Brian Head Finals, presented by Trek VW
Round 6, August 29-31, 2008

For Full full Results contact: pskilbeck@o2sm.com
or visit bluewolfevents.com/results

Brian Head , Utah (Sept. 1st, 2008) — The 2008 National Mountain Bike Series concluded with a weekend of drama at high altitude, where Trek VW presented a racing program that was hosted by Utah’s Brian Head Mountain Bike Park.

Trek VW team manager, Zach Vestal reported that “we were leery of the weather going into Sunday, because of the 9,500-11,000 ft altitude of Brian Head, and the forecast that was for snow, lightening and 40 mph winds. There was some rain overnight and strong winds on Saturday, but Sunday dawned clear. There was a stiff, cold wind that made the racing tactical, but conditions were good.”

Geoff Kabush (Maxxis) and Georgia Gould (Luna)claimed the Kenda Tires and Tubes Cross Countryseries titles, Brad Benedict (X-Fusion) and Darian Harvey (SoBe/Cannondale) took home the Fox Racing Shox Downhill series trophies, Petr Hanek (Totally Wired) and Melissa Buhl (KHS) won the Fox Racing Shox Dual Slalom/Mountain Cross series, and Barry Wicks (Kona) and Katerina Nash (Luna) triumphed overall in the Kenda Tires and Tubes Short Track series. Carl Decker (Giant) and Michelle Rivera (StevenKSD) won the Super D.

Kenda Tires and Tubes Cross Country - Men
Jeremy Horgan Kobelski (Subaru- Gary Fisher) , of Boulder, Co., won his third national in as many races at Brian Head. He revelled in the rarified air of the 28-mile course that climbed to 11,000 feet, and after an early attack rode for most of the race in the sole company of Jeremiah Bishop (Trek-VW), of Harrisonburg, WV. Bishop, who had beaten Horgan Kobelski by a mere six seconds in the American Mountain Classic stage race a few days earlier, sustained a slow flat in the closing miles and dropped back to 14th, handing an easy win to the four-time national champion in a time of 1:46:28, 1:40 ahead of Bishop’s Trek VW team-mate Ross Schnell, of Grand Junction, Co. Kabush finished third at 2:28.

“I put Brian Head on my radar early in the year. I thought ‘what a great way to end the season it would be to win there,’” said Horgan-Kobelski. One of the very few pro men to finish every race in the series, he took second overall, with 767 points, behind the Canadian Geoff Kabush (862). Barry Wicks, of Santa Cruz, Ca., finished third in the series with 699 points.

For Kabush, this was a whirlwind finale. After a frustrating ride in the Olympics on August 23, where he was dogged by mechanical problems and ultimately dropped to 20th place, he went to Canberra, Australia, for the UCI world cup race on August 31, where he redeemed himself with a third place finish and moved into second overall in the world cup standings. Immediately after that race he climbed aboard a plane, taking advantage of the time differential, and arrived at the Brian Head cross country, also on August 31, 25 minutes before the starting gun!

Kabush tells the story of his race: “I was just happy to get there in one piece. There was a neutral start with the women, which was kinda nice, and although I was only looking for 27th place to win the series, once we got racing the competitive instinct took over and I soon found myself in the top 10. A couple of guys had some problems and I moved up some more. Then there was a long climb, about 20 minutes frm the the finish. Colin Cares (U23 National Team), Boulder, Co., was in front and Andy Schultz (Kenda-Titus), Durango, Co., was behind me. Jeremiah Bishop was dropping back with a slow leak and we passed him. I caught Colin on a false flat and cracked him, then just stayed on the limit all the way to the end.”

“It is great to win the series again,” said Kabush, who records his fourth NMBS series win to tie him with the great Ned Overend. “It’s nice to be on the same page as a rider like Ned. One more NMBS Cross Country win, and I’ll tie John Tomac. He had 14,” explained Kabush.

Kenda Tires and Tubes Cross Country - Women
The friendly rivalry between the Luna chix Georgia Gould, of Ketchum, Idaho, and Katerina Nash, of Truckee, Calif., continued at Brian Head, where Gould came into the race needing to finish fourth or better if Nash won it.

Having recently returned from an 8th place at the Olympics in Beijing on August 23, Gould admitted she was below her best. When the race mounted the first climb of the 28-mile single lap course, she soon found herself slipping back and crested the climb in seventh place, thinking “I’ve ruined it!” Meanwhile Nash powered away from the front of the field and went on to easily win the race with a time of 2:06:33.

Another rider who struggled in the first part of the race was Boulder, Co., resident, Heather Irmiger of the Subaru-Gary Fisher team. Irmiger had crashed hard in Saturday’s Short Track and rode on Sunday with seven stitches in her right elbow. At the halfway point she reported being back in seventh place. “I was really struggling to get my form. Then the course hit 11,000 feet and I started passing people,” she said.

Gould had started moving up a little earlier and went into second place with a good chunk of the 28-mile course remaining. But she recalls that it wasn’t only Nash who was making her work hard for her second consecutive series title. “I was up in second place, but a group of three or four women came back to me, then I had to turn it on at the end,” recalled Gould.

At the finish, Gould was 2:28 behind Nash, and Irmiger was at 3:12.

While the season did not deliver as much as Gould might have hoped for, she was far from disappointed. “I had a couple of setbacks this year. My heatstroke in May unbalanced me for about six weeks, then I hurt my shoulder at the Wyndham race, one week before nationals. Then I got sick a week before leaving for Korea, where I was preparing for the Olympics, but then I ended up having a solid ride.

