NW Cup Round # 1 - Photos and Results
Downhill racing in the Northwest kicks off with the NW Cup Round # 1 in Port Angeles, WA. PA has been embedded as a legendary venue for many years, attracting national circuit stops such as the MTBGP and PRO GRT. One of the preferred courses by many, Port Angeles can be either dry and fast or laden with mud ridden root sections. The NW Cup brings everyone from beginners to World Cup level riders to the venue. If you're as anxious as I am about the World Cup season this year, the first race of the season always brings up many questions, and leaves many wondering who is going to be on top after a hard winter of training. With changing variables, race # 1 is generally a tough one to gauge. However, it helps prep athletes for the upcoming major national and international races by getting them into the race mode.
Pro Men
1. Mark Wallace
2. Remi Gauvin
3. Kirk McDowall
4. Bryn Atkinson
5. Lars Sternberg
Pro Women
1. Miranda Miller
2. Jill Kintner
3. Jaime Rees
4. Michelle Benson
5. Adrian Hopkins
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www.nwcup.com
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 Welcome to the Olympic Peninsula, located on the western coast of Washington State. While much of North America is still thawing out from a great winter, the coast generally has a lower amount of snow and brings one of the first major downhill races to the Northwest. |
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| American flags, dogs and shuttle lines would be a good summary of the weekend. |
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| Canadian Mark Wallace took the win today here in Port Angeles. The next race here will be the second unofficial "Underworld" Cup (MTBGP, NW CUP combo race). With Trek World Racing, Specialized, Cedric and many others scheduled to show up, a lot of us are wondering who will dominate at the end of the month? |
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| Thank this man next time you see him for helping put on the best race series in the Northwest. Not pictured is Scott Tucker who is the other half of the series. Both men run the show, organize, build trail and get'r done. Racing here wouldn't be the same without them. |
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| With the first World Cup at Fort William only a few months away, Jill Kintner and Bryn Atkinson hit their first race of the season. With a huge winter of vigorous training, bike testing, and a large amount of riding; the two are on their way to what could be one of their best seasons yet. Both have been set off the last two years with injuries and are coming back strong. |
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| Trevor Parson is a up and coming young gun who place 8th in a stacked Pro field. His first season racing Pro, the kid has a bright future ahead of him. |
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| And then came the rain... Throughout the weekend heavy rain arrived at random periods of time. Luckily, it lifted for finals only to set back in soon after the last rider made it down. |
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| Mud butts and the occasional wet Samsquatch. Typical weekend at Port Angeles. |
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| Lars Sternberg came prepared... Saved by the bell from the rain with his flamboyant umbrella. |
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| A Cat 2 rider warms up on the clear cut portion of the course exposing the great view of the coastal sound. |
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| Winner of the worst helmet contest presented by Fox. Quite the upgrade there.. Kid was stoked on a new lid. |
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| Mustaches and rain... Ray from Nuun is one of the event sponsors and was out there having fun while he wasn't manning down the booth. |
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| Rider in the storm... Dry Hill gives off a bit of a false impression. Torrential downpour one minute and clear the next. |
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| Luke Strobel qualified first earlier in the day, but due to changing track conditions through the afternoon many riders such as Luke suffered unfortunate crashes... With one race down and many to go, it's impossible to say who will take the overall. |
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| Bryn Atkinson placed 4th today after nailing a tree at high velocity. Not surprisingly taking a podium place with one very mangled Shimano Saint. |
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| Along with her better half Bryn, Jill also crashed on the upper portion of the course still pulling together podium worthy run. |
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| Luke Strobel (left) and Adam Craig are two faces familiar to mountain bike racing in the Northwest. Both men are dominators in their own scene. While Luke is not an unseen face at a DH race, you might typically find Adam Craig destroying it at an enduro race. Two disciplines, same love for racing. |
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| Miranda Miller completed a full Canadian sweep this weekend. The NW Cup attracts riders from Canada, Washington, Oregon, and as far as California. |
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| Winners of the first major race series in the Northwest, Mark Wallace and Miranda Miller dominated this weekend. With a full series ahead, who will take the season title? |
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Pro Men
1. Mark Wallace
2. Remi Gauvin
3. Kirk McDowall
4. Bryn Atkinson
5. Lars Sternberg
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Pro Women
1. Miranda Miller
2. Jill Kintner
3. Jaime Rees
4. Michelle Benson
5. Adrian Hopkins
www.nwcup.com
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Member since Oct 27, 2010
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--- Greg (grubworks.com)
grubworks.smugmug.com/2013MountainBiking/2013-NW-CUP-Race-Series-1
I will also be adding some photos here on Pinkbike