Thursday, July 31, 2008

August's Featured Rider: Neven Steinmetz

Neven Steinmetz is one of the USA's few dedicated mountaincross racers. She has been to the World Championships twice and regularly competes at World Cup events. While her riding is impressive, her time spent off the bike is even more incredible. Neven is currently working on her PhD in Tissue Engineering at the University of Colorado. In addition, she's campaigning to become an athlete representative to USA Cycling for gravity sports. Luckily, Neven is sponsored by a coffee shop, because we’re not sure that she has time to sleep.--FF

Name: Neven Steinmetz
Home: Boulder, CO
Age: 31 (But seem to think I'm about 23)
Favorite type of riding: Racing mountaincross and dirt jumping
Why you ride: The challenge and the cool people
Sponsors: Yeti, Hayes, Maxxis, DT Swiss, ODI, e.13, Fox Racing, Smith, Nema, Totally Wired Cyclery, Rocky Mountain Roastery
Website: nevensteinmetz.blogspot.com

I started out racing cross country. I quickly learned that my skills were much better served descending rather than climbing. After running my fully-rigid Trek 820 into the garage (it was on the top of my car), I decided I needed a full suspension bike to replace it. I got a Yeti ASX and headed out to Angel Fire, NM for my first downhill race. At registration, I was asked if I wanted to sign up for mountaincross in addition to downhill. I asked what mountaincross was, and was told, "It's free." That didn't really explain what it was to me, but I decided to give it a go anyway. I did the race on my cross country bike and took a huge crash, but I ended up doing pretty well and I was hooked.

I really enjoy riding and racing downhill, but mountaincross is definitely my passion. I love the head-to-head competition. And I really love the feeling of putting together a run that has sprinting, jumping, manualing, and cornering all packed into 30-45 seconds. There's no room for making a single mistake.

When I'm not working on my PhD, you can find me riding at our local dirt jumps or at the BMX track. The two things that I have worked hardest on to become successful at mountaincross racing are power out of the start gate (lots of lifting in the gym) and dirt jumping. Next on the list, though, is definitely improving my cornering!

I turned pro 3 years ago and decided my goal was to make the US team for the World Championships. Last year, I was able to attain that goal and joined the US team in Fort William, Scotland. There were 45,000 people there watching mountaincross, including some who had climbed trees to be able to see! We raced under the lights, and it was live on the BBC. This was probably one of the most amazing experiences of my life! (Neven also raced mountaincross at Worlds in Italy this year!-FF)

I ride and race because I love the rush of the adrenaline, but also because I have made the most amazing friends and visited some amazing places over the past 6 years of racing. People who ride bikes are often very passionate, and I enjoy spending time with passionate people!

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Ladies, the Jeep King of the Mountain Series Needs You!

I just received an email from Lisa Myklak about the 48 Straight Jeep King of the Mountain Series. Apparently, there are very few girls registered for the Diablo Freeride Park event August 21-23 in New Jersey.
-The Jeep King of the Mountain races are open to any pro who races downhill or slalom.
-The event and series will be televised on CBS.
-It costs just $80 to register, and the prize purse goes 8 deep.
-First takes home $5000, 8th place gets $500.
That's right. I can't think can't think of any bigger incentive to sign up.
Oh, wait, there is one more thing: a carpooling road trip from the west to NJ. Lisa is attempting to coordinate a carpooling van to take a crew of ladies out to the race. And there may be some discounted lodging opportunities at Diablo too.
Stoked to go? Email me at info@freeridefoundation.com and I'll get you in touch with Lisa.
Get signed up by clicking here: https://www.sportsbaseonline.com/Item.aspx?item_id=2583

Snowshoe Powerade Race #2 Results

Missy Giove made a rare appearance at the second downhill race of the Snowshoe, WV Powerade Race series. And true to her legendary form, she slaughtered the competition. Missy bested second-place rider Amanda Pilling by over a minute.

Downhill
Elite Women
1. Missy Giove
2. Amanda Pilling
3. Ellen Adams
4. Heather Brennan

Weekend Warrior Women
1. Lauren Daney
2. Anne Vig
3. Tamara Peloquin
4. Dreama Davis

Intro Women
1. Amy Coleman
2. Anna Cain

Bald Mountain Challenge Results

The fourth race in the Utah Downhill Series took place at Deer Valley, UT on July 19-20. At the Balt Mountain Challenge, only the Sport women came out to play. The next race in the series is this weekend, August 2-3 at Pomerelle Resort, ID. The Pomerelle Pounder offers a downhill race on Saturday, and a second one on Sunday. What a deal!

Downhill
Sport Women 19+
1. Joy Sather

Super D
Sport Women 19+
1. Kaylee Fisher
2. Claudia Jackson
3. Melanie Bullock

Monday, July 28, 2008

Speaking of Sombrio

If you're not doing anything on Wednesday night, and you live anywhere near Mount Seymour, BC, go ride with Sombrio. This ride is for women only and includes demo bikes, wine and cheese. Sounds about perfect to me! Click here to learn more from Pinkbike.com.