“It is really important to win the national series. I’m hoping next year goes much like this year, I’m hoping to continue getting better and having fun!” said Gould.

Gould’s points tally for the series was 890, relatively close to Nash’s total of 871. Heather Irmiger finished third in the series with 745 points.

Kenda Tires and Tubes Short Track - Men
Barry Wicks went two better than his third place in the Cross Country series by securing the win in the Short Track after proving the most consistent rider of the year.

“It was my goal to ride consistently from start to finish in the series, and I think my result shows I’ve achieved that goal,” said Wicks. “After three or four races I realized I could do it, so I made the effort to keep going… It’s definitely the best season I’ve had, but next year I’ll hope to do even better.”

Going into the final round of this fast, unpredictable event, the series looked wide open, with Ryan Trebon, of Bend, Or. and Carl Decker, also of Bend, Or. close behind Wicks on points. If Kabush had shown up, he’d probably have won the series, but on Saturday he was enjoying an 18-hour flight back from Australia. In the end, Wicks took the series with 739 points, only 1 point ahead of Trebon. Decker placed a close third, with 733 points.

The series final was arguably the toughest race for Wicks. While the winner, Ross Schnell (Trek VW), of Grand Junction, Co., was mixing it up with the front-runners, Wicks hung in and finished as high as he could, which was 15th. Fortunately for him, Trebon could only manage 7th place, and Decker 8th.

Schnell was happy to claim the first NMBS win of his career. With a time of 23:03, he finished six seconds ahead of a group of four that included Colin Cares, Jeremiah Bishop, Sam Jurekovich (U23 National Team), of Colorado, and Franklin McConnell (Team Devo) of Taos, NM.

Kenda Tires and Tubes Short Track - Women
The day belonged to Lea Davison (Trek VW), of Jericho, Vermont, who like her team-mate Ross Schnell scored her first career NMBS win by outsprinting series winner Katerina Nash in a very close-fought finish in which the east coast rider defeated the Czech national by only 0.56 of a second in the race of 22 minutes, 39 seconds. Kelli Emmett (Giant), of Colorado Springs finished third, less than one second ahead of Georgia Gould.

Heather Irmiger got a good start and rode with the front runners on the first lap, but hit a rock badly and went down hard on her right elbow, sustaining a gash that required seven stitches. Irmiger rode on to finish the race and took fifth in the series. “I hit a sneaky rock and there was no time to react before being thrown to the ground. I remounted and finished the race for the series points,” said Irmiger.

Nash won the series with 944 points, comfortably ahead of Gould on 844. Nash won four rounds and did not finish lower than second place throughout the season. Canada’s Mical Dyck (Trek/Terrascape) finished third in the seiries, with 722 points, and Davison’s result lifted her to fourth place. “This is my fourth national series title in Short Track, I believe, and I am very excited about winning it. It was important for me to take this again. I also wanted a good Cross Country series, and I was really happy to finish second in that. I had a couple of wins, which was good,” said Nash.

Fox Racing Shox Downhill - Men
On a course that had benefited from a little rain a few hours before the race, and which the downhillers loved, the new wave of young US riders took the top three places. Brad Oien (ODI-Southridge), 19, of Fountain Valley, California fastest down the hill with a time of 3:15.84. Second was Logan Binggeli (KHS), 19, of St George, Utah, with 3:19:98. In third place was Brad Benedict, 22, of Auburn, California, who posted a 3:21:54.

Benedict’s third place was more than enough to clinch the series for him, which he won with a total of 798 points, with Brad Oien second with 730 and Britain’s Waylon Smith third with 626 points.

For Benedict, that was the early realization of a dream. “I’m really stoked, I’m proud of myself for staying consistent. It’s my first full season racing pro, I didn’t know what I was getting into!” he said, adding “I made a few mistakes that cost me some places, but I’m getting better.”

Benedict said he gained a lot in bike handling from training with Amiel Cavalier in Australia, and said that Scott Sharples has been a big help with psychological training.

Fox Racing Shox Downhill - Women
While Melissa Buhl, of Chandler, Arizona, won the day, second-placed rider Darian Harvey, of Durango, Colorado, claimed her first NMBS win. Tasa Herndon (Tore Up Racing), of Stateline, Nevada, fnished third.

Harvey’s total of 823 points put her comfortably ahead of the pre-med student, Buhl, who finished with 768 after missing two rounds. Even though Buhl won every downhill she entered in the series, Harvey’s consistency proved the decisive factor. Chuse Mariska (Dark Horse Racing), of Nevada City, Ca., finished third with 692 points.

Fox Racing Shox Dual Slalom - Men
Petr Hanak (Totally Wired), of Winter Park, Colorado, won both the final round and the series by beating Mike Haderer (Fox Shox-Yeti), of Concord, California, in the final of the Dual Slaom. The indefatiguable Eric Carter (Mongoose), 38, of Winchester, California, finished third in the series after taking ninth place at Brian Head.

Hanak’s series total was 818 points, not far ahead of Haderer on 794. Carter fnished with a total of 756.

Fox Racing Shox Dual Slalom - Women
Melissa Buhl (KHS), once again steamrolled her competition, winning each of the five NMBS events she entered. Leslie Slagle (Aggro Bikes), of El Cajon, California, went up against her in the final round.

Buhl’s perfect score of 910 put her well out of reach of Darian Harvey, who ended up second overall in the NNBS on 592 points after finishing third at Brian Head.

