Copy rights by my mechanic Benno Willeit.
He thinks I should practice my running... and I think he should practice his commentating! But does he not have a nice laugh!?
klick on movie screen for watching it in bigger size on youtube
20.09.2008
Sunday, Cross Country
2 Laps, 30miles, First Place plus First Place Overall
We already started at 8 o’clock in the morning. So not much of a rest in between the late evening short track and today’s stage.
But since there is Starbucks at every corner here it was easy to stock up with caffeine and my eyes and legs opened very quick.
The course was one long technical single trail, and I talk about 99% of single trail. For me it was important that I go up the only big climb which was very steep and rocky first. And that is where I made the move. I quickly gained time and saved it for the rest. Sure this was also due my Epic full suspension bike! Once more my bike was super smooth, not only because the rear and front shock worked perfectly all time, it is also the Brain system http://cdn.specialized.com/bc/microsite/suspension/suspension.html which “reads” the course. I would have been just too busy lock/unlocking the shocks manually all the time, and could not concentrate on the substantial.
The whole event was perfect organised by www.swagger.us and team. For me it was more then great holiday racing. I got to see Las Vegas from a very different point of view. It is not only about gambling, hotels and lights. There are also super cool trails out there, which all we riders enjoyed to ride a lot.
Racing in America is also much different then in Europe. It is more laid back….lots of the riders come and have fun with their racing and are not so serious, they are more about participation. Believe it or not there was a guy full on racing with a Specialized DH Demo bike, check out the picture gallery.
The new Cactus Cup has a great future, and I would love to see this event growing again!
Results:
1. 1:59:34 CHRISTOPH SAUSER, SPECIALIZED
2. 2:01:09 SAM Jurekovic, U23 NATIONAL TEAM
3. 2:04:56 CARL DECKER, GIANT BICYCLES
4. 2:04:57 SID TABERLAY
5. 2:05:53 BENJAMIN SONNTAG
Overall:
2:35:35 Sauser Christoph
2:36:28 Jurekovic Sam
2:39:33 Taberlay Sid
2:42:47 Sonntag Benjamin
2:44:12 Ishai Rotem
Racing after 8pm means racing in the night, but still at warm summer temperatures.
I felt very good and I tried to break away a few times hard, but everybody was looking at the good gc-riders.
Coming into the last corner I was in third, a good position. But right in front of me Sam crashed out and I had to go straight for to avoid hitting the tarmac too. Sid got a easy win tonight, but was also clever enough to fight for the first spot in the last corner.
Overall:
0:34:36 Taberlay Sid
0:35:19 Jurekovic Sam
0:36:01 Sauser Christoph
0:36:11 Allen Tim
0:36:36 Ishai Rotem
Saturday, Super D (not the real format, since it was all pedalling)
11miles, 34min, 4th Place, 1min behind winner Sam Jurekovic
I hate Le Mans running starts, especially in bikes shoes. I knew I will not be the fastest but did not expect to be so slow running around this parking lot before jumping on the bike. But rest of the race was so much fun. Endless single trails with uncountable corners. But yeah, no passing and I had a hard time to move up again. I only made up time when hard physically pedalling, the rest of the course we were all more or less on the same speed.
I made the wrong tire choice. Even my Epic looked awesome with the 2.20 Purgatory, I should have raced my light 2.00 Fast Track LK’s. The Purgatory’s were awesome handling in corners plus rolling too, but since my start was so bad, it would have been easier to accelerate, plus the grip on this tire is amazing too. I only realised that after the cross country race, where I felt faster on the Fast Track tire.
Results:
1. Jurekovic Sam, U23 National Team 0:33:16.0
2. Taberlay Sid Team, Sho-Air 0:33:17.4
3. Allen Tim, Waste Management 0:34:12.1
4. Sauser Christoph, Specialized 0:34:12.6
5. Ishai Rotem, Kona - Spider C.C. 0:34:40.2
Overall:
0:35:20 Jurekovic Sam
0:35:21 Taberlay Sid
0:36:23 Allen Tim
0:36:26 Sauser Christop
0:36:54 Sonntag Benjamin
Friday, 700meter Time Trial
7th Place, 10sec off winner Sid Taberlay
The course looked so short that I told Benno at the start this will be over before it even hurt. I was wrong though. After 30sec my lungs were burning and so as the legs even more. Luckily it was not any longer, otherwise I would have lost even more time.
By the way the venue was awesome! On top of the hill we had such a great view towards Las Vegas and the surrounding mountains.
Results:
Place BIB FIRST NAME LAST NAME TEAM Start Time Finish Time Total Time
1 28 Sid Taberlay Team Shoal 17:14:00 17:16:03.814 02:03.814
2 12 Sam Jurekovic U23 National Team 17:06:00 17:08:03.917 02:03.917
3 10 Tim Allen Waste Management 17:05:00 17:07:10.943 02:10.943
4 18 Benjamin Sonntag Fort Lewis College 17:09:00 17:11:11.521 02:11.521
5 29 Andreas Hestler Rocky Mountain 17:14:30 17:16:42.254 02:12.254
6 23 Carl Decker giant bicycles 17:11:30 17:13:42.718 02:12.718
7 1 Christoph Sauser Specialized 17:15:30 17:17:43.116 02:13.116
GMT
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