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Dunlap, Kabush grab Mt. Snow wins
Pruitt, Graves slalom to victory
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In the last NORBA series race of her illustrious career, 2001 World Champion Alison Dunlap (Luna) pulled the best result of her 2005 season, winning the Mt. Snow cross country in non-Vermonty hot, dry, and dusty conditions. While Dunlap’s win marked a highpoint for her year, Geoff Kabush’s victory in the pro men’s race marked business as usual for the Team Maxxis leader. Kabush swept to his fifth NORBA win of the year and cemented the overall series title, while Dunlap’s Luna teammate Shonny Vanlandingham took second in the race and the overall title.
Last year’s Mt Snow winner, Willow Koerber (Subaru-Gary Fisher), led the opening lap of the women’s race, with Dunlap and Vanlandingham in hot pursuit. While Koerber rode well on the rutted, rock strewn descents, Dunlap’s superior climbing allowed her to close down the gap and overtake Koerber on the second lap. With a rejuvenated set of legs, Dunlap, 36, was off the races, putting almost two minutes into her teammate in the final lap-and-a-half. Keorber faded to fourth as Dara Marks-Marino (Ford-Specialized) slotted into the final podium spot.
“It’s been a strange year,” said Dunlap. “I haven’t been consistent and can’t figure out why. Some races go well and others don’t, so it was nice to have this go well.”
Dunlap, who will skip next week’s World Championships in Italy, will close out her career at the National Championship in Mammoth. “I don’t want to go to worlds just to be pack fill. Three more weeks of riding and I’m finished.”
Kabush stuck with his tried-and-true race strategy of patient racing, just as early race leader, Adam Craig (Giant), kept on the race plan of fast and furious from the gun. Craig gapped the field on the first climb and stretched it even further on the opening descents. Craig’s lead lasted midway into the second lap, when Kabush dragged countrymen Roland Green (Kona-Les Gets) and Seamus McGrath (Haro) up to Craig. By the third and penultimate lap Kabush, Green, and McGrath were on their own, until Kabush opened up the throttle on the long, sustained climb to the course’s high point. With confidence born of a season full of wins, Kabush kept growing the gap back to Green on the final lap, eventually winning by 1:30. McGrath rounded out the top three. Kabush’s win cemented the overall title for the 28-year-old from British Columbia.
“All season I’ve felt really strong,” said Kabush. “I’ve gotten everything sorted out, from my tires to my full-suspension bike, and not having things go wrong makes doing well a lot easier. I was always comfortable, never over my limit, so I could concentrate on the descents and not make any mistakes.”
DUAL SLALOM
On an old-school flat track dual slalom course, replete with off camber, grassy turns and only two dinky berms, BMXers ruled the roost. Aussie Jared Graves (Yeti) and Kathy Pruitt (Luna) took home their respective Mt. Snow wins from fields slightly depleted by the upcoming World Championships.
Graves capitalized on a bobble by John Kirkcalide (Team Maxxis) in the first of their two runs in the finals, opening up a sizeable margin Kirkcaldie was unable to close. Pruitt rode a steady progression, taking no chances with defending national champion Tara Llanes (Giant). The former junior world champion in the downhill outrode Llanes in both final races, cementing her second consecutive weekend win in a non-downhill gravity event.
Cross Country
Pro Women
1. Alison Dunlap, Luna MTB Team, 1:52:31
2. Shonny Vanlandingham, Luna MTB Team, 1:54:02
3. Dara Marks-Marino, Ford-Specialized, 1:56:10
4. Willow Koerber, Subaru-Gary Fisher, 1:56:33
5. Kelli Emmett, Ford-Specialized, 1:56:49
6. Katerina Hanusova, Luna MTB Team, 1:57:26
7. Heather Irmiger, Tokyo Joes, 1:57:45
8. Susan Haywood, Trek-Volkswagon, 1:58:54
9. Zephanie Blasi, Kenda-DT Swiss, 2:04:41
10. Georgia Gould, Tamarack, 2:06:34Pro Men
1. Geoff Kabush, Team Maxxis, 2:02:34
2. Roland Green, Kona-Les Gets, 2:04:12
3. Seamus McGrath, Haro, 2:05:07
4. Adam Craig, Giant, 2:05:25
5. Mathieu Toulouse, Team Maxxis, 2:08:08
6. Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski, Subaru-Gary Fisher, 2:09:47
7. Chris Eatough, Trek-Volkswagen, 2:12:14
8. Trent Lowe, Subaru-Gary Fisher, 2:14:20
9. Chris Sheppard, Haro, 2:15:03
10. Barry Wicks, Kona-Les Gets, 2:15:40Dual Slalom
Pro Women
1. Kathy Pruitt, Luna MTB Team
2. Tara Llanes, Giant
3. Melissa Buhl, KHS
4. Kartina MillerPro Men
1. Jared Graves, Yeti
2. John Kirkcaldie, Team Maxxis
3. Cody Warren, Haro
4. Jared Rando, Giant
