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Leigh's High

Deer Valley’s downhill course is a fast, semi-technical course which begins half way up the mountain and winds its way to the bottom via plenty of trees and some great rock drop-offs. 1.7 miles of hard turns and short fast sections, this stop of the NCS drops 1,200 vertical feet and was redesigned last year to add more technical challenge over ‘96s course. This DH course approaches the feel of a world cup course but — in its dry state — doesn’t present the extreme demands of those Euro tracks.

Rain, however, graced this dirt track just as final runs began and converted a good track into a great test of speed and handling. After dry but cloudy qualifying the skies of the Wasatch opened up into a torrential downpour, making the track fast, challenging... and wet.

Elliott Gets a 2nd

With a creek running down the middle of the racers’ lines, bikes maintained excellent traction and were spared the brake-clogging, tire-packing problems of mud. Bikes arrived at the finish clean, but riders were filthy; happy with the course but blinded by the rains.

The happiest rider of the women’s field was Leigh Donovan (USA, Mongoose) who won her second U.S. race of the season after winning in the wet mountains of Big Bear. Rolling into the finish under pouring rain, "La Niña" sat in the grass, laughing with joy after finally breaking a five-race crashing streak. She nailed the course after flatting in qualifying and posted a time which stood nearly 5 seconds faster than second place Cheri Elliott (USA, Intense/Maxxis).

"I prayed for rain today," exclaimed Donovan, laughing and hugging team wrench Stickman. "I thought it was fun but easy - I just followed the stream all the way down. My goal was to just not crash."

"That was fun, but a pain" said Elliott after turning in a silver-medal run. "I’m still learning the mud, and this is my best-ever finish in the mud... I’m in seventh heaven."

Third place went to Kim Sonier (USA, Volvo-Cannondale) who commented "I had a really good run and the traction was good. The puddles were the hardest part... that and leaving the dry starthouse!"

Lopes Gets 1st

By the men’s finals the rains had only thinned, with conditions remaining strong. Brian Lopes (USA, Mongoose) was the rider best able to take advantage, not only winning his second race of the season but giving Mongoose another double win after Big Bear. Lopes topped Jurgen Beneke (GER, Schwinn-Toyota) and Scott Sharples (AUS, Trek Volkswagen) who took 2nd and 3rd. Comer Shaums March (USA, Zzyzx Ellsworth) continued his strong season, overjoyed with a fourth-place finish.

As most riders posted times of 5:11, Sharples came down in 5:05, commenting "If anyone else can top that, my hat’s off to him." Beneke did just that with a slightly faster run as the two then huddled in the small interview tent, waiting for the final riders to take a crack at their times.

Lopes was the only one able, commenting "For the most part the course was grippy. I’ve had a lot of practice in the mud, but I almost lost it once or twice. My hat’s off to all my sponsors."

According to Beneke, "I was riding as hard as I can, and this course seems faster than it actually is... it’s tight."

Sharples, who won last week in Park City, was happy with third. "I was hitting parts harder than I thought I should, trying to pick places where I could push it and risk."

— Rich Neare, Mountain Zone Correspondent