Now That's a Long Drive

I just got back to Marin, CA from New Mexico. Ouch. That's a long one. And monotonous. What was not monotonous was the weather at the Angel Fire Chile Challenge this weekend. With dry-ish conditions on Thursday, sloppy muck on Friday, frozen mud on Saturday, nearly dry conditions on Sunday, and a dry and balmy Monday, the mountain kept us on our toes. The relentlessly rocky course only had a few high speed sections, and those were nearly as tough to hang on through as the bumpy stuff at the top of the course.

Melissa Buhl walked away with the Pro Women's downhill win. And she won the UCI mountaincross race on Saturday, as well as the National Championship mountaincross jersey on Sunday. Except for the National Championship race, the Chile Challenge races counted toward the National Mountain Bike Series, the USA Cycling Gravity Calendar, and the Mountain States Cup series. Jessica Vogt now leads the MSC series, Melissa will maintain her lead in the NMBS.

Downhill
Pro Women
1. Melissa Buhl
2. Lisa Myklak
3. Abigail Hippely
4. Jacqueline Harmony
5. Darian Harvey
6. Rachel Bauer
7. Addie Stewart
8. Wendy Reynolds
9. Stephanie Hatalsky
10. Mariska Chuse
11. Sondra Williamson
12. Michelle Rivera
13. Allegra Burch
14. Lisa Reinhard
15. Connie Misket
16. Kimber Gabryszak
17. Jackie Baker
18. Jessica Vogt

Expert Women
1. Jennifer Wolf
2. Erika Joehnck
3. Amy Scherm
4. Christen Boyer
5. Sage Wilderman
6. Lainey Aldridge
7. Nancy Harris
8. Soraya Khalje

Beginner/Jr. Women
1. Danielle Shewmake
2. Katy Monger

UCI Mountaincross
Pro/Expert Women
1. Melissa Buhl
2. Jessica Vogt
3. Neven Steinmetz
4. Stephanie Hatalsky
5. Rachel Bauer
6. Darian Harvey
7. Nadia Steinbrecher
8. Lainey Aldridge
9. Soraya Khalje
10. Christen Boyer

Sport/Beginner Women
1. Janna Renfro
2. Jennifer Johnson

USA Cycling Mountaincross National Championship
Pro Women
1. Melissa Buhl
2. Neven Steinmetz
3. Jessica Vogt
4. Sondra Williamson
5. Jackie Baker

Girls' Night at the Angel Fire Chile Challenge

Camping or sharing a condo with 8 dudes and their smelly gear can wear on a girl. We'd like to offer a means of escape--at least for a few hours. On Friday, May 23 at the Angel Fire Chile Challenge, Freeride Foundation is hosting a free Girls' Night to all the ladies at the venue. We'll provide snacks, a movie, and free goodies for everyone. Hooray! It'll go from 7:30pm to 9:30pm. Check posters at the venue or email info@freeridefoundation for the address to the condo at the resort. We hope to see you in New Mexico!

USA Cycling Adds Mountaincross National Championship

Yesterday USA Cycling announced that it would add another event to the Angel Fire Chile Challenge event taking place in New Mexico at the end of May. A one-day mountaincross National Championship will be held for American Pros only. This race is slated in addition to the already scheduled UCI/NMBS/MSC mountaincross race open international riders as well.

On the upside, Pro riders get one more chance to earn some National Championship-level UCI points. On the downside, only Pros get to compete for a National Championship jersey in mountaincross this year. There will still be Dual Slalom National Championship in Vermont later this summer.

Click here to read the USA Cycling announcement.