April 6, 2008 (Fountain Hills, Arizona) – U.S. Olympic hopeful Georgia Gould (Luna Chix) and Canada’s Geoff Kabush (Maxxis) dominated the Kenda Cross Country, the finale of round two of the National Mountain Bike Series, the Nova National, powered by SOBE Cannondale, held on a fast, technical, desert course at McDowell Mountain Regional Park.

These two also won the three-day stage race. Both won Friday’s Super D time trial; and Kabush won Saturday’s Short Track while Gould finished second in the women’s race. Kabush and Gould now lead in the National Mountain Bike Series standings, with two of six rounds completed.

Men’s Race
Kabush worked with a lead group of five over three fast laps of the technically challenging, yet relatively flat, 10-mile course. With an abundance of embedded rocks throughout, many riders with superlight tires on hard-tail bikes suffered flat tires.

Kabush was not troubled by rocks. The 2007 NMBS series champion went to the lead on the first lap, with four others. These were: Adam Craig (Giant), Barry Wicks (Kona), Santa Cruz, Calif., the 2006 US Under-23 champion, Sam Schultz (Subaru-Gary Fisher), Missoula. Mont., and Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski (Subaru-Gary Fisher), Boulder, Colo.

On the second lap, Schultz, riding a hard tail, followed Craig through an alternative line that turned out to be full of sharp rocks. Craig floated; Schultz flatted.

Craig was doing a lot of pace setting as the end of the race drew near. After working with him and others in the lead group for two laps, going into the final three miles, Kabush grew restless and started to attack the group as they crested the repetitive 15-second climbs that reared up from among the cacti. The first two times the group came back together on the following descent, but the effect of these repeated attacks took its toll as Wicks and Horgan Kobelski lost touch with the battling Craig and Kabush. Finally Craig could no longer pull back the Canadian on the descents and so the finishing order was decided.

Horgan-Kobelski took third at 50 seconds and Wicks rolled in fourth at 1:30. Another 45 seconds later, Liam Killeen (Specialized) of Great Britain outsprinted Canada’s Mathieu Toulouse (Maxxis), and Carl Decker (Giant), Bend, Oreg. to claim fifth spot.

Women’s Race
Georgia Gould, 28, of Missoula, Mont., blasted off at the start of her two-lap, 20-mile race and was not seen by her rivals until the end, which she reached one minute, forty-seven seconds ahead of her team-mate Katerina Nash..

Nash, 31, a Czech native who now lives in Truckee, Calif., might have ridden with Gould all the way had she not gone down hard at the first corner and done herself an injury to the left knee that required stitches after the finish.

A group of eight riders formed to chase Gould, which later reduced to four as the race progressed and riders succumbed to double flats. Canada’s Willow Koerber (Subaru-Gary Fisher), was in fourth place when she double-flatted. Wendy Simms (Kona), and Catherine Pendrel (LUNA) were two other highly-placed riders stopped or delayed by flat tires – a spate of which came in the second half of the final lap.

Australia’s Dellys Starr (Dale’s Pale Ale) took third place, ahead of Kelli Emmet (Giant), Colorado Springs, in fourth and Kathy Sherwin (SOBE-Cannondale), Heber City, Utah, in fifth.

What they said

Adam Craig (2nd place XC; 3rd Overall)
“It’s hard to use this race as a form guide. It’s more of a skills/short power course, none of us were really breathing super hard.”

“The course was twisty and techy with sharp corners and rocks everywhere. It was about riding your bike: knowing how to corner well and float over the rocks. It was super-fun, with berms and small jumps everywhere. Incredibly fun.”

A Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski (3rd place XC; 2nd Overall)
“I feel really good. I was 3rd today and 2nd overall for the weekend. 2nd overall to Geoff Kabush is really solid, the way he’s riding. My goal is to stay healthy until I leave for the World Cups in Europe ten days from now.”

A Georgia Gould (1st place XC; 1st place Overall)
“It was a fun course, very fast, and the temperature was not too hot. I got the hole shot and didn’t look back… It was hard, it was so fast: only 1:20 for 20 miles. I rode a hard tail with tubeless tires, which gave me a lot of confidence, after seeing the rocks in the course last year I definitely wanted a stronger tire.”

“I like the stage race format. I wish we could do more of them. We’re here, so we may as well race, right? That’s one thing about the World Cups: you do all that travelling and then it’s just one short race and it’s all over and time to pack up.”

A Katerina Nash (2nd place XC; 2nd place overall)
“I have only myself to blame for that crash, but in the end I had an epic ride, just passing other riders all along. It was a good challenge and it worked out in the end.”

“I can only speculate about riding with Georgia today, but I know I’ve been feeling great the whole week, and was ready to put up a good fight against Georgia today.”