Buhl was happy with the way her season went, and said she had missed the Deer Valley round (4) of the NMBS due to an injured thumb. “I only rode the dual slalom at that race. I didn’t want to put my thumb through the extended pounding of a downhill course,” she explained.

Kenda Tires and Tubes Super-D - Men
Carl Decker finished the series on a high note with his first Super D win for the year, earning enough points to put the title even farther out of reach of Jon Wilson (Northstar-Giant), of Carson City, Nevada. Decker amassed 768 points to Wilson’s 647. Ken Burt (Jamis-Hayes), of Sparks, Nevada, took third place in the series with 574 points.

Kelli Emmet (Giant), of Colorado Springs, Colorado, won the women’s Super D race, her second win of the series, which gained her sufficient points to claim third place with 501 points. Michelle Rivera of La Puente, California, scored 647 points to win the series ahead of Portland’s Sue Butler (Monavie-Cannondale) on 623.

source: Paul Skilbeck

2008 National Mountain Bike Series East Coast National Round 5, July 12-13, 2008   Contact Paul Skilbeck for full results pskilbeck@o2sm.com or visit bluewolfevents.com/results WINDHAM MOUNTAIN RESORT, New York (July 13th, 2008) — The fifth round of the US National Mountain Bike Series, the East Coast Nationals, hosted by Windham Mountain Resort in the Catskill Mountains of New York state, concluded today with foreign riders announcing their presence in the U.S. with resounding wins, and the newly selected U.S. Olympic team members confirming their talent and form. Mathieu Toulouse, Adam Craig, Jeremiah Bishop, Georgia Gouldand Katherina Nash starred in the Kenda Tubes and Tires cross country races, while Joanna Pettersonand Kieran Bennett claimed victory in the Fox Racing Shox gravity races. Kenda Tires and Tubes Cross Country - Men July 12 - Canadian Mathieu Toulouse (Team Maxxis) grabbed the biggest result of his career when he got the better of U.S. Olympic Team member Adam Craig (Giant) in a thrilling sprint finish that concluded the Men’s Pro XC race at Round 5 of the National Mountain Bike Series at Windham Mountain, NY. Rounding out the podium was the ever-consistent Jeremiah Bishop (Trek/VW), a mere 18 seconds adrift of Toulouse and Craig. The race finish time of 1 hour, 35 minutes reflected the heated action on a hot summer day in New York’s Catskill Mountains, an hour south of the state capitol of Albany. Toulouse, a Quebecois from Montreal, used his knowledge and familiarity with regional terrain to steadily pursue and eventually catch early leaders Craig and Bishop near the beginning of the 4th and final lap. “It’s the kind of mountain biking I love,” said Toulouse of the technical, hilly 4.8 mile per lap course at Windham Mountain. “Technical sections and plenty of climbing. With the heat, it made for a hard, challenging race.” Toulouse enlisted several skills gleaned from his stints on the road with the EVA/Devinci squad to help him rule the trails at Windham Mountain. “I didn’t have the best of starts and got gapped off pretty early on. I didn’t panic, though, and rode the race like a time trial, steadily increasing my effort and pace as the laps added up,” said Toulouse. His recent road-based exploits included the Tour de Beauce stage race in his home province of Quebec, and the Canadian Road Race Championship, where he placed 5th. Once he caught Craig and Bishop near the beginning of the final lap, Toulouse displayed the tactical nous of a seasoned competitor, holding the wheels of the two Americans- surprised at his sudden appearance - for the first half of the 4th lap before applying the coup-de-grace at the summit of the climb, just before the quick descent to the finish. “I could see that Bishop was suffering from having set the pace for much of the race,” said Toulouse. “With Craig it was more of a risk to attack him, but you know, nothing ventured, nothing gained.” Risk is a key word, as both Bishop and Craig are among the best descenders on the U.S. XC scene. Bishop couldn’t completely recover the ground he lost at the top of the climb, but Craig did catch up to Toulouse during the descent, and the two played cat-and-mouse right up to the line, eyeing each other like match sprinters on the velodrome. Going mano-a-mano for the final 300 meters, Toulouse prevailed in the drag race to the line. “I thought Craig might come around me, but I hit the line first by what seemed like only 3 or 4 inches,” said the race winner. Unfortunately, Toulouse won’t have a chance to match his skills with Adam Craig and other top international riders at the Summer Olympics in Beijing this August: he was not selected by the Canadian Federation to attend. One of Canada’s selected Olympians for mountain biking - and a Team Maxxis teammate of Toulouse - Geoff Kabush, was originally slated to compete at Windham Mountain but elected to stay home and focus on his training and recovery before the Games. Still, beating a U.S. Olympic team member bodes well for Toulouse’s future in mountain biking. Will it include another attempt at Olympic selection in 2012? “I don’t know if I’ll stay in cycling for another 4 years,” said the 31-year old Montrealer. “But winning against a top field like this is super motivating, and it will keep me going for a while.” Kenda Tires and Tubes Cross Country - Women July 12 - In the Women’s Pro XC race, Georgia Gould (Luna Women’s MTB) won the start and never looked back for the entire race, staying away to win in 1 hour, 21 minutes on a hot, 87-degree New York afternoon. When a lone competitor did catch her briefly, at the top of the first