Wells, Batty win Sea Otter Classic; Plaxton, Batty lead Pro XCT overall

In the 2011 Sea Otter Classic cross-country race, Todd Wells (Durango, Colo./Specialized Racing) won by 53 seconds ahead of Canadian Max Plaxton (Specialized Racing USA) on Saturday in Monterey, Calif. Jeremiah Bishop (Harrisonburg, Va./Cannondale Factory), Adam Craig (Bend, Ore./Rabobank-Giant Offroad) and Sam Schultz (Missoula, Mt./Subrau-Trek) rounded out the top five finishers. Sam Ettinger (Cashmere, Wash./BMC Mountain Bike Development) was the top U23 finisher, crossing the finish line four minutes and eight seconds behind Wells.

Wells and Bishop set a fast pace from the start on a windy day. The two riders traded turns as leader. Craig and Plaxton pulled away from the chase group with Plaxton eventually bridging to the leaders. With Plaxton coming, Wells allowed Bishop to do most of the work. Plaxton and Wells worked together to attack Bishop for the final two laps.

After his performance in Monterey, Calif., Plaxton has a 10-point lead over Bishop in the USA Cycling 2011 Pro MTB Cross-Country (Pro XCT) Tour Standings. Wells, Schultz and Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski (Boulder, Colo./Subaru-Trek) fill out the top five positions.

Ettinger is the top U23 rider, sitting in eighth place, 240 points behind Plaxton.

On the women's side, two Canadian women led the pack as Emily Batty (Subaru-Trek) edged Catharine Pendrel (Luna Pro) by one second at the finish line. Katerina Nash (Truckee, Calif./Luna Pro) was third, completing the course two minutes and 46 seconds behind Pendrel. Lea Davison (Jericho, Vt./Specialized Racing USA) and Kelli Emmett (Colorado Springs, Colo./Giant Bicycles) fill out the top five finishers. Erica Zaveta (Erwinna, Pa./BMC Mountain Bike Development) was the best U23 female rider, placing 14th.

Pendrel, Nash and Georgia Gould (Fort Collins, Colo./Luna Pro) broke from the peloton heading into the second lap. Gould's ride was sidetracked when a flat tire caught her without a spare tube just beyond the tech zone. Gould eventually finished eighth.

Batty used a downhill to create momentum heading into the final stretch, allowing her to narrowly beat Pendrel in a sprint to the finish.

Despite being even in overall points, Batty has taken the overall lead in the USA Cycling 2011 Pro MTB Cross-Country Tour Standings in a tie breaker over Davison by virtue of owning a first-place finish this season. Gould sits in third place 20 points behind the leaders. Pendrel and Chloe Forsman (Tucson, Ariz./BMC Mountain Bike Development) round out the top five women riders.

In the USA Cycling 2011 Pro MTB Cross-Country Team Standings, Specialized Racing USA has a 10-point lead on Subaru-Trek after each team earned 46 points at the Sea Otter Classic. Luna Pro trails the leader by 23 points. BMC Mountain Bike Development has a 32-point margin on Specialized Factory Racing in fourth and fifth places, respectively.

Complete results of the 2011 Sea Otter Classic can be found here.

The next event on USA Cycling's Pro XCT calendar is the Mellow Johnny's Classic in Dripping Springs, Texas on Saturday, April 30.

PRO XCT standings

Hart and Kintner hold early Pro GRT leads

After kicking off with the NW Cup last week, the next USA Cycling Pro Gravity Tour (Pro GRT) event is the Highland Bike Park in Northfield, N.H., on May 14-15. Danny Hart (Newbury Park, Calif./Giant Factory Off Road Team) and Jill Kintner (Ferndale, Wash./Transition Racing) hold the early lead after winning the men's and women's races last week.

Firecracker 50 on July 4 is next Pro UET event

Manny Prado (Huntington Beach, Calif./Team Sho-Air) and Pua Mata (Huntington Beach, Calif./Team Sho-Air) lead the men's and women's standings in the USA Cycling Professional Mountain Bike Ultra-Endurance Tour (Pro UET). The next event on the Pro UET will be the Firecracker 50 in Breckenridge, Colo., on July 4.

PHOTOS:

A. Todd Wells worked with and then pulled away from Max Plaxton in the men's 2011 Sea Otter Classic Cross-Country race.

B. Canadian Emily Batty outsprinted Catharine Pendrel to win the women's 2011 Sea Otter Classic Cross-Country race.

(Photos by Dave McElwaine)

Back to top