Which Team Will You Send to the Big Race?

RaceFace's Ultimate XC Challenge is an online, peer-judged contest, that enables readers, to determine which two teams of riders will win an all-expenses paid entry (a prize worth $10,000 per team) into the 2005 TransRockies Challenge. A month ago, we put out the call to cross country riders to submit their own Ultimate XC applications.

Well, RaceFace was inundated with responses and has pared the entries down to 8 teams. Now its time for the public to vote and determine which two lucky teams will get the full-ride entry into one of the world’s hardest cross country races—that’s seven days and 373 miles of riding. Here’s a quick run-down on the finalists—check ‘em out and then click the following link to vote www.raceface.com/uxc.

Check back on Friday to see who won and watch the next four videos in the Race Face Ultimate XC Challenge. Vote NOW before Round Two kicks into gear on Friday.

Team Crowerace Face This father and son team consists of 45-year old Eric Crowe and 18-year old James Crowe. Eric competed in the 2003 TransRockies and finished 2nd in the Masters category. James is no slouch either—the kid won the British Columbia Cup championship three times (from 2001 to 2003) and took the national title in both 2001 and 2002. Father and son hope to finish in the top 10 and to share a truly once-in-a-lifetime bonding experience.

Team Poached Salmon in a White Wine Sauce These two bike mechanics 25-year old Bill Hunt and 30-year old Sean Moran are co-workers at Maladjusted Bikes in Australia. The two (who go by the nicknames “Captain Fantastic” and “The Iron Chef”) promise to inject some humor into the race. When asked why they should be picked, they replied “Mostly because we’re really good lucking. But also because we’ll not only be good ambassadors for RaceFace, but we’ll also be competitive.” The two endurance race veterans promise to put the hammer down if given the chance.

Team Deadgoat Racing Retreads Team Deadgoat has already paid their way into this race—so why are they applying now for an Ultimate XC berth? If awarded this week’s Ultimate XC slot, 39-year old Dave Ford and 47-year old Gerry McCuaig will donate their prize to a trust fund for 5-year old Leah Dube—a girl whose mother (past TransRockies competitor, Isabelle Dube) was tragically killed this past June in a grizzly bear attack in Canmore, Alberta.

Team H.O.N.O.R.R. Shawn Lester has a special motivation to compete in this year’s TransRockies. The 42 year old team captain and his 32-year old riding partner, Stephen Barney, will ride in memory of Lester’s four-year old daughter, Alaina, who tragically passed away two years ago. These two co-workers from Gardnerville, Nevada aren’t looking to crack the top 10—they just want to be given the chance to finish the race and do Alaina proud. The Team’s acronym stands for, He Only Needs One Reason To Ride.