climb, it was Luna teammate Catherine Pendrel. Pendrel’s attempt at shared race leadership fell apart on the quick, technical descent back to the start/finish line. Still, the 28-year old Canadian held the runner-up spot all the way to the race finish, a further 2 laps away. She finished only 1 minute 20 seconds adrift of Gould. Rubber stamping the Luna team’s dominance of Round 5 was teammate and NMBS Series Leader Katerina Nash, who rounded out the podium with a 1 hour, 24 minute ride for 3rd place. Kenda Tires and Tubes Short Track - Men July 13 - Newly-selected 2008 U.S. Olympic team member Todd Wells (GT) won the start at Saturday’s Pro XC race, before it all started to go wrong. He later retired with a mechanical issue. Sunday’s Short Track event offered a chance at revenge for the multiple cyclocross National Champion. He got revenge on the mechanical gremlins and the race win, with the help not of a teammate, but of his brother Troy (Tokyo Joes). Another cyclocross head-of-state, Ryan Trebon (Kona), made his trademark attack in the short track event. With Trebon going clear on the first lap, Troy Wells took up the chase behind. Towing his brother along for the ride, Troy eventually caught Trebon several laps later, while behind, Jeremiah Bishop (Trek/VW) was putting in a tremendous ride, moving up from 23rd slot at the start to 4th, and closing in on the lead quickly. After the Wells brothers caught Trebon, Troy attacked again, forcing Bishop and a resurgent Adam Craig to lead the chase. As the catch was made, brother Todd attacked for the win. Bishop and Craig reversed their finish order from the previous day’s XC race, with the Virginian taking 2nd place just ahead of Craig, both at 4 seconds to Wells. Trebon finished fourth, a further 2 seconds back. Kenda Tires and Tubes Short Track - Women July 13 - Team Luna continued its domination of the NMBS series with team rider Katerina Nash riding most of the race with Georgia Gould, only to better her teammate at the finish. Gould, who won Saturday’s Women’s Pro XC race, again won the start, and Nash was put in the unusual position of chasing a teammate in order to preserve her series lead. This round, the non-Team Luna women’s contenders were not content to race against each other, and they mounted a vigorous pursuit of Nash and Gould. While not able to completely close the gap, Michal Dyck (Trek/Terrascape), Wendy Simms (Kona), and Heather Irmiger (Subaru-Gary Fisher) took places 3-5, respectively. Fox Racing Shox Downhill - Men July 13 - New Zealander Kieran Bennett (Odi), won the Men’s Downhill finals in similarly slick condtions as the women faced. Bennett finished 2 seconds faster than Garrit Beytagh (Morewood), and 5 seconds faster than fellow countryman Cameron Cole (Maxxis). Fox Racing Shox Downhill - Women July 13 - Finally the rains came. Just in time for the Women’s Downhill finals to start!. Navigating the slick, treacherous and foggy conditions with trademark precision was South African Joanna Petterson (Maxxis), who prevailed over New Zealander Amy Laird by 2 seconds. Delivering the goods for U.S, fans was Alexis Wruble (Vitamin Water), who finished third at 13 seconds. Kenda Tires and Tubes Super-D - Men Cross-country Pro Adam Craig (Giant) won the Super-D in 9 minutes, 18 seconds on a course that clearly involved a lot of pedalling. Cross-country riders dominated the results. Second was Samuel Koerber (Gary Fisher), and third was Brian Fawley. Both riders were nearly even on time, 8 seconds behind Craig. Kenda Tires and Tubes Super-D - Women Canadian Wendy Simms (Kona) won the Women’s Super-D with a time of 11 minutes, 1 second. Second place was Lindsey Bishop (Mafia Racing) at 1:14 behind Simms, and third was Danae York (Velobum.com) at 1:26. Contact Paul Skilbeck for results: pskilbeck@o2sm.com About The National Mountain Bike Series The 2008 National Mountain Bike Series (NMBS) comprises six rounds and is the premier mountain bike racing series in the United States. It is sanctioned by the national governing body of cycling sports, USA Cycling. The series determines the most consistent performers over an entire summer’s gruelling competition. For more information and to see the complete 2008 NMBS calendar, visit www.mtbnationals.com. For all non-media inquiries, please send email to: info@mtbnationals.com. 2008 NATIONAL MOUNTAIN BIKE SERIES - SCHEDULE KEY: XC=Cross Country, ST=Short Track, DS= Dual Slalom, 4X=Mountain Cross, DH=Downhill, Super D=Super D Round 1 March 29 - March 30, 2008 UCI C1     Fontana National Southridge Park Fontana, California XC/DH/ST/4X/Super D Round 2 April 5 - April 6, 2008 UCI C1   NOVA National McDowell Mountain Regional Park Fountain Hills, Arizona XC/ST/Super D Round 3 May 17 - May 18, 2008 UCI C2   Santa Ynez National presented by Platinum Performance Ted Chamberlin Ranch Los Olivos, California XC/DH/DS/ST/Super D Round 4 June 28 - June 29, 2008 UCI C1   Deer Valley National Deer Valley Resort Park City, Utah XC/DH/DS/ST/Super D   Round 5 July 12 - July 13, 2008 UCI C1   East Coast National Windham Resort Windham, New York XC/DH/DS/ST/Super D Round 6, Series Final August 30 - September 1, 2008 UCI C2     NMBS Finals Presented by Trek VW Brian Head Mountain Bike Park Brian Head, Utah XC/DH/4Xor DS/ST/Super D

source: Matt Butterman

- Trebon, Wicks And Simms Slay Singletrack In Windham, N.Y. At Fifth NMBS Race -

KONAWORLD (July 15, 2008) - Competing in the fifth event of the National Mountain Bike Series (NMBS) at Windham Mountain Resort in upstate New York last weekend, a trio of Kona Factory Team riders hit the dirt in three different races.