New Sombrio Products in Stock

We've just added three new 2008 Sombrio pieces to the Freeride Foundation catalog. The Sombrio Drift shorts, La Nina knickers, and the Tyax hoodie are all super cute products that we're totally stoked on.
The Sombrio Drift shorts are pretty much the awesome-est downhill shorts I've ever worn. They directly match the Lofter Jersey, and they're so comfy that I'd wear them all day if I could. Seriously. Waterproof vent and pocket zippers, a unique waterproof zip and snap fly closure, and stretchy shell material are just the beginning of the incredible list of the Drift's features.
The Sombrio La Nina knickers are shorts that hit just below the knees. The La Nina fits a bit snugger than other Sombrio options, and they're sweet stretchy shorts for freeride fun and autumn riding. You can wear these with a chamois, but probably not with armor.
The Sombrio Tyax hoodie is an adorable and toasty top that delivers pre- and post-ride style and warmth.

Saturday, July 26, 2008

Mont-Sainte-Anne World Cup Mountaincross Results

Melissa Buhl took the Mount-Sainte-Anne World Cup 4x win today with smart tactics. Anneke Beerten led out of the gate, but Melissa squeezed her to the outside of a corner to take the lead. Anneke wasn't able to stay on course and ended up taking fourth. World Cup racing continues next week at Bromont, QC, Canada, the 5th stop of the series.

Big Final
1. Melissa Buhl
2. Mio Suemasa
3. Fionn Griffiths
4. Anneke Beerten

Small Final
5. Anita Molcik
6. Caroline Buchanan
7. Eva Castro Fernandez
8. Neven Steinmetz

Mont-Sainte-Anne World Cup Downhill Results

Rachel Atherton won the Mont-Sainte-Anne, QC, CanadaWorld Cup downhill today. She bested Sabrina Jonnier by just over a second. Rachel was the top-seeded girl after qualifying, where she was about 8 seconds faster than Tracy Moseley.
In other news, mountaincross qualifying was postponed from yesterday to today due to weather and a super muddy track. Practice, qualifying and finals will run today after the men's downhill concludes.

Downhill Finals
1. Rachel Atherton
2. Sabrina Jonnier
3. Tracy Moseley
4. Mio Suemasa
5. Fionn Griffiths
6. Claire Buchar
7. Helen Gaskell
8. Anita Molcik
9. Scarlett Hagen
10. Micayla Gatto
11. Harriet Harper
12. Danice Uyesugi
13. Emmeline Ragot
14. Amy Laird
14. Katrina Strand
16. Emilie Siegenthaler
17. Helene Valerie Fruhwirth
18. Floriane Pugin
19. Marie-Eve Marcotte
20. Myriam Nicole

Downhill Qualifying
1. Rachel Atherton
2. Tracy Moseley
3. Emmeline Rago
4. Sabrina Jonnier
5. Floriane Pugin
6. Mio Suemasa
7. Anita Molcik
8. Claire Buchar
9. Fionn Griffiths
10. Scarlett Hagen

Friday, July 25, 2008

2008 WomenzWorx at Crankworx

Declinemagazine.com posted an article about the 2nd-annual WomenzWorx events to be held August 11-12 in Whistler, BC. To celebrate, Whistler Mountain Bike Park is giving the first 100 women to get to the park each day a free lift ticket. The Gala freeride competition will take place on the 12th, and there are half-day women's-only clinics to take as well. Read more about WomenzWorx here.

Silveroxx Jam Session Results

Silver Mountain, ID held the Silveroxx 3-race downhill event last weekend. For Saturday's Jam Session, riders had about 4 hours to take as many runs as they wanted on the track. The fastest run from each person counted as their final result. Then there was a Super D on Saturday too. The Enduro DH was held on Sunday. Racers had several hours to try to get as many runs in as possible.

Jam Session
Pro Women
1. Britney White
2. Joy Mutoli

Expert Women
1. Jaimie Rees
2. Chelsey Stevens

Sport Women
1. Valerie Green

Beginner Women
1. Kristin Stevens
2. Corrine Greve

Super D
Pro Women
1. Britney White
2. Joy Mutoli

Expert Women
1. Jaime Reese
2. Chelsey Stevens

Sport Women
1. Valerie Green

Beginner Women
1. Kristin Stevens
2. Corrine Greve

Enduro Downhill
Pro Women
1. Britney White
2. Joy Mutoli

Expert Women
1. Jaime Reese
2. Chelsey Stevens

Sport Women
1. Valerie Green
2. Ashley Densmore
3. Sandy Densmore

Beginner Women
1. Kristin Stevens
2. Corrine Greve

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Willamette Pass Downhill Results

The first Willamette Pass downhill race of the season was held in last weekend. The three-race series is being held at Willamette Pass Resort, OR. The next race is August 3.

Expert Women
1. Melodie Buell

Sport Women
1. Cherry Thomas
2. Ashley Smeltzer
3. Holli Adams
4. LeeAnn Thompson

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

MSNBC Article About More Peeps on Bikes

When I logged into my Hotmail account a few minutes ago, this article, "Bikes or Cars-Who Rules the Road," caught my eye. I was a bit worried that when I clicked on the link, I'd read all about how cyclists cause all the accidents, or how irresponsible cyclists are on the road. I guess I'd been living in Marin for too long.

What's cool is that the article cites how many more people are commuting via bikes around the country, and how public transportation and other resources (such as bike racks on buses and lack bike lanes) are strained due to the increase in cycling traffic. It's nice to see that so many people are getting on bikes.

