Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski (Subaru-Gary Fisher) and Katerina Nash (Luna) took the fifth round of the National Mountain Bike short-track series, held July 29 at Sugar Mountain resort in Banner Elk, North Carolina.

Horgan-Kobelski and Todd Wells (GT) surged to the front of the men’s race, which sent riders spinning around a hilly, half-mile circuit for twenty minutes. The two quickly opened up a gap on the chasing Adam Craig (Giant), Jeremiah Bishop (Trek-Volkswagen) and Geoff Kabush (Maxxis). Noticeably absent, however, was newly crowned U.S. short-track champion Ryan Trebon (Kona-Les Gets). The Oregonian stood on the sidelines nursing a badly bruised leg suffered in a crash during the previous day’s cross-country race.

With Craig leading the charge, the group of three slowly brought the two Coloradans back, making the catch with two laps remaining. The victory appeared to be in the hands of Wells, who attacked up the final climb and crested the hill first. But Horgan-Kobelski came around the GT rider on the wet, grassy descent to hold on for the win. Craig passed Wells to take second, with Wells, Kabush and Bishop rounding out the podium.

“Kabush put the exact same move on me last year — I was the first guy to the top of the hill and thought I had it won,” Horgan-Kobelski said. “No one thinks you have room to pass on the downhill, and I remembered that and figured I’d give it a go.”

The win was Horgan-Kobelski’s first major short-track victory of 2007 after taking two in 2006. The Coloradan was tied with Kabush in the short-track overall rankings coming into the event, and now leads the Canadian 826-799 with only one event remaining.

“I’ll certainly work hard for it now that it’s within my grasp,” said Horgan-Kobelski about the overall title. “I’ve won a few short-track national championships, but never the series.”

Nash was part of a three-woman breakaway that established itself at the head of the women’s race. Along with teammate Georgia Gould and Seven-Kenda rider Mary McConneloug, the newly crowned U.S. cross-country and short-track champ, Nash tried to hold off chasers Willow Koerber, Heather Irmiger (both Subaru-Gary Fisher) and Canadian Catherine Pendrel (Norco).

“None of us were having success getting away, so we just worked together,” Nash said. “Then I got a bit of a gap on Mary with two laps to go and held it.”

McConneloug distanced herself from Gould to take the runner up spot, with Pendrel and Koerber taking fourth and fifth places, respectively.

For Nash, the victory came after a successful month-long European campaign. On July 15, the Czech rider finished a career-best third place at the 2007 European cross-country Championships behind German Sabine Spitz and Russia’s World Cup-leader, Irina Kalentyeva. The following weekend Nash claimed her fourth-career Czech national cross-country championship win.

“I am very excited — to finish on the podium at the European championships is my biggest success so far on a bike,” said Nash, who calls Truckee, California home. “It was also good for me to spend time with the [Czech] national team and prove myself.”

Nash and countrywoman Tereza Hurikova will battle next year to decide who represents the Czech republic at the 2008 Olympics. Nash, who has taken the NMBS short-track series for the past two seasons, hopes the short, furious event will help her earn a ticket to the games.

“Short track helps get you ready for [World Cups] because you’re racing and riding with other people close by you,” Nash said. “You have to be ready to be surrounded by people who will pass you at any point.”

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2007 National Mountain-Bike Series
Banner Elk, North Carolina
Short trackMen
1. Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski, Subaru-Gary Fisher
2. Adam Craig, Giant
3. Todd Wells, GT
4. Geoff Kabush (Can), Maxxis
5. Jeremiah Bishop, Trek-Volkswagen
6. Carl Decker, Giant
7. Sam Jurekovic, U-23 National
8. Barry Wicks, Kona-Les Gets
9. Mathieu Toulouse (Can), Maxxis
10. Sam Schultz, Subaru-Gary FisherWomen
1. Katerina Nash (Cz), Luna
2. Mary McConneloug, Seven-Kenda
3. Georgia Gould, Luna
4. Catherine Pendrel (Can), Norco
5. Willow Koerber, Subaru-Gary Fisher
6. Heather Irmiger, Subaru-Gary Fisher
7. Lea Davison, Trek-Volkswagen
8. Jamie Whitmore, Cannondale-Michelin
 9. Wendy Simms (Can), Kona-Les Gets10. Susan Haywood, Trek-Volkswagen

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Race NotesDownhiller Amiel Cavalier (Giant) outmatched Giant teammate Adam Craig to take the men’s Super D. The young Australian, the 2005 junior downhill world champion, beat four-time U.S. Super D champ Craig by two seconds. Wendy Simms to the women’s victory. Newly crowned U.S. downhill champ Cole Bangert (Morewood) took home the win in the pro men’s downhill. Melissa Buhl (KHS) took the women’s downhill and dual slalom wins. American Luke Strobel (Maxxis) out dueled Cavalier to take the dual slalom victory. Recently crowned U.S. dual slalom champ Chris Herndon (Specialized-Cane Creek) finished third. Cross-country winner Jeremiah Bishop (Trek-Volkswagen) said he would donate his $380 in prize money from the race to the world bicycle relief charity (www.worldbicyclerelief.org).