Leading the way for the team was racing vet Wendy Simms. Coming of a first-place finish with her husband at the seven-day BC Bike Race in British Columbia at the beginning of the month, Simms was right back in the winners circle grabbing a first place medal in the Super D race that consisted of a mix of cross-country and downhill riding. She also nabbed ninth (1 hour 25 minutes) in the cross-country race and fourth place in the short track event.

Racing in the pro men’s divisions, Barry Wicks and Ryan Trebon each found the top 10. In the cross-country race, Wicks, who was coming off an impressive victory at the BC Bike Race with fellow Kona teammate Kris Sneddon (who opted not to race in anticipation of the Canadian National Championships this weekend), finished 10th (1:42) and 14th in the cross-country and short track races, respectively. The short track course at Windham featured a mix of pavement and dirt, and included a short climb up a ski trail, followed by a technical singletrack descent. Trebon, who has had a productive summer season wrapping-up wins at numerous races across the country, took eighth (1:40.15) and fourth while racing alongsid! e Wicks.

Windham Mountain is relatively new to the mountain biking scene, but race officials have been preparing new trails for over a year in anticipation of this NMBS race. They built a 4.8-mile cross-country course, complete with man-made bridges, roots, rocks, and short steep climbs. Each lap had about 1,100 feet of climbing.

source: Kona Bike Co.

2008 NATIONAL MOUNTAIN BIKE SERIES - SCHEDULE

KEY:
XC=Cross Country, ST=Short Track,
DS= Dual Slalom, 4X=Mountain Cross, DH=Downhill, Super D=Super D

Round 1
March 29 – March 30, 2008
UCI C1
Fontana National
Southridge Park
Fontana, California
XC/DH/ST/4X/Super D

Round 2
April 5 – April 6, 2008
UCI C1
NOVA National
McDowell Mountain Regional Park
Fountain Hills, Arizona
XC/ST/Super D

Round 3
May 17 – May 18, 2008
UCI C2
Santa Ynez National presented by Platinum Performance
Ted Chamberlin Ranch
Los Olivos, California
XC/DH/DS/ST/Super D

Round 4
June 28 – June 29, 2008
UCI C1
Deer Valley National
Deer Valley Resort
Park City, Utah
XC/DH/DS/ST/Super D

Round 5
July 12 – July 13, 2008
UCI C1
East Coast National
Windham Resort
Windham, New York
XC/DH/DS/ST/Super D

Round 6, Series Final
August 30 – September 1, 2008
UCI C2

NMBS Finals Presented by Trek VW
Brian Head Mountain Bike Park
Brian Head, Utah
XC/DH/4Xor DS/ST/Super D

source: MBS Press Office

2008 Deer Valley National
June 26-29, 2008

The US National Mountain Bike Series (NMBS) makes its fourth stop this season at the Deer Valley ski resort in Park City Utah. Events include Dual Slalom, Downhill, Cross Country, and Super D. Pro Cross Country finals and pro Dual Slalom finals take place on Saturday and pro Downhill and Super D finals are on Sunday. There’s even the Shimano Kids Race at noon Sunday!

There were concerns about the huge amount of snow this past winter disrupting this year’s Deer Valley National. But it melted off just in time to clear the trails. The weather is great, the aspens are green, and the mountains are covered in wildflowers. It’s a great weekend for some mountain bike racing in Park City!

For more information, please visit http://mtbnationals.com/ or http://www.usacycling.org/nmbs/
For more information on events and mountain biking at Deer Valley, please visit: http://www.deervalley.com/

Photo-John also runs PhotographyREVIEW.com. To learn more about digital cameras and taking great mountain bike photos, please visit http://www.photographyreview.com/