The article also does a good job of highlighting how newer riders tend to cause many of the issues on road, simply because they lack skill and experience. Often when articles come out about riders and cars, the fact that it's difficult to learn how to ride safely on the road is overlooked. Proficient riders can easily avoid slower riders, negotiate stoplights, and pay attention to what's in front of them as well as what's going on in their periphery. That's all pretty overwhelming for newer riders.

Sure, this article doesn't have much to do with freeriding, but wouldn't it be cool if all of these people who are learning to ride on the road looked into taking some skills clinics on dirt or started a lifetime of exploring their surroundings by bike? I imagine that newer riders who learn to bunny hop, take a drop, or rail a berm on dirt would be much safer riders on the road.

British National Downhill Championships

'Tis the month of National Championships. The British Downhill National Championships were held last weekend at Bala, North Wales. Tracy Moseley took the title over Helen Gaskell. Rachel Atherton was in contention for the win, but nailed a tree in practice and was carried off the course. Apparently she appeared later at the venue in one piece, but on crutches. Tracy now holds 5 British National Downhill Championship titles.

Pro Women
1. Tracy Moseley
2. Helen Gaskell
3. Katy Curd
4. Emily Horridge
5. Sarh Newman
6. Calamity Jayne
7. Haby Blu Cann
8. Sue Mahony

Senior Women
1. Emma Wareham
2. Harriet Latchem

Junior Women
1. Jessica Stone
2. Monet Adams
3. Bex Reilly

Master Women
1. Kate Betts

Monday, July 21, 2008

Northstar-at-Tahoe Downhill Race #2

The second Northstar-at-Tahoe downhill race of the season was held on the long and dusty Boondocks run yesterday. Tasa Herndon continued to rule on her home turf, taking the Pro Women's win. She won the first race of the series as well. The next race at Northstar, CA will be held on August 10. The pros and experts will run on Dogbone, top-to-bottom. That one could hurt.

Pro Women
1. Tasa Herndon
2. Fianna Conden
3. Asa Salas
4. Tara Johnson
6. Sebray Gossett

Women 29 & Under
1. Bernadette McElroy

Women 30+
1. Colleen Carnathan

Sunday, July 20, 2008

Melissa Buhl Wins US Downhill National Championship

Melissa Buhl snagged her third US National Championship jersey of the year today. She won the women's pro downhill by 3 seconds over Marla Streb. Yes, Marla Streb. Kathy Pruitt, the 2007 Downhill National Champ, flatted in her race run.

Pro Women
1. Melissa Buhl
2. Marla Streb
3. Dawn Bourque
4. Darian Harvey
5. Allegra Burch
6. Lauren Petersen
7. Karen Eagan
8. Alexis Wruble
9. Kathy Pruitt
10. Kathi Krause
11. Stephanie Hatalsky
12. Alicia Hamilton
13. Jessica Vogt
14. Connie Misket
15. Kimber Gabryszak

Rachel Lloyd Wins Super D National Championship

For the second year in a row, Rachel Lloyd traveled to Vermont to win the US National Championship Super D. She bested a tough field of downhill and cross country pros like Marla Streb and Katie Compton for the jersey. Emily Parker, Joanna Tuttle, Rozanne Puleo, and Darlene Phillips each took Super D National Championship titles in their respective age groups.

Pro Women
1. Rachel Lloyd
2. Marla Streb
3. Katie Compton
4. Kyia Anderson
5. Pua Sawicki
6. Lindsey Bishop
7. Karen Eagan
8. Danae York
9. Rachel Throop
10. Jennifer Tilley
11. Connie Misket
12. Sarah Kaufmann
13. Shannon Morrison
14. Alexis Wruble
15. Kimber Gabryszak
16. Willow Koerber

Junior Women 18 & Under
1. Emily Parker
2. Elizabeth White
3. Lainey Aldridge
4. Jenny Lewis
5. Maddyson Page
6. Deidre York

Women 19-29
1. Joanna Tuttle
2. Lianna Miller
3. Laura Winberry
4. Emma Worldpeace
5. Gerilynn Swede
6. Kasey Sibrinsz
7. Eileen Dalton

Women 30-39
1. Rozanne Puleo
2. Amanda Pilling
3. Hillary Styer

Women 40 +
1. Darlene Phillips

Saturday, July 19, 2008

Melissa Buhl Wins US Dual Slalom National Championship

Melissa Buhl took her second-consecutive US National Championship jersey in pro women's dual slalom today. She's racking up the jerseys this year. Melissa already has the World Champ and US National Champ jerseys in mountaincross. She bested Kathy Pruitt for the dual slalom win. The two will face off again on Sunday for the US National downhill title, which Kathy currently holds.

Pro Women's Dual Slalom
1. Melissa Buhl
2. Kathy Pruitt
3. Darian Harvey
4. Jessica Vogt

US National Championships Am. Downhill Results

Lainey Aldridge, Kelly Moore, Amanda Pilling, and Vicki Koch each earned a US Downhill National Championship jersey in their respective Expert Women's age groups today. In Sport Women, Lauren Daney and Kristine Koch each took the titles in their age groups. Beginner Women's winners were Amanda Doughty, Melissa Moran, and Taylor Allison. Yes, what you see below are the entire finishing fields.

