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	Mary Grigson

The NORBA National Championship Series sounded off on Friday at the crack of a gun which began the cross-country discipline. Mary Grigson won the first race of the day and her second NORBA national, and hours later, Kirk Molday battled from the back of the pack and won the men's race by 19 long seconds - a fine season opener.

The track began with a mile-long dash on pavement, eventually forcing the riders into single-file fashion to enter the only major climb of the loop. The grade wasn't steep, but the single track definitely determined the initial pecking order.

A pile up near the base of the climb forced most of the women to dismount early in the first lap, but Grigson (AUS, Gary Fisher/Saab) and the rest of the lead pack were too far ahead to notice. Grigson paced herself allowing Ann Trombley (KZ/Residence CLU) to lead through the climb, but on the first descent Grigson reeled her in and put 26 seconds in-between. The strong Australian's lead only grew in the latter stages of the race as she went onto win the first stop of the NORBA tour.

"I enjoyed the course - the descending on it. The climbing was very tough mentally because it just seemed to go on and on forever. It's an achievement to reach the top, and then you descend and do it all over again," Grigson said with a smile.

Trombley held her second-place position until Ruthie Matthes (USA, Trek/Volkswagen) pulled from her own reserves and passed Trombley to steal the sweet second. Matthes is fresh from Europe and appeared happy but relieved.

"It's been a long stint on the road — four weeks. Three world cups in a row and then I arrived here on Monday night — it's time to go home and recover. Then we leave for the Worlds in two weeks."

With a third place finish, Trombley was smiling and chatting it up with friends and fans as if the race hadn't started. "This course was a piece of cake. It was fast and easy. We've been on wet roots for three weeks so this is simple/easy. So it's fun. You don't have to stress out...all of it was rideable."

On a longer note, the men ran the 8.47 mile course four times - making it one of the longest NORBA venues ever. This being a qualifying race for the World Championships, the officials made the decision shortly before the race began to extend the number of laps from three to four.

	Kirk Molday

The top men burst out of the start and initially rode as a pack with Jimi Killen in the lead but he eventually faded. Lurking in the shadows was Kirk Molday (USA, Trek/Volkswagen) who slowly worked his way to the front, catching the leaders and settling into a fast pace.

Molday and Greg Randolph (USA, Team GT) began thinning the group and set out in front for good. The two rode closely, but Randolph began experiencing leg cramps and fell behind. The four laps ended with a sprint into the base of the village, winding around banners and bouncing down steps. Molday pushed ahead of Randolph and took the win.

Some say Molday has experienced some recent setbacks, but none were apparent today - he seemed very at ease in front of the pack despite his lack of training. "I haven't been able to ride my mountain bike much, since I've been injured…it was a matter of putting the power down. I've been doing a bit of riding at elevation just to simulate the lack of oxygen."

Randolph was satisfied with second and seemed pumped for the upcoming season. "This is the time of year that I really get excited about mountain biking," he said. Meeee too.

A couple of minutes behind, Steve Larsen pulled into third. "I did my best to pace myself early. The last lap is just a matter of who can grit their teeth and dig down deepest." He looked tired but with some rest he may return tomorrow to defend his short-track cross-country title.

The upcoming events are a bit more spectator-friendly, so the crowds shall gather. No lift tickets needed - just a lawn chair and some shades. It's your call…see you there?

— Lucas Kane - Sunburnt in search of shade for MountainZone.com