1998 Norba Mountain Biking Finals
Mount Snow, VT.
August 20-23, 1998
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Two Teams, Four Champions. Mongoose and GT sweep downhill finals in Vermont
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National finals are often emotional affairs—out with the old, in with the new—and this last race of the National Championship Series was no exception, providing more than a few changes at the end of the season. New champions are often crowned at the expense of last year's, who are forced to step down. Add to that the stress of making the U.S. team for the World Championships, and you've got one pressure-cooker of a weekend.
The pressure began to build Saturday as team GT took a double win in the downhill while Mongoose captured both men's and women's DH overall titles. Tears of both joy and disappointment were shed, all under the sheltering canopy of Vermont's green forest.
Brian Lopes and Leigh Donovan (USA, Mongoose), who two years ago were National downhill champions, repeated their impressive feats for the small orange-clad team today—the So Cal kids done good. Last year's champs John Tomac (USA, Tomac) and Cheri Elliott (USA, Intense/Maxxis), two "privateers" who passed the torch, did so only after a strong fight.
Today's results also solidify the national downhill team, so the points awarded here were all the more crucial. It makes for a bit of suspense as everyone waits to see how the team will shape up, but we'll have to wait until Sunday evening for the national teams to be named.
Mt. Snow's downhill course - new this year - is an unbelievably technical gauntlet of roots, rocks and ruts. Almost exclusively wooded singletrack, the track bumped and ground the pro riders into submission... and they loved it. "It's one of the best courses I've run this year," offered men's winner Steve Peat (Hear Him Speak).
WOMEN:
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The weather for racing was perfect—sunny blue skies turning to clouds (but not rain) by the end. Women qualified at 8:30 a.m., '97's champion Cheri Elliott (USA, Intense/Maxxis) posting the fastest time as she attempted to repeat her title for '98. Hot on her heels was French talent Nolvenn LeCaer (FRA, GT) (Hear Her Speak), in town for a little world cup practice, who posted the second fastest seeding time. As the top 35 women headed back up the hill for their second and final runs, the day - and season - sat quietly on the line below.
After the women had all attacked Mt. Snow's course, it was the French woman who was left standing tall. LeCaer topped Elliott for the day's win and, after a silver medal in last week's world cup, demonstrated her great form going into the two most important races of the downhill season.
"I felt good today, and I won. I'm very happy and a little surprised," LeCaer said afterward. "I liked the course today, it was very difficult and good preparation for the world cup finals in Japan. I had some mechanical problems early in the season and had bad results, so this win is very good for me."
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Second place Elliott was understandably shaken. "It's an emotional day for me," she said quietly. "What happened in Breckenridge (where she was unable to finish her race) ruined my season. But, I had a strong season and feel really good about that. Now I want to win the World's."
Leigh Donovan (USA, Mongoose) had the points lead coming into this round of racing, having passed on last week's Austrian world cup to prepare for this important NCS final. While her run was less than she had hoped for, a fifth place today nonetheless ensured enough points to recapture the national crown from Elliott. Even if Elliott had won, Donovan would have had to finish 8th or worse to lose her points lead. "I'm happy, but right now I'm so tired it's a bit hard for me," she said, head in her hands at the finish line tent.
MEN:
The men's title race was no less exciting as Brian Lopes, Jurgen Beneke (GER, Schwinn-Toyota) (Hear Him Speak) and, to a lesser extent, Kirt Voreis (USA, Mt. Dew/Specialized) vied for the most points and the really unattractive plastic national trophy. Today Lopes was the man, and as he pursues a total of three championship titles for this season, he locked up the first one by becoming '98's downhill champ.
He didn't win the race—that was safely reserved by Britain's Steve Peat (GT) who, as the winner of Snoqualmie's world cup event, is one of the world's best descenders. Today he topped the men's field by 8 long seconds.
How, you ask, did he do it? "You had to jump and double up a lot to stay smooth out there, and you had to stay really smooth but really fast and know your lines because it was wide open," he explained in his cool English accent. Asked why he decided to grace our shores with his speed, he replied, "I just wanted to get a race under my belt before I go out to Japan next week. I heard this was a good course, and it was! Mont Sainte-Anne is a similar course — gnarly and technical, so I'm looking forward to that one."
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One of today's more impressive rides was that of Shaun Palmer (USA, Mt. Dew/Specialized) (Hear Him Speak) who, after a nine week absence due to a broken collarbone, came back and immediately re-asserted himself as a contender. He took third after qualifying third-fastest, speeding up nine seconds in his final run. Although he showed he's back, whether he makes the World's team as a coaches' pick remains to be seen. He is, as always, optimistic.
Shaums March (USA, Zzyzx Ellsworth), winner at Breckenridge, also looked forward to his first World Championship team. Luck was not entirely with him today, though, as he missed his qualifying start by one minute after breaking a frame in practice. Luckily he ended the season ranked seventh, good enough to make the last spot on the U.S. team.
After the regular awards ceremony, the season's top five men and women were presented with the national trophies, and Lopes and Donovan received their gray leaders' jerseys. Next up is Dual Slalom, followed by the Team Brooklyn Crit later tonight. Check back for all that, plus cross-country and the full U.S. team rosters, all here on the Zone.
— Ari Cheren, reporting for the Mountain Zone