Jr. Expert Women
1. Lainey Aldridge

Expert Women 19-24
1. Kelly Moore

Expert Women
1. Amanda Pilling
2. Joy Martin

Expert Women 40-49
1. Vicki Koch
2. Kathleen Herde

Jr. Sport Women 15-18
1. Lauren Daney

Sport Women 19-29
1. Kristine Koch
2. Kasey Sibrinsz

Beginner Women 19-29
1. Amanda Doughty

Beginner Women 30-39
1. Melissa Moran

Junior Women 11-12
1. Taylor Allison

US National Championships Kick-Off

The US National Mountain Bike Championships are underway in Mt. Snow, VT. The gravity events kicked off on Friday with dual slalom. Lainey Aldridge took the Expert Women's US National Dual Slalom title and Kristine Koch took the win for the Sport/Beginner women. The pros qualified today, and Melissa Buhl took the lead over Kathy Pruitt. The pro slalom finals are on Saturday.

Expert Women
1. Lainey Aldridge
2. Vicki Koch
3. Johanne Tuttle
4. Katelyn Parhiala

Sport/Beginner Women
1. Kristine Koch
2. Kathleen Herde
3. Amy Somers
4. Taylor Allison
5. Rebecca Bagley
6. Molly Seal

Pro Women Qualifying
1. Melissa Buhl
2. Kathy Pruitt
3. Darian Harvey
4. Jessica Vogt
5. Allegra Burch

Friday, July 18, 2008

Results from the Third Fluidride Cup

The third event in the Fluidride Cup series was held last weekend at Mt. Hood, OR. There was no dual slalom due to the snowpack, but the downhill track was good to go. Joy Mutoli represented for the pro women. Once again, the Pacific Northwest sport women's field showed impressive numbers at this race.

Pro Women
1. Joy Mutoli

Expert Women
1. Dawn Lambert
2. Chelsey Stevens
3. Shelby Reilly
4. Brook Shore

Sport Women
1. Summer Northern
2. Cherry Thomas
3. Jessica Serdowich
4. Lisa Ness
5. Ashley Smeltzer
6. Janice Danley
7. Leslie Simpson
8. Susan Himes

Sport Women 18 & Under
1. Ashley Densmore

Beginner Women
1. Corinne Greve

Beginner Women 18 & Under
1. Cheyenne Smith
2. Brittany Bell
3. Nicole Juntunen

Anne Laplante Article on Pinkbike.com

I've mentioned before that I'm a fan of Pinkbike.com's women's riding coverage. Once again, they're making my life easier. Anne Laplante just won the Canadian National Downhill title for junior women, and Pinkbike posted an article (written by fellow rider Amber Zirnhelt) all about this young ripper. Not only is Anne quick on the downhill bike, but as you'll see in the article's photos, she's a talented dirt jumper as well. Click here to read Anne's article.

Thursday, July 17, 2008

Avalache Trophy Results

We posted Anka's race report from the Alpe d'Huez Megavalanche event earlier this morning. Then while lurking around on Facebook, I saw that Jackie Harmony was there too. She took 15th. Another interesting thing about this race is that Ophelie David, who may be best known in the US for her skiercross racing, took the women's win in 1:02:03 , just 51 seconds ahead of Birgit Braumann.

1. Ophelie David
2. Birgit Braumann
3. Antje Kramer
4. Monkica Rosifka
5. Caroline Sax
6. Sonja Granzow
7. Anka Martin
8. Nathalie Cuche
9. Angela Proctor
10. Solveig Lindgren
11. Nadine Sapin
12. Stephanye Ethoin
13. Caroline Millet
14. Rachel Evans
15. Jacqueline Harmony
16. Amparo Ausina
17. Sara Dyson
18. Sara Burdon
19. Franziska Morganti
20. Nicky Vincent
21. Elsa Bates
22. Susan Mahony
23. Amanda Siegert
24. Nicky Belton
25. Alison Campbell
26. Rhiann Atherton
27. Helen Antram
28. Barbara Bolognesi
29. Valerie Priem
30. Anne Langmaid
31. Sian James
32. Charlotte Robinson
33. Joanne McCallum
34. Martha Tullberg
35. Fiona Buttrey

Anka's Megavalanche Race Report

Fluidride athlete Anka Martin sent out this Megavalanche race report this morning. She raced the Avalanche Trophy at Alpe d'Huez, France last weekend:

So with all my years of racing downhill and recently racing some pretty tough endurance cross country events, I can truly say that I have just completed the toughest, most grueling race that I have ever entered.

Imagine 1400 people all sprinting off as fast as they can possibly go down 30km of super technical singletrack and ice, with more than 4000 meters of descent. Sven and I just got back from racing the Megavalanche in Alpe d'Huez, France and it was the best, most exciting race that I have ever done. It was organized chaos and I loved every minute of it.

The scenery and the singletrack were breathtakingly beautiful, so majestic and vast, the trails just carried on for days. The altitude was something else. It felt like I had a concrete block tied to my chest that I could feel with every gasping breath I tried to take. The course was so technical that you had to wear full body armor, full face helmets and goggles. We raced on our Ironhorse MK111, 5" trailbikes, because there is also a lot of climbing involved and frankly I would have died if I were on my DH rig. They were set up full xc style, with 3 rings and no suspension seatpost.