2008 National Mountain Bike Series Santa Ynez National, presented by Platinum Performance Round 3, May 16-18, 2008, Stump Grinder Dirt Club   LOS OLIVOS, California, (April 6, 2008) — Sizzling springtime temperatures in southern California combined with what some commentators termed ‘world cup fatigue’ to herald the arrival of some new faces at the top of the results lists when the National Mountain Bike Series stopped for Round Three in Los Olivos, the Santa Ynez Valley National, presented by Platinum Peformance, May 16-18. PDF results are at: http://bluewolfevents.com/results for .xls results, contact: pskilbeck@o2sm.com Kenda Cross Country - Women Kelli Emmet (Giant) of Colorado Springs, benefited from an overheated Georgia Gould (Luna Chix), of Ketchum, Id., to claim the first NMBS win of her career on the 11-mile loop in the southern end of California’s Coastal Ranges. With a time of 1:45:08, Emmet finished 10 seconds ahead of Gould’s team-mate, Catherine Pendrel, of Kamloops, BC. Gould, unbeaten in her past seven NMBS starts, had led the race by at least two minutes, but with shade temperatures soaring above 100F, and the course offering almost no shade, she finally dismounted about ten minutes before the finish with a case of heat stroke which required a visit to the hospital. Lea Davison (Trek VW), of Jericho, Vt., came in third at 2:05, with her factory team-mate, New Zealander Jennifer Smith, fourth at 3:04. Canada’s Mical Dyck (Trek/Terrascape Racing) finished fifth at 5:30. Georgia Gould quote: “I kinda passed out. It wasn’t any fun… I probably could’ve had more fluids. I think it was the exertion and the extreme heat, that combination. I don’t know that I’ve ever ridden in temperatures of 110F before, that’s what they told me it was. I’d decided I wasn’t going to pay attention to the heat, and just ride. Then suddenly it was time to pay attention to the heat and nothing else!” said Gould from the cool comfort of her home a couple of days later. Kenda Cross Country - Men Australia’s Sid Taberlay (Avanti/SRAM) is perhaps more accustomed to racing in such high temperatures, or maybe, having missed out on the punishing four week European world cup stint, he was simply fresher than those road-weary tourists. Whatever it was, Taberlay had the legs to ride away from the North American elite of Canada’s Geoff Kabush (Maxxis), Barry Wicks (Kona Les Gets), Santa Cruz, Ca., the early leader, Todd Wells, (GT), of Durango, Co. and Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski (Subaru/Gary Fisher), Boulder, Co. The winning move came when Taberlay surged on the final climb of the race. He left Wicks behind, and stayed clear of Kabush who had been slowly reeling in the leaders after being gapped by the ‘ Wells Express’ early in the race. Taberlay finished with a time of 1:43:38, with Kabush 35 seconds back. Wicks was third at 1:00, and Wells held onto fourth at 1:59, while Horgan-Kobelski - who had suffered unusually in the heat - came in fifth at 2:26. For Taberlay, this was a good confidence-booster as he heads to Andorra and Scotland during the next three weeks for world cup races where he will compete for the one Australian spot in the men’s Olympic field. Three others are in the hunt for this coveted prize. Fox Racing Shox Downhill - Men Brad Benedict (X-Fusion/Santa Cruz), from San Luis Obispo, showed his knowledge of the Coast Ranges hills, powering down the gently sloping 1.2 mile course in 2:00.48, almost one second faster than the highly decorated gravity veteran, Eric Carter (Mongoose), of Winchester, Ca. British rider, Waylon Smith, finished third, 1.11 seconds back. Benedict, 22 years old, was joined by two other young riders on the podium: Julius Syvanen (Cortina/CR1), of San Diego, Ca., aged 22, and fifth-placed Julis Binggeli (Team KHS), of St George, Ut., who is only 19 years old. Fox Racing Shox Downhill - Women One rider has dominated the women’s gravity scene in recent years, and that is Melissa Buhl (Team KHS), of Chandler, Az. Buhl blasted down the Los Olivos course in 2:08.50, a time that would have placed her among the top 15 pro men. Michelle Riviera (StevenKSD), of La Puente, Ca., took second, 15.73 seconds back, and Sondra Williamson (Specialized/SRAM), of Morgan Hill, Ca., was third at 16.13. Mariska Chuse (Dark Horse), of Nevada City, Ca., and Darian Harvey (Sobe/Cannondale), of Durango, Co., rounded out the top five. Series Roundup Fox Racing Shox Downhill - Men Waylon Smith now leads the downhill standings with 321 points, ahead of Brad Benedict’s 315. Rich Houseman lies third with 259 points. Three more rounds remain in the series. Fox Racing Shox Downhill - Women Melissa Buhl dominates with two perfect scores of 202 points, giving her a total of 404 from two rounds. Darian Harvey moves up into second place and Sondra Williamson moves into third. Fox Racing Shox Dual Slalom/Mountain Cross - Men Third place for Eric Carter in Sunday’s Round Two race adds to his fifth place at Round One and puts him into the series lead with 311 points. The rising star Logan Binggeli moves up into equal second in the series, alongside British rider Dale Holmes (KHS) on 285. Three rounds remain in the series. Fox Racing Shox Dual Slalom/Mountain Cross - Women Let’s all get used to seeing Melissa Buhl on top of the podium. Having defeated names such as Britain’s Fionn Griffiths (Norco) and the great Leigh Donovan (GT) already this year, she is starting to look unbeatable. As in the Downhill, Buhl has amassed the maximum possible score, 364 points. Donovan and Griffiths are tied for second on 172. Super D - Men Barry Wicks has earned 345 points from his second and third place results thus far in the series, and holds a solid lead over Carl Decker (Giant), who is on 327. Dana Weber (Trek VW) lies in third place on 297 points. Watch out for the Super D winner at Los Olivos, Geoff Kabush, should he decide to compete in more Super D races. Super D - Women Sue Butler (Monavie/Cannondale), of Portland, Or., has climbed to the series lead through consistent riding that yielded a second fourth place for the series. With two rounds of six completed much can still happen, but for the time being, Butler is the rider to beat with 310 points. Kelli Emmet lies second with 309, having a third and a seventh place, while Michelle Rivera, with a second and an 11th place so far in the series, is third on 299. Kenda Cross Country - Men Geoff Kabush appears to be well on his way to a second consecutive NMBS series win, with two victories and a second place already in the bag. He has a total of 536 points, and a comfortable lead over Barry Wicks, who lies second with 466. Jeremy Horgan Kobelski, who has been below his best this year in the NMBS, lies third on 443. Kenda Cross Country - Women A seventh place finish for Katerina Nash at Round Three was good enough to keep her in the series lead, with 481 points, two ahead of the winner at Los Olivos, Kelli Emmet, on 479. Of course this can change at the end of the series when riders get to discard their lowest result, but a lot of other things can change too. Lea Davison’s third place at Los Olivos moved her up to third in the series, on 432 points. Kenda Short Track Cross Country - Men After three rounds of six, Canada’s Geoff Kabush has two wins and a third place, which is gives him a one-point series lead over second-placed Barry Wicks. The two have 527 and 526 points, respectively. Third, with 440 points, is Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski. Kenda Short Track Cross Country - Women At Round Three, Katerina Nash benefited from the absence of her team-mate Georgia Gould, with whom she normally tussles for first place points, and temporarily has a commanding lead in the series. Gould will narrow that gap at the series conclusion when she throws out her one bad result. As it stands, however, Nash, on 536 points, leads Mical Dyck on 437, and Lea Davison on 422. PDF results are at: http://bluewolfevents.com/results for .xls results, contact pskilbeck@o2sm.com About The National Mountain Bike Series The 2008 National Mountain Bike Series (NMBS) comprises six rounds and is the premier mountain bike racing series in the United States. It is sanctioned by the national governing body of cycling sports, USA Cycling. The series determines the most consistent performers over an entire summer’s gruelling competition. For more information and to see the complete 2008 NMBS calendar, visit www.mtbnationals.com. For all non-media inquiries, please send email to: info@mtbnationals.com. 2008 NATIONAL MOUNTAIN BIKE SERIES - SCHEDULE KEY: XC=Cross Country, ST=Short Track, DS= Dual Slalom, 4X=Mountain Cross, DH=Downhill, Super D=Super D Round 1 March 29 - March 30, 2008 UCI C1     Fontana National Southridge Park Fontana, California XC/DH/ST/4X/Super D Round 2 April 5 - April 6, 2008 UCI C1   NOVA National McDowell Mountain Regional Park Fountain Hills, Arizona XC/ST/Super D Round 3 May 17 - May 18, 2008 UCI C2   Santa Ynez National presented by Platinum Performance Ted Chamberlin Ranch Los Olivos, California XC/DH/DS/ST/Super D Round 4 June 28 - June 29, 2008 UCI C1   Deer Valley National Deer Valley Resort Park City, Utah XC/DH/DS/ST/Super D   Round 5 July 12 - July 13, 2008 UCI C1   East Coast National Windham Resort Windham, New York XC/DH/DS/ST/Super D Round 6, Series Final August 30 - September 1, 2008 UCI C2     NMBS Finals Presented by Trek VW Brian Head Mountain Bike Park Brian Head, Utah XC/DH/4Xor DS/ST/Super D

