Plaxton & Gould solidify Pro XCT leads

The USA Cycling's Pro Mountain Bike Cross-country calendar (Pro XCT) returned from a nearly two month break with the Subaru Cup in Mt. Morris, Wisc., on June 25.

MEN

Georgia Gould's win at the Subaru Cup solidified her lead atop the Pro XCT women's standings. (Photo by Dave McElwaine)

After winning the Pro XCT's penultimate event last weekend, Max Plaxton (CAN/Specialized Racing USA) holds a 60-point lead over Todd Wells (Durango, Colo./Specialized) in the USA Cycling 2011 Pro MTB Cross-Country Tour Standings. Sam Schultz (Missoula, Mont./Subaru-Trek) is holding strong in third, but young Stephen Ettinger (Cashmere, Wash./BMC MTB Development) is surging up the standings.

Plaxton rode away with 19-second, come-from-behind victory in Wisconsin's Subaru Cup to all but seal the Pro XCT overall season title. Looking for a shot at the title, Wells took the hole shot at the bottom of the first climb, but Plaxton and Geoff Kabush (CAN/Team Maxxis-Rocky Mountain) soon overtook him. That duo started the fifth lap with a 50-second lead on Wells and Plaxton made a strategic late-race attack to take his third Pro XCT victory of the season. Kabush finshed second and two-time Olympian Wells was third. The 22-year-old Ettinger recorded his first major race podium in front of the racous Wisconsin crowd.

WOMEN

With her ride away victory at the Subaru Cup, Georgia Gould (Fort Collins, Colo./Luna Pro Team) has overtaken Lea Davison (Jericho, Vt./Specialized) atop the women's USA Cycling 2011 Pro MTB Cross-Country Tour Standings. Emily Batty (CAN/Subaru-Trek) is 180 points Davison in third place. Chloe Forsman (Tucson, Ariz./BMC MTB Development) and Krista Park (Madison, S.D./Cannondale-No Tubes) round out the top five.

In the women's race, Heather Irmiger (Boulder, Colo./Subaru-Trek) shot the hole early and led the women up the first long climb of the race. Gould overtook Irmiger by the first descent and did not look back on the very technical couse with several short, but steep climbs.

For full results of the Subaru Cup, click here.

PRO XCT standings

COMING UP:

The Pro XCT finale will take place Saturday, July 23 in Missoula, Montana as the calendar's newest addition, the Missoula XC, caps off the nation's premiere mountain bike cross country calendar.

After Wildflower Rush Warren tops men's Pro GRT standings; Kintner extends her lead on women

The USA Cycling Pro Gravity Mountain Bike Tour (Pro GRT) continued with its penultimate event over the weekend, the Wildflower Rush in Crested Butte, Colo.

MEN'S

Ben Furbee placed third in the men's race at Wildflower Rush. (Photo by Warren Howell)

On a beautiful day in Crested Butte, Colo., Cody Warren (Alpine, Calif./DRD E-Fusion-Intense) moved into the lead of the men's Pro GRT standings after placing second at the Wildflower Rush. Jared Graves (AUS/Yeti Fox Factory) used his technical skills to overcome a steady breeze to top the men's field with a time of 3:32.30. Ben Furbee (Los Osos, Calif./Transition-Fox Shox-e*thirteen) placed third on the wide open, dry ski run ahead of Richard Rude, Jr. (Golden, Colo./Yeti Fox Factory) and Logan Binggeli (Saint George, Utah/KHS Bicycles Inc.), who placed fourth and fifth, respectively.

“Mt. Crested Butte set the stage for a competitive race with spectacular racing and a ripping fast course where only split seconds differentiated first, second and third,” said Keith Darner, race director of the Mountain States Cup. “With World Champions and world cup competitors stacking the fields, it was great training ground for U.S. competitors looking to place well at upcoming Mont Sainte Anne.”

Full results from Wildflower Rush.

WOMEN

Jill Kintner (Ferndale, Wash./Transition Racing) returned to the top of the women's podium after posting a 3:54.51 at Wildflower Rush. Jacqueline Harmony (Sedona, Ariz./Vixen Racing) placed second and was the only other female rider to complete the course is less than four minutes. Melissa Buhl (Chandler, Ariz./KHS Bicycles) placed third, eight seconds ahead of Darian Harvey (Durango, Colo./Vixen Racing). Rebecca Gardner (Marlboro, N.Y./Beacon Cycles) placed fifth in the final results.

PRO GRT standings

COMING UP:

The next event on USA Cycling's Pro GRT calendar will be the Northstar downhill, Aug. 27-28 at Northstar at Tahoe.

Manny Prado, Pua Mata lead Pro UET after race 1

The USA Cycling Professional Mountain Bike Ultra-Endurance Tour (Pro UET) will resume on July 4 with the Firecracker 50 in Breckenridge, Colo.

After one event, Pua Mata (Huntington Beach, Calif./OkoleStuff.com) leads the pro women's field ahead of Andrea Wilson (Cordova, Tenn./Mid South Velo). Manny Prado (Huntington Beach, Calif) paces the men ahead of Lee Unwin (Verona, Wis.) and Nathan Rice (Jonesboro, Ark./Gearhead Outfitters).

Check out complete Pro UET standings.

Please note that a fifth event has been added to the Pro UET calendar. The US Cup-Six-Hour Summer Jam in Fontana, Calif., will be on Saturday, Aug. 27.

Back to top