Southridge Park Hosts The First Big National of '07
5-8-07 // Online Exclusive: 2007 NMBS #3 in Fontana, California
The men's final—Bryn lies in wait right behind Eric Carter
Mountain-Cross
Fontana may not be the most scenic or well attended stop on the NMBS circuit, but it very well may have one of the best mountain-cross courses. The folks at team Southridge have been putting on mountain bike races in this park for 16 years so they have had plenty of time to form and mold the perfect MX course with lots of room for passing, plenty of alternate lines, big berms and jumps that’s all easily accessible to the fans.
The women’s race was a runaway victory for Jill Kintner who probably could have held her own racing with the boys if given the chance. The real race was for second place, which Melissa Buhl rightfully earned by powering away from Leana Gerrard after the first turn in the final showdown.
The men’s event was an exciting display of horsepower and skill as Eric Carter looked to show everyone who was boss on the familiar Fontana course. Bryn Atkinson would have none of it however; he waited until the second-to-last straight for an opportunity to pounce when Eric slipped a pedal yielding just enough time for the fast Aussie to sprint into the lead. Carter was able to hold onto second place while Chris Powell—it sure is good to see him healthy and racing again—held off the always-tenacious Brit Dale Holmes, for third.
Men
1. Bryn Atkinson (GT)
2. Eric Carter (Mongoose-Sram-Kenda)
3. Chris Powell (Avent-Bombshell)
4. Dale Holmes (KHS)
5. Ryan Condrashoff (WTB/Santa Cruz/X-Fusion)
6. Nigel Page (NP Racing-Intense)
7. Garrick Anderson (Avent-Bombshell-Innovative Sports-Spy)
8. Amiel Cavalier (Giant)
9. Jared Rando (Giant-Michelin)
10. Ross Milan (Yeti-Fox Racing)
Downhill
If one word could be used to describe the Fontana downhill race that word would probably be “wind.” Racers awoke to gusty conditions Sunday morning with winds kicking up dust devils and reducing visibility all over the inland empire. Several riders were blown off their lines during early morning practice and this also put a damper on the morning’s qualifying runs.
The main event began with the women’s competition, which was handily won by Kathy Pruitt, who was also the fastest qualifier. Claire Buchar, Marla Streb, Lisa Myklak and Joanna Petterson filled in the top five places. The men’s race was more competitive affair as the field was peppered with Australians, New Zealanders and some South Africans who all looked poised to dominate the podium as they have so many times before. Cody Warren, who qualified fourteenth, blazed the course on his final run in a staggering 1:56.9—a full second better than Nathan Rennie who came in second. It’s been a while since the American downhillers have been able to compete with the foreign racers, lets hope this performance is just a peek at more good things to come from Cody.
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