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Reeves, Brown claim U.S. marathon titles

Published: Sep. 15, 2005

Travis Brown (Trek-Volkswagen) and Gretchen Reeves (Rocky Mountain-Business Objects) rode to national-championship titles in the 100km marathon Thursday at Mammoth Mountain, California.

Held on a fast 22-mile loop that spun its way around Mammoth Mountain, the marathon featured single-track and fire roads so loose and dusty that all racers sported dirt-smeared faces after only one of three laps.

Defending champ Reeves made winning look easy, opening a big gap from the gun. After one lap, she sat comfortably ahead of second-place Monique Sawicki (Team Mata), the recently crowned 2005 NORBA marathon-series champion. After two laps, Reeves was 10 minutes ahead of Sawicki.

Reeves was disappointed at the small turnout ("It's boring riding by yourself out there," she said) but conceded that scheduling the cross-country on Friday makes the long race less appealing.

"The way the schedule is, I can see why no one races it," Reeves said.

The men’s marathon was much closer, as Brown and Jay Henry (Ford Cycling) went blow for blow for most of the day until Brown pulled away on the final climb.

Brown, a staple on the NORBA and World Cup circuit and a 2000 Olympian, came into the marathon with a short 2005 résumé. Neither retired nor totally dedicated to full-time cross-country racing, Brown won the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic in May and finished fourth in the marathon at NORBA No. 6 in Brian Head, Utah, in August.

Still, the 35-year-old was first to push the pace at Mammoth. After two laps Brown and Henry had a minute on third-place Michael McCalla, who - in the best traditions of mountain-bike racing - was riding without sponsors or support, camped in his van before the race, and still finished fourth.

Midway through the final lap, Brown attacked up the penultimate hill and gapped Henry.

"Travis was going better over the flatter sections than I was," said Henry. "It was really deep out there and I had trouble finding a rhythm. It was good that we had a big advantage over the other guys because I blew up really hard."

Conserving energy on the few descents, Brown put more time into the fading Henry over the flatter sections, and soloed to victory over a minute ahead of the Ford rider.

"It always feels good to win," Brown said. "I saw Jay stand up on the climb to stretch his back and decided to test him a bit. The amount of racing I did this year was just right and I’ll be doing about the same amount next year."

Marathon
Unofficial results
1. Travis Brown, Trek-Volkswagen
2. Jay Henry, Ford Cycling
3. Chris Eatough, Trek-Volkswagen
4. Michael McCalla
5. Nat Ross (Subaru-Gary Fisher)

Women
1. Gretchen Reeves, Rocky Mountain-Business Objects
2. Monique Sawicki, Team MATA
3. Mandy Eakins (VeloSport)