:This injury is not good timing for me. My place on the Czech Olympic team is determined by results from the first three world cup races, which start at Houffalize in ten days. Czech Republic has one place, and I have some competition for that place. Tereza Hurikova is a very strong, super-talented 20 year-old. I beat her at the Czech national championships last year, but she has beaten me. We are close; it will be an exciting fight.”

Results

Elite Women

1. Georgia Gould (USA) Luna Women’s MTB Team 1:20:13
2. Katerina Nash (Cze) Luna Women’s MTB Team 1:47
3. Dellys Starr (Aus) Dales Pale Ale/Spot Brand 1:59
4. Kelli Emmett (USA) Giant MTB Team 2:08
5. Kathy Sherwin (USA) Sobe-Cannondale 2:49
6. Monique Sawicki (USA) Ellsworth 3:18
7. Lea Davison (USA) Trek/VW 3:55
8. Heather Irmiger (USA) Subaru-Gary Fisher 4:41
9. Jenna Zander (USA) Sobe Cannondale 4:54
10. Melanie McQuaid (Can) BMC/Natures Path 5:30
11. Chloe Forsman (USA) Luna Women’s MTB Team 5:41
12. Amanda Sin (Can) 3 Rox Racing 5:50
13. Amanda Riley-Carey (USA) Kenda/Titus/Hayes 7:08
14. Carolyn Popovic (USA) Cicle/Bear Valley Bikes 7:09
15. Sue Butler (USA) Monavie/Cannondale 7:46
16. Jennifer Gersbach (USA) Dales Pale Ale/Spot Brand 8:13
17. Nina Baum (USA) Sobe-Cannondale 8:29
18. Caitlyn Tuel (USA) Trek/VW /Rocky Mountain 8:44
19. Emily Van Meter (USA) Sobe/Cannondale 8:49
20. Maureen Kunz (USA) Lost Coast Brewery 9:08
21. Willow Koerber (USA) Subaru-Gary Fisher 9:46
22. Shannon Gibson (USA) Velo-Bella/Kona 10:05
23. Jamie Dinkins (USA) Devo 10:10
24. Mical Dyck (Can) Trek/Terrascape Racing 11:06
25. Megan Monroe (USA) Dales Pale Ale 11:16
26. Heather Ranoa (USA) Intense 11:32
27. Jennifer Tilley (USA) Velo Bella/Kona 12:23
28. Theresa Richardson (USA) Sobe Cannondale 12:47
29. Jana Repulski (USA) Team Tamarack Resort 12:53
30. Jennifer Sica (USA) Schampa 12:56
31. Sonya Looney (USA) Sobe Cannondale 13:05
32. Erin Huck (USA) Tokyo Joes 13:37
33. Catherine Vipond (Can) Norco 14:00
34. Catherine Pendrel (Can) Luna Women’s MTB Team 14:24
35. Danae York (USA) Velobum.Com/Turner Suspension Bikes 14:33
36. Kimberly Flynn (USA) Vantaggio/Specialized 15:44
37. Krista Park (USA) Kenda-Titus-Hayes 17:20
38. Emily Batty (Can) Trek Bicycle Store Toronto 18:58
39. Stacey Scanlan (USA) Team Tamarack 20:24
40. Joy Duerksen (USA) Cole/Marten Transport 20:24
41. Melissa Buhl (USA) KHS Bicycles 22:32
42. Rachel Throop (USA) Devo 26:39
43. Jennifer Tribe-Wilson (USA) 26:46
44. Paz Bash (Isr) Spider-Kona 31:57
45. Kyia Anderson (USA) Ekho Hrm/Cannondale 32:57
46. Heather Holmes (USA) Kenda/Titus/Hayes 32:58
DNF Wendy Simms (Can) Kona
DNF Judy Freeman (USA) Toughgirl Cycling
DNF Mikaela Kofman (Can) 3 Rox Racing
DNF Melanie Meyers (USA) Specialized Designs
DNS Christie Pleiss (USA) Cicle/Bear Valley Bikes