It took us two full days to practice the two race tracks.It is so vast out there, you ride through and to different towns and you have to catch buses and ski lifts back to towns, and it was all very confusing to get dialed and with 1400 other people, the bus and lift lines could take a while.

Riding down the glacier was the scariest, weirdest thing ever, you get to the top of this huge mountain, get off the lift as usual, put on your goggles, look over the edge and take off on the ice, not knowing what the hell to do. I got the chest on the seat, bum on the rear wheel, shoe out ski technique dialed, except for the cramps that developed after a while of holding such a position - the glacier is about 5km long and steeeeeep!

On the Friday you have to race a qualifying race to seed for the main race on Saturday. The track was 15km long, starting at 2810 m and dropping down to 1290 m. The track that was way more suited for a downhill bike that a little xc bike, but under race pressure, I rode that little xc bike of mine as if I was on my DH bike. I paid the price though, with a front flat near the top part of the track, while lying in the front five girls. Flustered and in complete disbelief of my luck, I pulled off the track and tried to fix the flat as quickly as I could, only to find my CO2 cartridge didn't work anymore. I had given Sven my pump earlier in the day, and luckily I had another cartridge to half fill my tire. Now in a complete flat spin, I jumped back on track and started passing back the girls that passed me, knowing that I had to finish in the top 32 to get a front row start in the race. I ended up 29th and secured my spot in the race. Phew...

Waking up to a massive storm with thunder and lightning and pouring rain on race day, I knew we were in for a treat. The start was at 3300 m and we would finish at 720m, dropping 2580 m in 30 km. You have to get on the chair lift 2 hours before your start, to get all the way to the top, so setting off in the pouring rain at 7am, I had no idea what to expect. The race almost got canceled because of the storm, and we couldn't get up to the glacier - it was dumping snow, so they changed the start to the beginning of the Qualifying track and then it merged into the Mega track. With major delays, we ended up waiting in the pouring rain and cold for three hours before we raced.

You can imagine how great it felt to be in a mass start and not being able to feel your hands and feet, never mind trying to ride your bike and dodge all the people...and that is exactly what we did. It was the most technical riding I have ever done on a little bike. I got the hole shot at the start - wishing now that I had done some more four-cross races in my day, and off I went. My body went into complete lactic shock after the first few turns and my hands were still numb from the cold. It was insane, with people falling down cliffs all around you, and falling in the snow and ice, and cutting you off, it was painful. My chain kept coming off, and I had to stop three times to put it back on and get it untangled from my derailleur, super frustrating not having a chain guide and a suspension seatpost for the climbs.

It was so hard to pass people as it was just gnarly singletrack riding, I tried to pass whenever I could, and after 1h8min, I finally crossed the finish line in 7th place - only 30 seconds from 4th place. I was so stoked to be done and pretty happy with my placing considering all my mechanical stops. I have never been so physically exhausted after any other race - even the Cape Epic. 100 women were entered, 55 were left after qualifying, and 35 managed to finish the race. Sven killed it too, he was 88th out of 1400 guys - not bad for someone that has hardly been riding at all.

It would be such a fun event to get a bunch of friends together to do - a definitive must for next year.

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

East Coast National Results

The fifth race in the National Mountain Bike Series took place at Windham Mountain Resort, NY this weekend. Joanna Petterson took her second NMBS downhill win in a row. She bested Amy Laird, who was the top qualifier. Joanna also took the dual slalom win, but had no competitors. Eh-hem, ladies.
Joanna moves into third in the overall downhill standings behind Darian Harvey (1st) and Melissa Buhl (2nd). For the dual slalom and mountaincross standings, Melissa maintains her lead, while Joanna moves into second place and bumps Darian Harvey into third.
Yes, this is all of the women's results from Windham.

Downhill
Pro Women
1. Joanna Petterson
2. Amy Laird
3. Alexis Wruble
4. Allegra Burch
5. Lauren Petersen
6. Kathi Krause
7. Alicia Hamilton

Beginner Women 19-29
1. Gaelle Hudson

Dual Slalom
Pro Women
1. Joanna Petterson

Open Women
1. Rebecca Bagley
2. Molly Seal

Canadian National Downhill Championships

Sheila Morris claimed the title of Canadian National Downhill Champion this weekend at Mont-Sainte-Anne, QC. Sheila bested Micayla Gatto by 9 seconds for the win. The Canadian National Championships are part of the Velirium cycling festival, which is where we found our results.

Elite Women
1. Sheila Morris
2. Micayla Gatto
3. Marie-Eve Marcotte
4. Danice Uyesugi
5. Kim Huard
6. Claudia Paquin
7. Amber Zirnhelt
8. Sophie Poirier
9. Mylene Kim Fortier
10. Audree Vaillancourt

Junior Expert Women
1. Anne Laplante
2. Vaea Verbeek
3. Miranda Miller

Expert Women 30+
1. Caroline Milot
2. Helene Croteau
3. Marie-Josee Pomerleau

Under 17 Women
1. Eve-Marie Beaupre

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

European Downhill Championships

The European Downhill Championships were held at Caspoggio in Valmalenco, Italy, this weekend. Sabrina Jonnier won the title of European Downhill Champion, and Anaïs Pajot took the junior women's win.

