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Sydor defends, Kabush wins cross-country nationals

Top cyclists drop out as heat, crashes, and mechanical problems take their toll With temperatures in the mid-30s, and the riders kicking up stampede-sized clouds of dust, the cross-country field at the Tim Hortons Canadian Mountain Bike National Cham

Top cyclists drop out as heat, crashes, and mechanical problems take their toll

With temperatures in the mid-30s, and the riders kicking up stampede-sized clouds of dust, the cross-country field at the Tim Hortons Canadian Mountain Bike National Championships was hit hard from the very beginning.

While most the riders were familiar with the course at Sun Peaks near Kamloops as a result of the previous weekend’s B.C. Cup and the nationals last season, the heat and the dust took their toll on the field. There were crashes, problems related to the heat, and more mechanical problems than usual to contend with. In some categories there were more DNFs next to names than finish times.

However, nothing could stop North Vancouver’s Alison Sydor from claiming yet another national title in the Senior Elite Women category. It was her second Canadian title in as many years, and seventh since she started racing in 1987.

"It wasn’t that bad to me, but the course was so demanding that you had to work all the time, there was nowhere to rest," Sydor told CP reporters after completing the 32.5 kilometre race.

Her time of 2:06:08.20 was almost four minutes ahead of the chase pack, which was led by Marie-Helene Premont of Quebec. Premont finished second in 2:10:06. Kiara Bisaro, a former Whistler resident who lives on Vancouver Island, was third in 2:12:13.

Whistler’s Angela Teng completed the race in 18 th position at 2:34:04.

The Senior Elite Men’s race finished without three of the top Canadians in the running. World Champion and defending Canadian champion Roland Green pulled out of the race in first lap after he decided he was unable to compete. The Victoria-based racer was bothered by a broken middle finger he sustained during a crash in training the day before.

Seamus McGrath of Ontario pulled out with mechanical problems.

Ryder Hesjedal dropped out of the race in the first 300 metres in order to stay healthy for the NORBA series and World Championships.

In total, only 30 of 48 starters made it to the finish line on the 39 kilometre course.

The day went to Victoria’s Geoff Kabush, who started the race up front with Green until Green dropped out. His final time of 2:05:30 placed him almost two minutes ahead of the second place rider at the finish line.

Peter Wedge of New Brunswick was second in 2:07:17, followed by Andreas Hestler in 2:08:05.

From Whistler, Dave Burch finished 22 nd in 2:40:04.

"Was I happy with my run? I was happy that I finished because it was a really difficult day, but I think I could have raced a lot better," said Burch.

Burch raced in the challenging downhill event the day before, where he finished sixth in his competitive group and said his arms were too tired to handle the technical sections of the cross country course.

"It was hot and dusty, and although I felt pretty good on the climbs, I had nothing left coming back down. Then I had a flat I had to pull over to fix, and I think I had about three crashes in the technical sections, so that wasn’t good. You’re glad it’s over but you kind of wish you had the chance to do it again."

Trevor Hopkins from Whistler also was happy just to complete the race, finishing 30 th in 2:52:17.

"So many people were dropping out with all the heat and the dust. Actually, one guy who was ahead of me rode right off the trail and passed out from heat stroke. It wasn’t easy."

Hopkins also had a few mechanical problems as the dust got into his shifters. "It was everywhere and it was causing all kinds of problems for people," he said. "The heat climbing, though, that had to be the worst."

Among the Junior Expert Men, age 17 and 18, Whistler’s Tyler West finished in sixth place, just six minutes off the lead on the 39 km course.

Will Routley was fourth among the Senior Espoir Men, 19 to 22, behind Ricky Federau and Kris Sneddon of B.C. and Shawn Bunnin of Saskatchewan.

Unlike some of the other competitors, Routley said he enjoyed the course.

"It was probably the toughest course I’ve ever race on, but it was great. It was a real mountain bike course with big risks all the way down. It really separates the men from the boys."

Although he enjoyed himself, he said he had severe cramping on the last lap, heading up the last hill.

"I was absolutely on empty on the final climb. I basically held on for dear life for the downhill section and the last 10 or 15 minutes, and I was happy to finish fourth."

Unlike may of the other riders, Routley skipped the B.C. Cup at Sun Peaks the week before in favour of the Tour de Delta road race. Although he finished well out of medal contention, on the hill section he was ranked 14 th out of 120 riders, including pro teams from the U.S. On July 17, he also took part in the revival of the Steamworks Tour de Gastown in Vancouver, another road race, where he finished in the top 25 per cent.

Stacked against the top riders in the country at the mountain bike nationals, Routley finished 16 th overall. Although the competition in the Espoir category is close, Routley is optimistic that his results this season and at the nationals will be good enough for him to be named to the Canadian mountain bike team for the World Championships in Austria this September.

Whistler’s Brook Baker was 10th in the Junior/Under 17 Expert Women’s race, a category she typically dominates. Her coach, STORMBC’s Chris Colbeck said she needed more competition during the season, where she was often one of the only riders in her age category. He also said she peaked a week too early, riding in the B.C. Cup and posting a time that would have put her in the top five at the nationals.

Her younger sister Emma, who is 12-years-old, competed in the Youth Under 15 race, finishing in fifth after a single 6.5 km lap of the race course.

James "Crunch" Crowe, who has won every B.C. Cup race but one that he has entered this year – in spite the fact that he was competing against riders up to two years older – hung in to win the Youth Expert 15 to 16 category. His time of 1:10:36 in the 19.5 km race was good enough for first, just 13.49 seconds ahead of Marty Schaffer of Alberta.

"The guy who came second and I were never more than five feet apart for the whole race. I didn’t start to build a lead on him until the end," said Crowe.

While Crowe said his background of riding and training in Whistler gave him an advantage on the technical singletrack section, he knew he would have to win the hill climbs if he wanted to win the championship.

"(Schaffer) beat me at the B.C. Cup at Panorama this year by around four seconds, so I knew that he would be going for it the whole way. I’m not sure what I did, but I knew I had to give it everything I had. And on the last climb, I gave everything that I had left," said Crowe.

One of the advantages of getting the lead early was that you were out of the dust, he added.

Crowe’s next race is the B.C. Cup finals in Kelowna on the August long weekend. Following that he plans to race in the Canada Cup finals in Fernie.

The rest of the season he plans to focus on Whistler races, namely the Westside Wheelup and the Cheakamus Challenge. He also hopes to ride in the Samurai of Singletrack. Next season he will be old enough to race in the World Championships.

Eric Crowe, James’ father, was second in the 26 km Master Expert Men 40 to 49 race in 1:28:25. Lance Brannigan was a DNF.

In the Senior Beginner Sport 19 to 29 race Whistler’s Alex Cogger was seventh on the 19.5 km course in 1:24:43. Mike Tunnah was 15 th in 1:33:17.

Whistler’s Joanna Harrington, in her first year of racing, was second in the Women’s Senior Beginner Sport 19 to 29 category with a time of 1:06:10 over 13 km.

In the Youth Under 15 Men’s race, Whistler’s Brandon Semenuk was seventh overall, less than seven minutes back of the leader, in a field of 18 racers.

Complete results from the Tim Horton’s Canadian Mountain Bike Championships can be found on the Stat-Timing website at www.stat-timing.com.