June 25/00 4:07 am - Mount Snow Women's DH

Posted by Editoress on 06/25/00
 

Mount Snow NORBA #2 - Women's Downhill

Elke Brutsaert seems do things in twos. Last year she won the first two races in the Chevy Trucks Norba National Downhill Series, and this year she has started the same way, just taking the Mount Snow Downhill. Starting last, after qualifying first with the only run under 5 minutes, Brutsaert felt less than confident. "I was exhausted after my training runs this week. This course is so physically demanding that I only took two runs today."

The early leader was the recently crowned women's Junior World Champion, Kathy Pruitt (Sunrace/Santa Cruz), who came through at 5:14.87. Her time stood up for 4 riders until Nolvenn Lecaer (GT) knocked 4 seconds off. Lecaer barely had time to take the leaders hot seat before Sari Jorgensen (Tomac) squeaked in a 1/10th of a second faster. However, the best riders were just starting to come down the course, and Tara Llanes (Subaru-Specialized) immediately took 5 seconds off the leading time. Two riders later Marla Streb (Yeti) came bursting out of the woods in view of the finish, at least 15 seconds ahead of Llanes. Streb was perfect until just before the last jump, when she crashed spectacularly. "I knew I was going to win, I had a completely clean run until that point. Then I got caught in the marking ribbon and was all tangled up." Streb's time was so good that she would still finish fourth.

Missy Giove (Team Foes/Azonic) was next, and roared through in 4:56.07 - two seconds faster than Brutsaert's seeding run, but it was not to be for Giove, because Brutsaert was even faster than the morning. "I hit pretty much everything the way I wanted to, but if I didn't then I let the bike roll. This is a 'point the bike straight down the hill' course, and I'm good at staying off the brakes." After her poor showing in Europe for the World Cup and Worlds, where she was sick and injured, this win helps set up Brutsaert for next week's World Cup in Mont Ste Anne. "This gives me such confidence, because I know I am riding well."

Official Results
1. Elke Bruitsaert (USA) Schwinn/Toyota 4:50.33
2. Missy Giove (USA) Focus/Azonics at 0:05.74
3. Tara Llanes (USA) Subaru/Specialized 0:15.35
4. Marla Streb (USA) Yeti 0:20.01
5. Sari Jorgenson (Sui) Tomac 0:20.04
6. Nolvenn LaCaer (Fra) Team GT 0:20.14
7. Vanessa Quin (NZl) Giant 0:23.23
8. Katja Repo (Fin) Team GT 0:24.13
9. Kathy Pruit (USA) Sunrace/Santa Cruz 0:24.54
10. Lisa Sher (USA) White Bros/Azon 0:25.56

17. Kim Huard (Can) Alpha/Sugoi 0:51.41
18. Tera Meade (Can) Sawa Cycle/Ellsworth 0:54.06
19. Sylvie Allen (Can) Rocky Mountain 0:57.53
20. Barb Haley (Can) Dirtworks 0:58.45
22. Lorraine Blancher (Can) Iron Horse 1:00.31
24. Anna Gleave (Can) out-there.com 1:08.66
25. Ann Walton (Can) Balfa/Sugoi 1:13.08
27. Jennifer Ashton (Can) Norco/Manatash 1:24.60