Elite Women
1. Sabrina Jonnier (France)
2. Petra Bernhard (Austria)
3. Floriane Pugin (France)
4. Emmeline Ragot (France)
5. Miriam Ruchti (Switzerland)
6. Katy Curd (Great Britain)
7. Anita Molcik (Austria)
8. Céline Gros (France)
9. Victoria Hernández Molinas (Spain)
10. Harriet Rucknagel (Germany)
11. Helene Fruhwith (Austria)
12. Elisa Canepa (Italy)
13. Katarina Tothova (Czech Republic)
14. Sandra Rubesam (Germany)

Junior Women
1. Anaïs Pajot (France)
2. Myriam Nicole (France)

We found our results on cyclingnews.com.

An Oldie but Goodie

Several weekends ago, Go-Ride held the third race in the Utah Downhill Series at White Pine Resort in Pinedale, WY. Connie Misket took the pro downhill win over Addie Stewart. The next race in the series is the Bald Mountain Challenge on July 19-20 at Deer Valley, UT.

Downhill
Pro Women
1. Connie Misket
2. Addie Stewart

Sport Women
1. Joy Sather
2. Liana Gregory
3. Michelle Good

Super D
Pro Women
1. Addie Stewart
2. Connie Miskit

Sport Women 19+
1. Michelle Good
2. Claudia Jackson

We found our results on Go-ride.com.

Monday, July 14, 2008

Blast the Mass Results

Snowmass, CO hosted the Mountain States Cup Blast the Mass event this weekend. This race was the fourth in the MSC series. Melissa Buhl is back from a wrist injury she received at Deer Valley, and once again she dominated both the mountaincross and downhill races. Rachel Bauer maintains her lead in the series Gravity standings. The next MSC race will be the Sol Survivor at Sol Vista, CO on August 1-3.

Downhill
Pro Women
1. Melissa Buhl
2. Rachel Bauer
3. Darian Harvey
4. Stephanie Hatalsky
5. Lisa Reinhard
6. Neven Steinmetz

Expert Women
1. Sage Wilderman
2. Kelly Moore
3. Christen Boyer
4. Nova Hairston
5. Jennifer Johnson
6. Kyra Alexander

Beginner/Jr. Women
1. Briana Perkins
2. Danielle Shewmake
3. Katy Monger
4. Kirstin Buell
5. Brittany Engleking

Mountaincross
Pro/Expert Women
1. Melissa Buhl
2. Neven Steinmetz
3. Christen Boyer
4. Darian Harvey
5. Rachel Bauer
6. Soraya Khalje
7. Stephanie Hatalsky

Sport/Beginner Women
1. Jessica Kirkpatrick
2. Jennifer Johnson
3. Lucy Stevens
4. Brittany Engleking
5. Danika Gillespie

We found our results on racemsc.com.

Downieville All-Mountain World Championships

Rachel Lloyd dominated the 2008 Downieville Classic. Deemed the "All-Mountain World Championships," the race held in Downieville, CA saw an all-star cast of pro cross country and downhill riders vie for the title. Rachel won the cross country race on Saturday and the downhill race on Sunday for the overall win, maintaining her All-Mountain title from 2007. She bested Sue Haywood, her closest competitor, by two minutes each day.

Pro Women All-Mountain
Overall
1. Rachel Lloyd
2. Susan Haywood
3. Sarah Maile
4. Jamie Stamps
5. Maureen Kunz
6. Tiffany Allmandinger
7. Abby Hippely
8. Jackie Baker
9. Niki Gudex
10. Corina Bigham
11. Katrina Strand
12. Erin Moeschler

Cross Country
1. Rachel Lloyd
2. Susan Haywood
3. Sarah Maile
4. Jamie Stamps
5. Maureen Kunz
6. Tiffany Allmandinger
7. Jackie Baker
8. Abby Hippely
9. Niki Gudex
10. Corina Bigham
11. Katrina Strand
12. Erin Moeschler

Downhill
1. Rachel Lloyd
2. Susan Haywood
3. Abby Hippely
4. Tiffany Allmandinger
5. Jamie Stamps
6. Maureen Kunz
7. Sarah Maile
8. Jackie Baker
9. Corina Bigham
10. Niki Gudex
11. Katrina Strand
12. Erin Moeschler

Expert Women All-Mountain
Overall
1. Sharon Hill
2. Laura Home
3. Cassandra Stamm
4. Trista Schulze

Cross Country
1. Sharon Hill
2. Laura Home
3. Lindsey Voreis
4. Cassandra Stamm
5. Trista Schulze


Downhill
1. Sharon Hill
2. Trista Schulze
3. Laura Home
4. Cassandra Stamm

Downhill
Expert Women
1. Zea Walton
2. Sarah Miller
3. Nica Lorber
4. Naomi Murray
5. Margarete Jadamec
6. Sasha Evans

Sport Women
1. Maureen Gaffney
2. Angela Delponte
3. Michelle Stoddard
4. Rachel DeLateur
5. Lauren McQuinn
6. Roxanne Canent

Wednesday, July 9, 2008

A Rad Event You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The SilverRoxx 3-race weekend could be the coolest gravity event of the season, and if you're like me, it's probably news to you. The race is hosted by Silver Mountain, which is located in northern Idaho. The weekend starts with a "Jam Session" downhill race on Saturday, July 19, where you can take runs for four hours to try to put down the fastest time. Then there's a real downhiller's Super D that afternoon. On Sunday, July 20, there's an Enduro Downhill race to see who can score the most vertical. It's a lot of racing, and it all sounds pretty darn fun.

