NORBA NCS Underway
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Mountain Cross Qualification Rounds Highlight Day One All Eyes on Saturday’s Cross Country Event BIG BEAR LAKE, CA. (May 16, 2003) The first round of the NORBA National Mountain Bike Championship Series is officially underway at Snow Summit Mountain Resort in Big Bear Lake, CA. Under the flawless weather conditions of sunny skies and warm temperatures, the Semi Pro and Junior Experts took to the Cross Country course for their events, while all non-pro riders contested the Mountain Cross event to the finish, a new option available to them in this year’s NORBA NCMBS. Highlighting the action today, however, was the Mountain Cross qualifying rounds for the Pro Men and Women. Leading the way for the men was American and two-time World Champion, Brian Lopes (GT Hyundai) who snared the top seed ahead of fellow countrymen Mick Hannah (Haro-Lee Dungarees) and Eric Carter (Mongoose-Hyundai). In the women’s event, Americans Jill Kintner (Staats/Fox) and Tara Llanes (Giant-Pearl Izumi) took the top two spots respectively ahead of Tai-Lee Muxlow (Tioga-Orange) from Australia. The top seeds will be looking to maintain their form for tomorrow night’s final. The anticipation level for tomorrow’s Pro Men’s Cross Country Race is sky high as all eyes will be on Canadians Roland Green (Trek-Volkswagen) and Ryder Hesjedal (Subaru-Gary Fisher) as they undertake the quest to continue their streak of 19 consecutive NORBA NCMBS Cross Country victories. Oddly enough, the last time anyone other than the dynamic duo of Green and Ryder won a Pro Cross Country race on the NORBA NCMBS circuit was here in Big Bear at the season opener in 2001. Leading the way for a potential upset will be American Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski (RLX-Polo), who will be looking to take advantage of an unfortunate early season crash by Green in last month’s Tour de Georgia resulting in a slight muscle tear in his shoulder. According to Trek Volkswagen Team Manager, Eric Wallace, Green is confident in his ability to come back. “Roland’s injury has kept him off of his bike, which he absolutely hates. He’s super motivated to keep the streak alive and has been training quite a bit”, Wallace noted. “He’s climbing really well, but his shoulder has been giving him some problems on the descents so it will come down to how much time he can put into people on the climbs.” Even with the injury, Green is considered by many to be the outright favorite, although Horgan-Kobelski, Hesjedal, and Canadian, Chris Sheppard, (Haro-Lee Dungarees) will surely give him a run for his money. Racing on the same course as the men tomorrow will be the Pro Women, led by American Alison Dunlap (Luna Chix) who is the odds on favorite, but Wallace is also confident about Trek-Volkswagen’s chances of success in the women’s race with American upstart Susan Haywood. Adding to a full day Saturday, the Experts and Junior Experts will compete in the Downhill event, while those who made it through the Pro Mountain Cross qualifiers this afternoon will battle it out for the top spot on the podium. Also slated for Saturday is the Super D Final, a mass start hybrid downhill race with some short climbs that is expected to last 10-15 minutes. At press time complete and official results for today’s other events were not yet available for publication. The NORBA National Championships Mountain Bike Series is North America's premier off-road cycling series. The series crowns USA Cycling's Mountain Bike Champions. USA Cycling is the national governing body for cycle sport. GaleForce Sports Marketing is the series management and promotions company, and is recognized as the USA's leading cycling and events management group. About NORBA About GaleForce |
This Article Published May 16, 2003 For more information contact:
