Nequen, Argentina (March 11, 2007)—The United States Mountain Bike Team swept the elite women’s podium and collected a total of eight medals – two of them gold – at the Continental Mountain Bike Championships in Nequen, Argentina on Sunday.
In a major step towards securing the maximum number of start positions at the 2008 Olympic Games for the U.S., Georgia Gould (Ketchum, Idaho/Luna) led the elite women’s contingent with a win in the 24-kilometer race ahead of silver medalist Mary McConneloug (Chilmark, Mass./Kenda-Seven) and bronze medalist Willow Koerber (Horseshoe, N.C./Subaru-Gary Fisher).
Heather Irmiger (Boulder, Colo./Subaru-Gary Fisher) finished fourth to give the U.S. a sweep of the top-four spots.
In the elite men’s contest, Todd Wells (Durango, Colo./GT-Hyundai) was just three kilometers away from a victory when mechanical failure derailed his hopes. Instead, the 2004 Olympic Team member settled for a bronze medal behind winner Geoff Kabush (CAN) and runner-up Seamus McGrath (CAN).
Adam Craig (Bend, Ore./Giant) and Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski (Boulder, Colo./Subaru-Gary Fisher) gave the U.S. two more top-five finishes, placing fourth and fifth respectively.
In the elite women’s race, Gould clocked a winning time of 1:56:46 over four laps of a six-kilometer circuit, while McConnleoug finished 2:06 off the pace and Koerber finished 4:51 back. Irmiger was 5:26 down, while Francisca Campos Salas of Chile rounded out the top-five, 5:46 back.
Wells led for most of the 30-kilometer elite men’s contest before the wet and sandy conditions caused his rear derailleur to malfunction – a setback that meant the difference between gold and bronze. Kabush clocked a winning mark of 2:02:40, while McGrath crossed the line 49 seconds later. Wells finished 51 seconds off the pace, while teammates Craig and Horgan-Kobelski finished 1:29 and 3:06 down. Michael Broderick (Chilmark, Mass./Kenda-Seven) placed tenth for the U.S., 5:31 down and Jeremiah Bishop (Harrisonburg, Va./Trek-Volkswagen) placed 11th, 5:41 back to complete the U.S. team’s performance.
With four medals to the elite squads’ credit, American U23 athletes captured four more, including a second gold medal courtesy of Chloe Forsman (Tucson, Ariz./Luna). Forsman turned in a winning time of 1:36.34 in the 18-kilometer U23 women’s event. Her performance was the most dominant one of the day as nearly four-and-a-half minutes elapsed before second-place finisher Alexandra Serrano (ECU) crossed the line. In third place, Melanie Meyers (Flagstaff, Ariz./Kenda-X-Fusion-Titus) added another bronze to the U.S. medal count.
The U23 men’s team added two more medals as Sam Schultz (Missoula, Mont./Subaru-Gary Fisher) finished second behind Max Plaxton (CAN) to win the silver and Sam Jurekovic (Colorado Springs, Colo./USA Cycling National Development Team) placed third to win the bronze. Schultz finished 49 seconds off the pace of Plaxton’s winning time of 1:38:14 in the 24-kilometer race, while Jurekovic finished 1:25 down. Colin Cares (Boulder, Colo./USA Cycling National Development Team) finished sixth for the United States, 6:49 back.
Shonny Vanlandingham (Durango, Colo./Luna), the U.S. National Team's fifth participant in the elite women's race, did not start due to sickness.
The Continental Mountain Bike Championships are important because of the amount of international ranking points available – the primary factor in determining how many start positions countries receive at the 2008 Games in Beijing. Entering Sunday’s race, the United States was ranked fourth in the men’s standings behind Switzerland, France and Spain, while the women were ranked sixth behind Norway, Germany, Canada, China and Poland. The U.S. must hold a final ranking in the top-five for men and top-four for women on Dec. 31, 2007 to accumulate the maximum number of Olympic start spots.
2007 Continental Mountain Bike Championships
Nequen, Argentina
March 11, 2007
Elite Men
1. Geoff Kabush (CAN) 2:02:40
2. Seamus McGrath (CAN) +0:49
3. Todd Wells (Durango, Colo.) +0:51
4. Adam Craig (Bend, Ore.) +1:29
5. Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski (Boulder, Colo.) +3:06
10. Michael Broderick (Chilmark, Mass.) +5:31
11. Jeremiah Bishop (Harrisonburg, Va.) +5:41
Elite Women
1. Georgia Gould (Ketchum, Idaho) 1:56.46
2. Mary McConneloug (Chilmark, Mass.) +2:06
3. Willow Koerber (Horseshoe, N.C.) +4:51
4. Heather Irmiger (Boulder, Colo.) +5:26
5. Francisca Campos Salas (CHI) +5:46
DNS. Shonny Vanlandingham (Durango, Colo.)
