1998 Norba Mountain Biking
Big Bear Lake, CA
May 16-17, 1998
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Marla Streb took 32nd in the cross-country and second in the downhill .
Marla rocks!
The winners both attributed their climbing skills to their wins.
Second place winner David Weins is the husband of Olympic Bronze Medalist, Susan Demattei and she should be having their first Mt. Bike baby any day now.
Look for Susan to come back on the circuit and kick ass stopping only to breast feed.
Leah Garcia is now working as an ESPN hostess so now we don't get to see her sweat in Lycra...Damn! |
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Cross Country #1
Clean Sweep For Catera/Pure Energy
Golden Brainard and Carl Swenson contained the Pure Energy today to pull away from the pack on the climbs and take the top honors in the Cross Country. Amazingly, Carl did it less than four minutes faster than his older brother, Peter, who took fifth. Veteran David Weins claimed a strong second closely followed by Gregory Randolph. Kirk Molday was "out of practice," but still managed a powerful pace and a fourth place.
Golden Brainard pushed hard early on the first climb and had more than a minute lead. "I had to make the best of it," she said, and kept the lead growing until she won over two minutes ahead of Tammy Jaques.
Tammy made an impressive late attack and went from fourth to second in the last two laps. Tammy was riding whith a couple inches of travel and fairly skinny tires and "had a lot of fun on the descents." Ruthie Matthes had a last descent pass and placed third, three-and-a-half minutes behind Tammy with Ann Trombley on her heels in fourth.
The course today had dried up significantly and riders experienced something they hadn't seen in the last week here in Big Bear...speed! The long winding descent gave an edge to riders up on their technical skills.
This proved an asset to Tammy Jaques, but a hindrance to Kirk Molday. The one small, but tricky, stream crossing caught several of the female racers off guard and dropped them head first into the rocky, cold snow melt.
Other notables in today's race were hometown vet Tinker Juarez, who placed a dissapointing tenth and Mountain Zone's bet Andres Brenes who finished in a strong seventh.
We just don't know what happened to Steve Larsen because he was having a great season. Of course Ned Overend (how old? 39?!) was here on full suspension and loving it. Ned placed twenty-first.
Gretchen Reeves also on the Catera/Pure Energy team held on to fifth for the women, followed by K2's Audry Augustin and last year's attack from the back of the pack, Rene Marshman.
— Hans Prosl, Gone back 2 Blonde in Cali for The Mountain Zone.
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