source:NMBS Press Office

2008 National Mountain Bike Series Finals Relocate Brian Head, Utah, new venue   GRANTSVILLE, Utah (April 30, 2008) - Blue Wolf Events is pleased to announce Brian Head, Utah, as the replacement venue for the National Mountain Bike Series Finals Presented by Trek VW, on August 30 and September 1, after Tamarack Resort, Idaho, had to remove itself from the schedule. “I am really delighted that we have been able to resolve this crisis so quickly and cleanly. We’ve only crossed one state line, and we don’t even have to change our date,” said series director Jeff Frost, of event management company Blue Wolf. “And it is great to be returning to Brian Head. We were very impressed with this venue when holding a series round there two years ago.” Traci Brown, director of the mountain bike park at Brian Head, said: “We are very excited to have the NMBS back, not only from the sporting side, but also it’s so great to have America’s top mountain bike pros come play in our back yard. What better opportunity to showcase the caliber of our venue?” Events scheduled for the National Mountain Bike Series Finals Presented by Trek VW include: Cross Country, Short Track, Dual Slalom, Downhill, Super D, and Marathon. Online entries are through mtbnationals.com . Started in 1991, Brian Head Mountain Bike Park rises from a base elevation of 9600 feet and rises to 11,000 feet. 40 miles of single-track trails are maintained within the park boundary, and there is easy access to Forest Service trails beyond. A chair lift serves the downhill trails, and the gravity riders will benefit from a second pro/expert level downhill course ‘Lil’ Gritty’ that was tested in the 2007 Utah Series. In addition to the cross country and downhill trails, the park features terrain parks that include jumps, dips, ladders and wooden elements. About The National Mountain Bike Series The 2008 National Mountain Bike Series (NMBS) comprises six rounds and is the premier mountain bike racing series in the United States. It is sanctioned by the national governing body of cycling sports, USA Cycling. The series determines the most consistent performers over an entire summer’s gruelling competition. For more information and to see the complete 2008 NMBS calendar, visit www.mtbnationals.com. For all non-media inquiries, please send email to: info@mtbnationals.com. 2008 NATIONAL MOUNTAIN BIKE SERIES - SCHEDULE KEY: XC=Cross Country, ST=Short Track, DS= Dual Slalom, 4X=Mountain Cross, DH=Downhill, Super D=Super D Round 1 March 29 - March 30, 2008 UCI C1     Fontana National Southridge Park Fontana, California XC/DH/ST/4X/Super D Round 2 April 5 - April 6, 2008 UCI C1   NOVA National McDowell Mountain Regional Park Fountain Hills, Arizona XC/ST/Super D Round 3 May 17 - May 18, 2008 UCI C2   Santa Ynez National Presented by Platinum Performance Ted Chamberlin Ranch Los Olivos, California XC/DH/DS/ST/Super D Round 4 June 28 - June 29, 2008 UCI C1   Deer Valley National Deer Valley Resort Park City, Utah XC/DH/DS/ST/Super D Round 5 July 12 - July 13, 2008 UCI C1   East Coast National Windham Resort Windham, New York XC/DH/DS/ST/Super D Round 6, Series Final August 31- September 1, 2008 2008 UCI C2   NMBS Finals Presented by Trek VW Brian Head Mountain Bike Park Brian Head, Utah XC/DH/4Xor DS/ST/Super D

source: NMBS Press Office

- Wicks, Trebon And Simms Show Power At Second NMBS Event; While Kindree Nabs Bronze At Pan-Am Championships -

KONAWORLD (April 7, 2008) – Making their mark both stateside and in South America last weekend, Kona Factory Team riders proudly stood atop the podium in Fountain Hills, Arizona and the Pan-Am Mountain Bike Championships in Venezuela.

