May 22/04 6:27 am - NORBA #3: Stage 1

Posted by Editoress on 05/22/04
 

NORBA #3 - Big Bear Snow Summit Resort CA, USA

Stage 1 (May 21st) Time Trial, 4.5 miles

Men
1. Jimi Mortensen (USA) Specialized, 14:46.66
2. Ryan Trebon (USA) Kona Clarks-Les Gets, 14:49.11
3. Mike West (USA) Giant-Oso Energy, 14:54.50
4. Mark Weir (USA) WTB-Santa Cruz, 14:54.81
5. Carl Decker (USA) Giant-Pearl Izumi, 14:56.19
6. Sam Schultz (USA) U23 National, 15:05.80
7. Travis Brown (USA) Trek-Volkswagen, 15:06.18
8. John Devine (USA) U23 National, 15:09.28
9. Jason Moeschler (USA) Cytomax-Specialized, 15:10.60
10. Chris Sheppard (Can), Haro-adidas, 15:11.01

Women
1. Heather Irmiger (USA) Tokyo-Joes, 16:39.1
2. Shonny Vanlandingham (USA) Luna, 16:43.2
3. Katerina Hanusova (Cze), Luna, 16:45.9
4. Kerry Barnholt (USA) Subaru-Gary Fisher, 16:46.2
5. Kelli Emmett (USA) Specialized, 17:06.3
6. Tonya Laffey (USA) MTBChick.com, 17:07.0
7. Kathy Sherwin (USA) Cannondale, 15:18.5
8. Judy Freeman (USA) Cannondale, 17:18.5
9. Sally Warner (USA) Biogen, 17:22.1
10. Melissa Thomas, (USA) Tokyo Joes, 17:26.1

Report Courtesy Andy Lee USA Cycling
The third round of the 2004 NORBA National Mountain Bike Series began in unique style this afternoon as cross country riders tested their descending capabilities in a downhill time trial. The opening stage, a 4.5 mile technical descent down the singletrack of Snow Summit Resort, welcomed two new faces to the top step of the podium as Heather Irmiger (Boulder, Colo.) and Jimi Mortensen (Eagle, Colo.) took the honors, their first in a NORBA National event.

Although some of the familiar names that have become mainstays at Big Bear were instead contesting the opening round of the UCI World Cup series, a pleasantly strong and competitive start list included several top pros.

With 28 riders remaining in the field of 86, former downhiller Mark Weir (Santa Cruz, Calif.) posted the first sub-15 minute time descending the course in 14:54.8. Two riders later, Mike West (Boulder, Colo.) did one better riding a 14:54.4, good enough to eventually secure a place on the podium. With 15 riders left, Carl Decker (Bend, Ore.) clocked a 14:56.1. The next rider down the trail then set the standard as Mortensen put up a 14:46.6, a time that would go unchallenged except by the efforts of Ryan Trebon (Ventura, Calif.) whose 14:49.1 was good enough for second place. The only riders to break the 15 minute barrier at the end of the day were the five podium finishers.

Continuing their remarkable season, the U.S. National U23 Mountain Bike Team finished just off the podium as Sam Schultz (Missoula, Mont.) placed sixth with a time of 15:05.7. John Devine (Colorado Springs, Colo.) finished eighth clocking a 15:09.2 and Alan Obye (Colorado Springs, Colo.) rode a 15:17.9, good enough for 16th place.

In the women's event, Irmiger was one of four riders to crack the 17 minute mark with a winning time of 16:39.1, four seconds ahead of runner-up Shonny Vanlandingham (Durango, Colo.). Katerina Hanusova (CZE), and Kerry Barnholt (Boulder, Colo.) placed third and fourth respectively with the only other sub-17 minute rides. Kelli Emmet (Colorado Springs, Colo.) completed the women's podium in fifth place with a time of 17:06.3.

Absent from the domestic scene today were U.S. Olympic hopefuls, Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski (Boulder, Colo.), Jeremiah Bishop (Harrisonburg, Va.), and Todd Wells (Durango, Colo.) as well as Alison Dunlap (Colorado Springs, Colo.), Sue Haywood (Davis, W. Va.), and Mary McConneloug (Fairfax, Calif.) who are all contesting the world cup opener in Madrid this weekend. (As well as the entire CDN contingent - except Chris Sheppard)

Traditional cross country racing returns on Saturday as Mortensen and Irmiger take their overall leads into the second stage before finishing up with Sunday's short track event.

Entering the third round of the NORBA National Mountain Bike Series, Horgan-Kobelski and Dunlap currently hold the overall series lead in both the men's and women's cross country and short track events.