Tuesday, July 8, 2008

Countdown to Downieville

It's far too late to get into the Downieville Downhill (it sold out in less than 5 minutes in April). And unless you've been training your booty off, it's probably too late to commit to racing the painful Downieville Cross Country. You still have time to claim a World Champion title, though. The three opportunities to claim your fame July 11-13 in Downieville, CA are the River Jump World Championships, the Pixie Cross World Championships, and the Robot Dance-off World Championships. Show up, goof off, make your friends jealous.
For more information, visit WTB or the Downieville Classic websites.

Gravity East Series Race #4 Results

Plattekill Mountain, NY hosted the fourth downhill race in the Gravity East Series on Sunday. Dawn Bourque took her second GES Pro downhill win of the season. The second race of New York's Dual Slalom State Championship Series was held on Saturday, and Isabel Georgian took the Pro win.

Downhill
Pro/Expert Women
1. Dawn Bourque
2. Allegra Burch A
3. Isabel Georgian
4. Alicia Hamilton
5. Karen Eagan
6. Vicki Koch

Sport/Beginner Women
1. Lauren Daney
2. Kristine Koch
3. Marielle Lueker
4. Amy Somers

Junior Beginner Women
1. Taylor Allison
2. Greer Sargeant

Dual Slalom
Pro/Expert Women
1. Isabelle Georgian
2. Karen Eagan
3. Vicki Koch

Beginner/Sport Women
1. Kristine Koch
2. Amy Somers

Junior Women
1 Maddie Crowley
2 Taylor Allison
3 Olivia Allison

Monday, July 7, 2008

Mount 7 Psychosis Results

The 10th annual Mount 7 Psychosis downhill race took place July 5 and 6 in Golden, BC. The Psychosis has been named the longest all-singletrack downhill race in the world. Claire Buchar claimed the Psychos Women's title, finishing in just over 17 minutes.

Psychos Women
1. Claire Buchar
2. Sarin Warman
3. Bethany Parsons
4. Katie Holden
5. Kari Mancer
6. Marcie Shatula
7. Kristen Smart

Sandbagger Women
1. Dominique Doyon
2. Dawn Cashen
3. Jerusha Millar
4. Michelle Locke

Thursday, July 3, 2008

Petition to Reverse the UCI Women's Downhill Qualifying Rule

Sign the petition, pass it on: http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/worldcupwomensdhqualification/?e

The UCI recently enacted a ruling that only the women who place in the top 20 in their downhill Qualifying run at a World Cup race can advance to the Final race run. Previously the top 30 women were allowed to compete for a World Cup downhill result. According to World Cup professional downhill riders Joanna Petterson and Jaymie Mart, the reason for the UCI’s rule change was due to faster male riders complaining of slower female riders on the track during practice sessions.

This is a quote from a letter sent by Jaymie to the UCI: “It appears this complaint was originally put forwards to a rider’s forum at meeting in Slovenia in September 2007 and stems from a concern of slower female riders impeding practice of the faster males…”

Reducing the number of women who move from the Qualifying run to the Final run essentially has no effect on the reduction of the number of women on course during practice because there is normally no practice between to the two events on race day.

Another point that Joanna and Jaymie make is that the riders ranked within the last season’s top-10 standings are protected from being disqualified during Qualifying. That means that a top-10 rider can place 23rd in her Qualifying run and still compete in the final. However, the women with quicker Qualifying times, who place 21st and 22nd, are unable to compete in the final.

Now, this top-10 qualifying rule has its drawbacks and merits, but it is not what is being debated. What is disturbing is that, in general, out of all of the women in the world, only 10 additional women outside of the 2007 top 10 are able to compete in a World Cup final.

Jaymie writes, “Percentage wise, in the women’s category, 50% of the riders inside the top 20 are protected riders where as 25% of the men (20 out of a possible 80) are protected. …Minimizing the available positions in a World Cup final evidently does not have the required effect on course and will sadly result in a diminished women’s field at a time when admittedly, numbers of female racers are continuing to dwindle. This category of riders requires support, not restriction.”

In case you’re thinking that there are dangerously slow women attending World Cup races, let’s consider a few points. First, World Cup downhill tracks are tough, and most riders in the world—male or female—would have difficulty riding these courses adeptly. If a rider truly struggles, being the professional rider that he or she is, that rider should recognize that he or she is in over his or her head and should choose not to continue to practice, and certainly not to attempt to race.

Second, if there are real issues with men and women riding at such varying speeds as prove dangerous during practice, why doesn’t the UCI split practice times? Guys can charge, girls can rip, and lift lines remain reasonable. If reducing the number of women who qualify for the Final race has no practical effect on the practice situation, this option seems like a smarter alternative.