Elite Men

1. Geoff Kabush (Can) Team Maxxis 1:47:18
2. Adam Craig (USA) Giant MTB Team 0:17
3. Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski (USA) Subaru-Gary Fisher 0:50
4. Barry Wicks (USA) Kona 1:30
5. Liam Killeen (Gbr) Specialized Factory Team 2:13
6. Mathieu Toulouse (Can) Team Maxxis 2:14
7. Carl Decker (USA) Giant MTB Team 2:16
8. Ross Schnell (USA) Trek/VW 3:43
9. Mike Phillips (USA) Alterra/Specialized 4:32
10. Sam Schultz (USA) Subaru-Gary Fisher 5:21
11. Kris Sneddon (Can) Kona Les Gets 5:50
12. Ryan Woodall (USA) Industrynine/Powerbar 6:26
13. Manuel Prado (CRC) Sho-Air/Rock N Road 7:08
14. Adam Morka (Can) 3 Rox Cycling 7:26
15. Stefan Widmer (Can) Rocky Mountain/Different Bike 7:56
16. Damian Calvert (USA) Sobe Cannondale MTB Team 7:57
17. Cody Peterson (USA) Scott Bicycles 8:00
18. Rotem Ishai (Isr) Spider-Kona Bikes 8:24
19. Evan Plews (USA) Scottusa/CSC 8:30
20. Adam Snyder (USA) 3-D Racing 8:35
21. Dana Weber (USA) Trek VW/Westcoast 8:47
22. Daniel Sessford (Can) Blue Competiton Cycles 9:25
23. Robert Marion (USA) Kenda Titus 10:21
24. Paul Hanson (USA) Sobe Cannondale 10:27
25. Travis Woodruff (USA) BMC/Momentumendurance 10:31
26. Matt Hadley (Can) Xprezo 10:38
27. Eric Salstrand (USA) Bicycle Haus/Oakley/Specialized 11:24
28. Mitchell Peterson (USA) Mona Vie/Cannondale 11:37
29. Michael Mccalla (USA) Spinner/Waltworks 11:56
30. Sean Donovan (USA) Cytomax/KHS 11:57
31. Bryan Fawley (USA) TX Tough/Hotel San Jose 11:58
32. Nat Ross (USA) Subaru-Gary Fisher 12:15
33. Ben Thompson (USA) Sobe-Cannondale 12:23
34. Robert Herber (USA) Intense 12:25
35. Chance Noble (USA) Calif Giant Berry Arms 12:52
36. Troy Wells (USA) Tokyo Joes 13:37
37. Travis Livermon (USA) Kobold Watch Comp 13:38
38. Mitch Hoke (USA) Tokyo Jos 13:46
39. Chris Peariso (USA) Adventure 212 /Titus 14:03
40. Brett Morgan (USA) Sobe/Cannondale 14:16
41. Jeff Schalk (USA) Trek VW- East 14:52
42. Brian Bain (Can) CMC/Bow Cycle 15:17
43. Chanoch Redlich (Isr) Citycyclingclub 15:33
44. Michael Lee (USA) Trek/VW West Coast 16:09
45. Christian Helmig (USA) Pivot/Mad Duck 16:48
46. Kevin Smallman (USA) Sobe Cannondale 17:46
47. Pablo Voigt (Mex) Turbo 18:00
48. Tad Elliott (USA) U23 National Team 18:01
49. Kamden Reedy (USA) Four Unity Racing 18:53
50. Dylan Stucki (USA) Mafia Racing 19:00
51. Jake Wells (USA) Mafiaracing.Com 19:01
52. Amon Pease (USA) Team Lost Coast Brewery 19:09
53. Kyle Douglas (Can) 3 Rox Racing 20:17
54. John Salskov (USA) Team Bicycle Haus 20:27
55. James Williams (USA) Sobe/Cannondale 20:34
56. Steve Kinney (USA) Steven K Sports 24:03
57. Scott Keller (USA) Schampa/Tribe 24:42
58. Eric Batty (Can) Trek Bicycles Store Team 25:21
59. Trevor Downing (USA) Devo 25:47
60. Cameron Jette (Can) Trek Bicycle Store 28:17
61. Paul Freiwald (USA) Titus Cycles 31:53
62. Matt Rotroff (USA) Btd/Inland Construction 36:00

Lapped

63. Aroussen Laflamme (Can) Webcor/Alto-Kona Endurance
64. Lucas Livermon (USA) Inland Construction
65. Alex Ryan (USA) Kobold/Cannondale
66. Kenji Takeya (Jpn) Specialized Japan
67. Ryan Trebon (USA) Kona
68. Yuki Saito (USA) Fuentes Design/Walt Works
DNF Ken Onodera (Jpn) Subaru-Gary Fisher
DNF Peter Glassford (Can) Trek Bicycle Store Toronto
DNF Joshua Powers (USA) Shampa
DNS Tim Allen (USA) Voodoo
DNF Kelly Magelky (USA) Trek-VW-Rocky Mtn
DNS Travis Brown (USA) Trek/Frs
DNF Derek Zandstra (Can) 3 Rox Racing
DNF Jay Henry (USA) Tokyo Joes
DNF Andy Schultz (USA) Kenda Titus Hayes
DNF Alex Howard (USA)
DNF Ethan Gilmour (USA) U23 National MTB Team
DNF Charles Pendry (USA) InlandBtd
DNS Nicholas Stevens (Gbr) Orbea Usa
DNF Chad Wells (USA) 3d Racing
DNS Tim Olson (USA) Trek/VW Westcoast
DNS Leonardo Sandoval (USA)
DNF Nate Whitman (USA) Hammer Nutrition