Mountain Bike Racing - SO, Who's going to the Nationals in VT?

We're going up with @ a dozen folks from WV; Salsa will be racing Sport 15-16 on Friday, and Short Track on Sunday at 2. The rest of our group range from Women's Pro to Expert Master to Expert to Single Speed & some I who's class I'm not sure of. Check in!!

Whole team will be there, as we're based out of Burlington, VT.

I'll be racing the U23 xc and semi-pro short track. Look for red and black Bliss Racing jerseys in nearly every male category there, everything from beginner to pro.

Salsa will be the XC Sport 15-16 racing on Friday with the Salsa/Chili pepper motif... same thing for Short Track Jr ex on Sunday...

We may have a spot or two at the house we've got - a few cancellations, but figure @ $75 for Thurs - Sun.... 107 Timber Creek - stop by Thursday. (I have to go to sleep & get up & be on the road by 3 a.m.)

He's racing sport xc and Junior X short track? I'm pretty sure you can't do that, even though ST isn't an event you have to qualify for you still have to race your category. I rode the short track course last weekend, it's the same as it's always been. Fast through the start/finish, 30-40m up that gravel road, left into the grass to climb another 50m, then back down under the lift to the road. Rinse and repeat :) No tough corners so you can use good fast tires as long as they'll hook up on the gravel climb.

We have a few junior sports in the 15-16 I think... they may be in 17-18 actually, I'm not sure. Good luck to Salsa :)

Good luck to Salsa! I qualified again this year:

http://www.usacycling.org/events/2007/mtbnationals/qual_list.php?disc=DH&sex=M&cat=EX&age=50-54

...but cannot go. Spent all of our money on Whistler and son's wedding this year. Maybe next year; sure would love to race Mt. Snow.

He's racing sport xc and Junior X short track? I'm pretty sure you can't do that, even though ST isn't an event you have to qualify for you still have to race your category. I rode the short track course last weekend, it's the same as it's always been. Fast through the start/finish, 30-40m up that gravel road, left into the grass to climb another 50m, then back down under the lift to the road. Rinse and repeat :) No tough corners so you can use good fast tires as long as they'll hook up on the gravel climb.

We have a few junior sports in the 15-16 I think... they may be in 17-18 actually, I'm not sure. Good luck to Salsa :)

My understanding is that since there is no qualification, you can race up... if not, I guess I'll get my $$ back.

See ya!

Did he end up racing the expert ST? That was a very fast race.

Alas, no... He BS'd his way into the race on Thursday afternoon - for some reason, his license has had him listed as an expert since he was 10 - but had a huge front wheel blow out on the last downhill of the last XC lap, hit a tree, and walked into last place. While his handlebar did not break, his shifters & brake levers on the left side were turned back an inch & change, he was picking bark out of his teeth (thankfully all intact!), and his helmet was busted clear down the middle. Lots of bruises & a swollen face - he really didn't feel like racing on Sunday, so we headed south @ 8 a.m. - made some DH'er happy with a parking pass down at the 7-11!

But, we had a great time!

Ouch! Yeah that course was brutal, especially on friday. We were lucky, my team only had one mechanical out of 14 guys and it was just a rear flat. Plenty of crashes though... 2 of my teammates went down hard in the U23 race. We also had 3 of our guys piss tested! That was new for us.

Anybody going to be in North Carolina next weekend?

Yes - we'll be at Bee Branch 44 - right across from the downhill slope. Salsa, the kid who placed 7th in the Sport XC 15-16, our photog friend from IPlayOutside.com, and a few more folk - we MAY have a spare bed, will definately have floor space.

DO NOT - I repeat, DO NOT - google for the "fastest route" to get there unless you have a Dueling Banjo CD available. Take I77 south to whatever road it is that goes straight west to Banner Elk.

Ze - check out the photos on this site http://iplayoutside.smugmug.com/gallery/3197058/27/ - JR Petsko went up there free lance & they're free downloads.. I'm sure he got some of your team!

I'm not sure which condo we're staying in, and thanks for the driving tips! We're going to be heading out in about 2 hours. I'm going down with my bro who races junior x 17-18 and Brett our resident pro. If you see people in red Bliss uniforms don't hesitate to say hello :)

7th in the sport race? not too bad. Our guy was 9th I believe. Tough course and a long race for them... I suppose in dry conditions it would have been fine but really the sports should have done 1 lap I think. Or, better yet, there should have been a short lap that the beginners could do 2 of, and the sports could do, say, 1 full lap and 1 short lap. The Semi-pros did 3 laps in a bit over 2 hrs, and sports did 2 laps in almost the same time. The race times for sport and semi-pro riders should NOT be close like that.

and yes he did get some. The banana is my brother, red head is my mom. guy in the white glasses was 9th in sport 15-16 :) I think my arm may be in the photo, but nothing else of me.
http://iplayoutside.smugmug.com/photos/176212532-L.jpg

Well, happy trails! See you in NC, and if you check you e-mail & are passing thru WV, the green outback with the bikeracks on RT 79 is me!