Wildflower Rush Sets the Stage for Nationals

Golden, Colo.– The fourth stop on the Mountain States Cup landed in Crested Butte June 19-21, where the wildflowers were rampant around the freshly cut singletrack and courses, and racers braved the elements in their last quest to qualify for USA Cycling Mountain Bike National Championships.

The cross country race on Saturday started with pristine conditions for the 7.5 mile loop. This course was new to even the locals of the mountain, and gave racers a taste of what pure Colorado singletrack really is like. By the time the pro race kicked off at 2:30 p.m., the conditions drastically changed, making it a challenging effort for the most prepared athletes on the hill. Andy Schultz (Durango, CO- Kenda/Tomac/Hayes), Macky Franklin (Taos, NM- Transparent Racing) and Jay Henry (Avon, CO- Tokyo Joes) battled it out to claim, first, second and third within 11 seconds of each other, despite the slick singletrack that otherwise would have been a fast, non-technical course.

The pro women faced the same conditions for three laps. Judy Freeman (Boulder, CO- Tough Girl / Scott) put a substantial lead on the pack finishing in 2:30:44. Jennifer Gerbasch (Avon, CO- Dale’s Pale Ale / Spot Brand) and Kelli Boniface (Steamboat Springs- Moots Cycles) came in third and fourth with a 2:41:46 and 2:44:59.

This was the first year a moutain cross course was built on Mt. Crested Butte. It was well received by all the gravity racers and brought a larger crowd than in years’ past. Pair that with a brand new downhill course, and the notoriously XC-centric venue became one of the gravity favorites overnight. Petr Hanak (Winter Park, CO) won the pro men’s mountain cross race againgst Joseph Backus (Mesa, AZ- Factory Staats) in the big final. Thomas Tokarczyk (Durango, CO- Jamis Bikes) and Michael Buell (Aspen, CO- Team Geronimo) took third and fourth.

Course conditions for the downhill changed throughout Saturday and Sunday, but despite the slick, muddy trails, racers still put down fast times for the downhill on Sunday. Chris Boice (Albuquerque, NM- Yeti / Fox National) won the men’s downhill with a 3:41:36. Brian Buell (Boulder, CO- Team Geronimo) and Joey Schusler (Boulder, CO- Yeti / Fox National) took second and third.

The MSC Photo Contest continues, and new posts are arriving every day at the MSC Photo Gallery at pinkbike.com. We are waiting for the final submissions to trickle in before we choose the final winner, but tune in to the homepage at racemsc.com to see the winner soon. Photos from USA Cycling Mountain Bike National Championships can be submitted into the MSC Photo Contest for the overall.

USA Cycling Mountain Bike National Championships will commence in exactly three weeks, where the best talent in the country will converge to battle it out for the official stars and stripes. The courses are now set and marked for cross country. Visit www.solvistanationals.com.

The Mountain States Cup will take a hiatus for the month of July, but will return for the fifth stop on its

circuit, August 7-9 in Snowmass Village, CO for XC, SD, MX and DH. For any inquiries please contact us at info@racemsc.com or 720-407-6142