Competing in three races last weekend at the McDowell Mountain Park in the second NMBS event, team riders Barry Wicks, Ryan Trebon and Wendy Simms all secured top-three finishes in at least one race. Kris Sneddon also competed and finished in the top-15 in all of his races.

In the first race of the weekend, the Super D time trial, riders attacked the seven-mile course that consisted entirely of sandy fire roads, loose washes and three significant climbs. Simms took third in the pro women’s category with a time of 18 minutes, 27 seconds. Trebon led the men, finishing third with a time of 16:20 – only 25 seconds behind the winner – while Wicks took 12th and Sneddon grabbed 15th.

On Saturday, Wicks and Trebon tag-teamed the technical short track course which featured “The Hill” – a steep, loose sandy climb that only a few riders were able to muscle up on their bikes. Battling with Geoff Kabush to the finish, Wicks missed first place by one second, while Trebon captured third a mere 25 seconds back of Wicks. In the women’s race, Simms (who is the current Canadian National Cyclocross Champion) rode in the lead pack for most of the race until a crash cost her valuable time. After an intense and exciting sprint to the finish versus Australian National Champion Dellys Starr, Simms took fourth; 33 seconds behind winner Katerina Nash.

“I looked over my shoulder to see where Georgia [Gould] was and I buzzed Katerina’s rear tire,” said Simms of her crash. “It was my own fault.”

In the final race of the weekend, the three-lap Elite XC, Wicks and Trebon started strong but didn’t have the gas to hang in the lead pack to the finish. Wicks took fourth place with a time of 1 hour, 28 minutes, 49 seconds, while Trebon finished the race with a flat tire. Sneddon held on for 11th place.

South of the border in Venezuela, Factory Team rider Neal Kindree represented Team Canada at the Pan-Am Mountain Bike Championships. Racing in a field of 30 elite riders on Sunday in the U-23 category, Kindree started off the hot race by getting trapped behind a pile-up crash within the first 300 feet. Not to be conquered, he spent the ensuing seven laps climbing his way up to the lead pack on a long, non-technical and dusty course. Kindree finished in third-place taking the bronze medal. He also automatically qualified for the World Championships in Italy in late-June.

“It was really cool to see all the competition and what was going on in the mountain biking world outside Canada and the U.S.,” Kindree said. “It was a unique experience for sure.”

source: Keith Cozzens | Base Camp Communications | www.basecampcomm.com

source: NMBS Press Office

- Wicks Nails Two First-Place Finishes, While Simms, Sneddon and Trebon Ride Hard At First NMBS Event -

KONAWORLD (April 1, 2008) - Starting the racing season off in rock star fashion, 26-year-old Barry Wicks claimed his first ever NMBS victories over the weekend in Fontana, California, at the first event of the NMBS. Accompanied at the event by Kona Factory Team members Kris Sneddon, Ryan Trebon and Wendy Simms, Wicks strongly confirmed that his transition from a top-notch cyclocrosser to fat-tire tough man is going quite smoothly.

On Sunday, during the STXC race, Wicks out-sprinted breakaway companion Adam Craig to claim the crown and his first NMBS win. But Wicks did get some help from his friends. Sneddon and Trebon lit the race track up for the first four laps, which allowed Wicks to take a comfortable position and conserve energy for his solo push to the finish. Nearing the end, Sneddon experienced mechanical issues when his front derailer twisted sideways into his crank. Sneddon and Trebon finished the race in the top 10.

In the ensuing Super D race, which started with a downhill run on pavement, Wicks nabbed his second first-place finish – again narrowly out-sprinting Craig for the title.

“Two wins in one day is pretty sweet – I feel kind of bad I had to punk Adam twice,” says Wicks, the 2006 national short track champion.

In the women’s STXC race, Simms reeled in a third-place finish after a great opening hole-shot and battling, not only some tough Luna Team riders, but “legs that felt like monster trucks.” On Saturday, Simms, who tried to lock handlebars with the Luna ladies, nabbed third place in the XC event which was her best NMBS finish ever.

In Saturday’s men’s XC race, Wicks admittedly hit the throttle too early and faded towards the end of the final laps to finish fifth. Sneddon took sixth place and Trebon finished 26th.

The NMBS replaced the NORBA label when series directors Jeff Frost and Tom Spiegel took over the reins in 2004. Gone are the television cameras, huge cash prizes and international field enjoyed by the series in its heyday a decade ago. But one fact remains the same: North America’s best still show up.

The four Kona riders will compete at the second NMBS race this weekend in Fountain Hills, Arizona.

About the Kona Bicycle Company:
The Kona Bicycle Company designs, manufacturers and distributes more than 60 models of purpose-built, high-performance mountain, road and urban bicycles. Founded in 1988 and headquartered in Ferndale, Washington, USA, Kona bicycles are distributed worldwide in more than 60 countries through independent specialty bicycle dealers. Kona funds several professional road, mountain and cyclo-cross racing teams that include World Cup Champions, World Champions and National Champions. For more information check www.konaworld.com

source: Keith Cozzens | Base Camp Communications