Squire, who was racing in his first nationals as a U23, nearly closed the gap on the surging Cares, but came up short at the finish line.
“I’d always get within about 10 seconds, but (Cares) would get back out of sight,” said Squire, who hails from Salt Lake City, Utah.
The victory marks Cares’ first national title, and it came in his final year of eligibility in the U23 category. Cares finished second in the junior class in 2005, then finished third place at U23 nationals in 2006, ’07 and ’08.
“Winning feels good, I did everything I could have done to prepare,” he said. “I knew that winning was definitely realistic.”
Cares took the victory in the absence of reigning U23 champion Tad Elliott. Elliott recently broke his scapula in a training crash outside his home in Durango, Colorado.
“(Elliott) would have been really dangerous here,” Cares said. “He’s very strong at altitude. It’s unfortunate he wasn’t here.”
Dombroski sprints to win
Dombroski took the women’s crown in a two-up sprint with reigning U23 champion Chloe Forsman of the Luna squad, after the two battled for the majority of the three-lap race. Dombroski, who rides on the Webcor Builders professional road team, proved to be the better climber of the two, and repeatedly opened up gaps on Forsman on the course’s long, fire road ascent.
Each lap, however, Forsman closed the gap on the ensuing downhill.
Behind the two, Coloradan Lydia Tanner (Tokyo Joe’s) chased in third, but an untimely flat tire relegated her to fourth.
Dombroski looked to have Forsman on the ropes after opening up a sizable gap on the second lap’s long climb. But Dombroski flew over the handlbars on the ensuing downhill. Forsman took the advantage going into the final lap, and Dombroski rolled through with her entire right side covered in dirt.
“I got a little nervous after (crashing) but I just told myself to calm down,” Dombroski said. “I knew I was climbing better than (Forsman) and that I could catch back up.”
Dombroski did catch up, and instead of attacking Forsman, she followed her lines through the tricky, technical areas. Forsman was unable to shake Dombroski on the downhill, and the Webcor rider grabbed the advantage heading into the final singletrack descent to the finish line. Forsman attempted to come around Dombroski at the line, but pulled out of her pedal in the final turn.
“I was trying but I couldn’t get around,” Forsman said. “I was riding a little sloppy, but when it’s that close I never thought I couldn’t pull it off.”
The win marks the first national-level mountain bike result for Dombroski, who already has three U23 cyclocross titles and has finished on the podium at U23 road nationals. Dombroski races full time as a road cyclist, but said she would enjoy spending more time on the dirt.
“Hitting dirt is better than falling on asphalt,” she said.
Race Notes
- Durango Devo rider Alicia Rose Pastore took home the junior women’s 15-18 title, winning a two-up sprint with Jill Behlan of Tokyo Joe’s. Pastore, who attends Durango High School, is also an All-American Nordic skier.
- Russell Finsterwald (ProCycling/SRM) took home the men’s Junior 17-18 title after battling with Skyler Trujillo (Niner Bikes) and Eric Emsky (Rad Racing). Finsterwalt attends Coronado High School in Colorado Springs, and splits time with the national junior road team.
- Felt-Holowesko road rider Peter Stetina (Tokyo Joe’s) rode his way into 5th place in the U23 men’s race, despite riding the opening lap with a flat tire. Stetina said he will contest Saturday’s Bob Cook Memorial Mount Evans Hillclimb, near Idaho Springs, Colorado.