U23 Men
1. Max Plaxton (CAN) 1:38:14
2. Sam Schultz (Missoula, Mont.) +0:49
3. Sam Jurekovic (Colorado Springs, Colo.) +1:25
4. Daniel Ribeiro (BRA) +3:44
5. Mario Rojas (COL) +4:13
6. Colin Cares (Boulder, Colo.) +6:49
U23 Women
1. Chloe Forsman (Tucson, Ariz.) 1:36.34
2. Alexandra Serrano (ECU) +4:24
3. Melanie Meyers (Flagstaff, Ariz.) +5:23
In a major step towards securing the maximum number of start positions at the 2008 Olympic Games for the U.S., Georgia Gould (Ketchum, Idaho/Luna) led the elite women’s contingent with a win in the 24-kilometer race ahead of silver medalist Mary McConneloug (Chilmark, Mass./Kenda-Seven) and bronze medalist Willow Koerber (Horseshoe, N.C./Subaru-Gary Fisher).
Heather Irmiger (Boulder, Colo./Subaru-Gary Fisher) finished fourth to give the U.S. a sweep of the top-four spots.
In the elite men’s contest, Todd Wells (Durango, Colo./GT-Hyundai) was just three kilometers away from a victory when mechanical failure derailed his hopes. Instead, the 2004 Olympic Team member settled for a bronze medal behind winner Geoff Kabush (CAN) and runner-up Seamus McGrath (CAN).
Adam Craig (Bend, Ore./Giant) and Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski (Boulder, Colo./Subaru-Gary Fisher) gave the U.S. two more top-five finishes, placing fourth and fifth respectively.
In the elite women’s race, Gould clocked a winning time of 1:56:46 over four laps of a six-kilometer circuit, while McConnleoug finished 2:06 off the pace and Koerber finished 4:51 back. Irmiger was 5:26 down, while Francisca Campos Salas of Chile rounded out the top-five, 5:46 back.
Wells led for most of the 30-kilometer elite men’s contest before the wet and sandy conditions caused his rear derailleur to malfunction – a setback that meant the difference between gold and bronze. Kabush clocked a winning mark of 2:02:40, while McGrath crossed the line 49 seconds later. Wells finished 51 seconds off the pace, while teammates Craig and Horgan-Kobelski finished 1:29 and 3:06 down. Michael Broderick (Chilmark, Mass./Kenda-Seven) placed tenth for the U.S., 5:31 down and Jeremiah Bishop (Harrisonburg, Va./Trek-Volkswagen) placed 11th, 5:41 back to complete the U.S. team’s performance.
With four medals to the elite squads’ credit, American U23 athletes captured four more, including a second gold medal courtesy of Chloe Forsman (Tucson, Ariz./Luna). Forsman turned in a winning time of 1:36.34 in the 18-kilometer U23 women’s event. Her performance was the most dominant one of the day as nearly four-and-a-half minutes elapsed before second-place finisher Alexandra Serrano (ECU) crossed the line. In third place, Melanie Meyers (Flagstaff, Ariz./Kenda-X-Fusion-Titus) added another bronze to the U.S. medal count.
The U23 men’s team added two more medals as Sam Schultz (Missoula, Mont./Subaru-Gary Fisher) finished second behind Max Plaxton (CAN) to win the silver and Sam Jurekovic (Colorado Springs, Colo./USA Cycling National Development Team) placed third to win the bronze. Schultz finished 49 seconds off the pace of Plaxton’s winning time of 1:38:14 in the 24-kilometer race, while Jurekovic finished 1:25 down. Colin Cares (Boulder, Colo./USA Cycling National Development Team) finished sixth for the United States, 6:49 back.
Shonny Vanlandingham (Durango, Colo./Luna), the U.S. National Team's fifth participant in the elite women's race, did not start due to sickness.
The Continental Mountain Bike Championships are important because of the amount of international ranking points available – the primary factor in determining how many start positions countries receive at the 2008 Games in Beijing. Entering Sunday’s race, the United States was ranked fourth in the men’s standings behind Switzerland, France and Spain, while the women were ranked sixth behind Norway, Germany, Canada, China and Poland. The U.S. must hold a final ranking in the top-five for men and top-four for women on Dec. 31, 2007 to accumulate the maximum number of Olympic start spots.
2007 Continental Mountain Bike Championships
Nequen, Argentina
March 11, 2007
Elite Men
1. Geoff Kabush (CAN) 2:02:40
2. Seamus McGrath (CAN) +0:49
3. Todd Wells (Durango, Colo.) +0:51
4. Adam Craig (Bend, Ore.) +1:29
5. Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski (Boulder, Colo.) +3:06
10. Michael Broderick (Chilmark, Mass.) +5:31
11. Jeremiah Bishop (Harrisonburg, Va.) +5:41
Elite Women
1. Georgia Gould (Ketchum, Idaho) 1:56.46
2. Mary McConneloug (Chilmark, Mass.) +2:06
3. Willow Koerber (Horseshoe, N.C.) +4:51
4. Heather Irmiger (Boulder, Colo.) +5:26
5. Francisca Campos Salas (CHI) +5:46
DNS. Shonny Vanlandingham (Durango, Colo.)
U23 Men
1. Max Plaxton (CAN) 1:38:14
2. Sam Schultz (Missoula, Mont.) +0:49
3. Sam Jurekovic (Colorado Springs, Colo.) +1:25
4. Daniel Ribeiro (BRA) +3:44
5. Mario Rojas (COL) +4:13
6. Colin Cares (Boulder, Colo.) +6:49
U23 Women
1. Chloe Forsman (Tucson, Ariz.) 1:36.34
2. Alexandra Serrano (ECU) +4:24
3. Melanie Meyers (Flagstaff, Ariz.) +5:23