Third, anyone attending a World Cup event must first qualify to ride the venue at all in one of two ways: 1. Accrue 20 UCI points in your designated discipline (Downhill races only count toward downhill points, 4x only counts toward 4x, etc). 2. Be a member of a UCI trade team.

There are very few women in the world who have accumulated the necessary amount of UCI points to race a World Cup. Few events provide those points, and the events that do supply points, like National Championships and UCI-rated races only allot a few points per place. The number of women who don’t have their 20 points and are part of a UCI trade team are even fewer. UCI trade teams normally only pull women who have proven themselves at the World Cup level already. Jaymie points out in her letter that the trade team option often allows for inexperienced men to cause an even greater threat on course than the women who have accrued their UCI points.

It’s obvious that the new rule is illogical. Luckily, we can get the UCI pointed back in the right direction by urging them to repeal the new 20-woman Qualifying limit and reinstate the 30-woman standard. Click here and sign the petition, and pass the link on to your friends. Not only will more women get the experience of racing for a World Cup result, but also the pool of talented female downhill racers will continue to grow and thrive.

Click here to read Neven Steinmetz’s blog post about this issue.

Sign the petition, pass it on: http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/worldcupwomensdhqualification/?e

Snowshoe Powerade Race #1 Results

The first Snowshoe Powerade race of the summer took place last weekend at Snowshoe, WV. The weekend was dominated by talented Laurens. Lauren Petersen won the Elite downhill, and Lauren Daney won the Open dual slalom. The next race in the series will be held on July 27-27, 2008.

Downhill
Elite Women
1. Lauren Peterson
2. Ellen Adams
3. Rae Gandolf
4. Susan Haywood
5. Amanda Pilling
6. Heather Brennan

Women’s Weekend Warrior
1. Lauren Daney
2. Tamara Peloquin
3. Annie Vig
4. Desiree Miles

Women’s Intro
1. Amy Coleman
2. Robin Warren
3. Liz Scoville
4.
Anna Cain

Dual Slalom
Open Women
1. Lauren Daney

2. Robin Warren
3. Amanda Pilling
4. Amanda Levering
5. Melissa Edwards
6. Melissa Moran

We found our results at Ride Snowshoe Mountain.

Wednesday, July 2, 2008

Free Lift Tickets at Whiteface This Weekend!

Wooohoo! I just stopped by DeclineMagazine.com and was stoked to see an article about Ladies Day at Whiteface Mountain Bike Park this weekend. Whiteface is located in Lake Placid, NY. On Saturday, July 5, all women get a free lift ticket that's good for gondola and bus rides all day. There will be three more Ladies Days throughout the summer on the first Saturday of each month. Get your girls together and go ride for free!

Tuesday, July 1, 2008

Diablo Domination Series Round 2 Results

Freeride Foundation's own East-Coast transplant Allie Burch claimed her first Diablo Domination downhill win at the Diablo Freeride Park, NJ this weekend. We're glad she's getting adjusted to her new surroundings. Bonnie Chapman leads the series after this second race. The next Diablo Domination race will take place on August 24, 2008.

Pro/Open Women
1. Allegra Burch
2. Bonnie Chapman
3. Stephanie Gubernat
4. Alicia Hamilton
5. Isabel Georgian

Amateur Women
1. Kathleen Herde
2. Stephanie Fritz
3. Kristen Kastrinos

Intro Women
1. Marielle Luker

Series standings after two races:
Pro/Open Women
1. Bonnie Chapman
2. Isabel Georgian
3. Alicia Hamilton
4. Alexis Wruble
5. Allegra Burch
6. Stephanie Gubernat

Amateur Women
1. Stephanie Fritz
2. Kathleen Herde
3. Kristen Kastrinos

Intro Women
1. Marielle Luker

A Northstar Tuesday

After putting some big wide bars on my Giant Glory, I've waited patiently for the perfect, bluebird, smoke-free day to try them out. Today was that day. OK, to be honest, work and a bunch of other stupid stuff got in the way before the smoke did. I rolled up to Northstar to meet my friend Ben.

I had two goals today: 1. Check out the bars and see how many bolts I forgot to tighten while installing said bars. 2. Stay upright. The Downieville Classic is just over a week away, and I'm at enough of a disadvantage when I'm healthy. There's no need to go taking myself out now.

For those of you who've ridden Northstar, you probably know how difficult it can be fulfill goal #2. So my plan involved numerous laps on Livewire, Gypsy, and Karpiel-to-Speed Control-to Pho Dog. After a few laps, Ben and I ran into Kathy Pruitt and Cam McCaul. They were taking a little vaca and riding Northstar for the first time. Kathy was on my goal #2 program, having ridden all the gnar-Star stuff on Monday with a crew of friends, and needed a fun flowy day to get stoked for the rest of her action-packed summer. It was so fun to ride with them!

I couldn't believe how blown out some of the trails had gotten since I'd been there two weeks ago. Boondocks is a complete sandbox, so the upcoming race on that trail should be interesting. All-in-all, it was a successful day. I stayed upright and was super stoked with the new bars. (They stayed upright too.) It took a few runs on some tighter stuff to not feel like a complete beater cornering at slower speeds, but they felt awesome immediately on the fast jumpy stuff like Livewire.

Now it's all smokey again and it'll be after the Downieville race that I get back on the Glory. I can't wait!