1998 World Cup Mountain Biking
Snoqualmie Pass, Washington
June 27-28, 1998

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Peat Chugs

You gotta like Steve Peat. The tall, lanky blonde from Sheffield (you know, the town from Full Monty) is one of the most popular riders on the circuit - always in good cheer and ready to party once the racing’s done. Always fast, always on the edge, GT’s "Peaty" and his team Giant buddy Rob Warner are the fastest people since Hugh Grant to come from England.

While Steve’s had some great runs in his career — including a 2nd in Mont Ste-Anne last season — he only put together that perfect run this weekend in the hills above Seattle, taking round five of the world cup downhill series and showing that sometimes, size does matter.

Chausson's Center

Not too surprisingly, Anne-Caroline Chausson (FRA, Sunn-Un) also ruled the mountains Sunday, pummeling the women’s field by nearly 28 seconds - a lifetime on this course where the rest of the top 10 women were separated by only 15 seconds. Missy Giove (USA, Volvo-Cannondale) should have been Chausson’s biggest threat, but was slowed by a dislocated ankle which had her limping around the venue and taking the entire practice day of Saturday off — no doubt affecting her mental game. Leigh Donovan (USA, Mongoose) is usually a threat but broke a finger and - in the words of team wrench Stickman, “didn’t want to be racing for 10th place.” Helen Mortimer (GBR, Sintesi Verlicchi) is also a top contender but got a DNS after wrapping herself (literally) around a tree in practice and is out indefinitely.

As is the routine in world cup downhill, Saturday is set aside for practice and the Dual at 6:30pm, with no DH racing until Sunday morning. Women began at 10am with qualifying where Chausson beat second-fastest qualifier Marla Streb (USA, Yeti) by 26.8 seconds. Then in the final Mercedes Gonzales (ESP, GT), who was only the 8th fastest qualifier, came down with a smoking speed of 4:51 in the final. While stoked just to have a strong run, she was even more pleased to see LeCaer, Bonazzi, Giove and even Streb miss her time. Only Chausson - who would have placed 40th the MENs event - could topple Gonzalez as all the women congratulated each other on a job well done.

Snoqualmie Pass is a small ski resort outside Seattle with a 1,100 vertical foot mountain hosting this world cup event. The course is brand new, a virgin trail blazed into dark cool trees and packed down by the riders who couldn’t believe how steep and technical it truly is. One part, “Junior’s Wall” in the Black Forest tree section, begins with a 6-foot rock drop into a non-stop elevator chute descent down rotten trees and dirt shelves. It’s the hardest section of a course, ever... anywhere on the circuit. Some hate it, some love it, but all respect this American course which demanded total concentration for its upper half and hard pedaling on its lower section.

Misser's Down

Steve Peat was among several riders who had the huge crowds in the trees cheering as they flew through the descent. Riders like Peat, Shaums March and most of the Sunn boys made it all look so easy; but only Peat converted that skill into a winning package, beating the legendary Nicolas Vouilloz (FRA, Sunn-Un) by 2.9 seconds and last week’s winner David Vazquez (ESP, Volvo- Cannondale) by 5. Asked how he felt to have his first WC win, Peaty replied “F**king Rad!”

Saturday evening brought out a good crowd for the Swatch Dual World Series where some downhillers take a whack at world cup points in this head-to-head dual slalom. Katrina Miller (AUS, Jamis) won again with conservative style while flyin’ Brian Lopes (USA, Mongoose) took his first Dual win. Mike King watched with a separated shoulder and David Cullinan (USA, Schwinn-Toyota) got ousted early. The course was short and detoured around late-week mud, but was a good side-by-side race — the way it should be.

And so went the beginning of the rest of the season. Next downhill race is in Sierra Nevada, Spain, so call your travel agent soon. Riders will begin dropping their two lowest scores which will affect the rankings, but for now Chausson looks strong unless Giove starts winning, and Vazquez and Vouilloz have a great battle on their hands for the overall championship.

Fiction and Fact: The Mountain Zone Almanac
This is, pound for pound, the most challenging course in the world... there, we said it.

Eyes of March

Shaums March (USA, Zzyzx Ellsworth) ruled the tree section and qualified fastest. Had he not crashed twice, we think he could have taken it.

Christian Taillefer (FRA, Peugeot Palaisea) says that before Big Bear he dreamt that he would do crappy in Big Bear and take 5th in Wa. Guess what?

Myles Rockwell (USA, Volvo-Cannondale) is back! He took 9th here after nearly dying with two broken legs in preseason.

Except for Taillefer’s Peugeot squad, the entire men’s and women’s podium was composed of GT, Volvo-Cannondale and Sunn-un.

The entire top-five of the men’s race has won a world cup round this season.
—Rich Neare, reporting (and shooting) for The Mountain Zone