May 16, 2004 – Strong performances by several Americans and the absence of some notable names served as catalysts for new-look podiums in Saturday's men's and women's cross country events at round two of the 2004 NORBA National Mountain Bike Series in Sonoma, Calif. Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski (Boulder, Colo.) captured his first-ever win in a NORBA National cross country race and Alison Dunlap (Colorado Springs, Colo.) also rode to a victory as both U.S. Olympic hopefuls each added 40 UCI points to their running totals one week before the opening round of the UCI World Cup series.
Although Dunlap's presence on the top step of the podium is nothing new, a few other Americans took advantage of a start list that included only three deviations from an otherwise all-American field. Ford Racing's Dara Marks-Marino (Flagstaff, Ariz) rode to a second place finish while Kelli Emmett (Colorado Springs, Colo.) and Shonny Vanlandingham (Durango, Colo.) placed fourth and fifth respectively behind third place finisher, Jimena Florit (ARG).
On a treacherous course around the grounds of Infineon Raceway in Northern California's wine country, the pro women took three laps of a 9.5 mile circuit that included a little bit of everything from pavement to singletrack to gravel roads and featured an impossibly steep 500m climb that forced most riders to dismount and ascend on foot. Early on, it was evident who the key players would be as Dunlap, Florit, Marks-Marino, Emmett, and Vanlandingham, along with Kerry Barnholt (Boulder, Colo.) Gretchen Reeves (Boulder, Colo.) and Katerina Hanusova (CZE), distanced themselves off the front of the rest of the field.
At the race's halfway mark however, the race quickly became a race for second place as Dunlap pushed the pace on the climb and opened up a comfortable gap that nobody could close. Behind, the trio of Marks-Marino, Florit and Emmett formed a cohesive chase group and each looked strong enough to finish second, but it was Marks-Marino who took the honors behind Dunlap in a two-up sprint with Florit.
Dunlap's win adds 40 points to her UCI point total, likely the determining criterion in the selection of the lone woman that will represent the United States in women's mountain biking at the 2004 Olympic Games later this summer. Dunlap's chief competition, compatriots Mary McConneloug Fairfax, Calif.) and Sue Haywood (Davis, W. Va.) are currently in Europe preparing for next weekend's World Cup in Madrid with some UCI E1 categorized races. Dunlap will have the opportunity to add an additional 20 points in Sunday's UCI E2 categorized short track cross country race in Sonoma.
The men's event boasted the same phenomenon as many of the world's top mountain bike athletes were on the other side of the Atlantic in preparation for the opening World Cup race, an event which holds special meaning when it comes to Olympic selection for many different nations, including a powerhouse Canadian contingent. That meant the door was open for two prominent Olympic hopefuls to take their first NORBA National cross country win, Horgan-Kobelski and Todd Wells (Durango, Colo.) With an extra half lap on the agenda for the men, an added ascent up the featured climb would mean an early split in the field. After the first four miles, it was a two-man race between Wells and Horgan-Kobelski who opened up a commanding lead that would not have been compromised unless a crash or mechanical failure occurred. Unfortunately for Wells, that's exactly what happened. After the completion of the first full lap, Horgan-Kobelski was all alone after Wells abandoned the race due to a derailleur malfunction.
Without Wells to work with, Horgan-Kobelski's chances to stay away in the windy conditions diminished as a dismantled group chased from behind. Closing in was Australia's Paul Rowney, but Horgan-Kobelski managed to hold off any threats as he soloed home for his first ever NORBA National cross country win. Trek-Volkswagen's Travis Brown (Durango, Colo.) put in a solid final lap to overtake Rowney for second place as Ryan Trebon (Corvallis, Ore.) and Carl Decker (Bend, Ore.) placed fourth and fifth respectively behind Rowney. U.S. Olympic hopeful, Jeremiah Bishop (Harrisonburg, Va.) was not in attendance.
The win also gives Horgan-Kobelski 40 UCI points with an opportunity for 20 more on Sunday. Wells looked equally as strong as Horgan-Kobelski up until his unfortunate departure and will likely be a favorite heading into Sunday's short track event.
The second round of the NORBA National Mountain Bike Series also marked the debut of gravity racing in 2004 after the first round in Waco, Texas featured only cross country events. On tap today was the Jeep King of the Mountain mountain cross in which Australian Wade Bootes and Jill Kintner (San Jose, Calif.) reigned victorious. In the men's final Bootes bested Brian Schmith (Lancaster, Calif.), Eric Carter (Temecula, Calif.) and Michael Robinson (AUS) and Kintner took the women's final from Tara Llanes (Corona, Calif.), Sabrina Jonnier (FRA), and Katrina Miller (AUS).
Gravity action continues on Sunday with the men's and women's dual slalom finals as potential Olympians will contest the short track cross country event.