The
Scott Enduro Cup presented by Vittoria launched its first race of the season at the Klondike Bluffs Trail System in Moab, UT. The sold-out event drew 250 athletes to the desert for a day of enduro mountain bike racing, a tailgate barbecue, awards, and raffle. Results are in with Nate Hills and two-time champion, Katie Compton claiming the fastest times overall for the men and women’s pro/open category respectively.
Event organizers worked closely with the BLM and Grand County Trail Mix to host the race for a second year at Klondike Bluffs. Racers were organized into five categories for both men and women, including pro/open, expert, vet expert (35+), amateurs and juniors. Riders in the pro/open and expert categories rode four timed stages descending approximately 3,000 vertical feet with a total mileage of 29-miles. The amateur and junior categories rode three timed stages covering 25-miles.
Nate Hills, 39, of Keystone, CO, beat the spring showers, leading the charge for the pro/open men’s category, with a total time of 21:28.84. Last year’s Moab champion, Macky Franklin, 28, slid into second place at 21:43.504. Downhill legend, Mike West, 41, took third at 21:54.334.
“When I started biking, there was only cross country and I have always liked downhill,” said West.
“Now that I am in the enduro scene, it’s what I love the most. It is an all-around race. You have to be able to pedal, you need to be fit, but you also have to have the technical skills to get up and over all the cracks and crannies that cover slickrock. Moab is great, this venue and the Scott Enduro Cup is a great place to kick off the season.” Katie Compton, 37, of Colorado Springs, CO, is no stranger to the podium. She once again landed in Moab’s first place position for the pro/open women's category, with a total time of 24:12.336. Scott Sports athlete Teal Stetson-Lee, 30, finished in second place with a total time of 25:01.920. Cooper Dendel, 24, fell just two seconds behind Stetson-Lee, landing her the third place spot at 25:03.809.
“All of today's stages were fun and fast, and technical,” said Compton.
“The faster you rode, the more fun they were. There was a solid camaraderie between all the riders, doing the rider transitions together, and just hanging out, having a good time on bikes. That is the most important part for any cycling discipline. Slickrock is great to ride but it definitely takes it out of you.”
Pro/Open Men:
1. Nate Hills (21:28.842)
2. Macky Franklin (21:43.504)
3. Michael West (21:54.334)
Pro/Open Women:
1. Katie Compton (24:12.336)
2. Teal Stetson-Lee (25:01.920)
3. Cooper Dendel (25:03.809)
Lauren Bingham, 13, and brother Bryn Bingham, 14, of Sandy, UT, both took home first in the juniors category.
“I have been racing since I was six,” said Lauren.
“Racing with Katie and Teal, it’s amazing knowing you are out there racing the same course and just to see the pros out there [with you].”New this year, the Vittoria Bolt awarded the fastest downhill time of the third stage. Nate Hills (03:29.626) and Katie Compton (04:03.155) were each awarded a $100 cash prize. This award will be featured at each 2016 race.
Podium finishers in the pro/open category shared prize money equally divided between men and women. The podium athletes in the expert, amateur, and junior categories received gear from Scott Sports and Vittoria. All riders were entered into a raffle, with proceeds going to the Grand County Trail Mix. Raffle prizes were provided by Scott Sports, Vittoria, Rotor and G-Form. A special thanks to our bike shop partners, Guthrie Bicycles, for mechanical support and Chile Pepper Bike Shop for providing the registration and athlete meeting venue.
The Scott Enduro Cup presented by Vittoria will hit the trails again in Angel Fire, NM, on June 11-12. Angel Fire is a new venue for the series and the race is a part of the North American Enduro Tour (NAET), making it an Enduro World Series qualifier race.
A full list of results from the Moab race can be found
here.
For registration information, visit endurocupmtb.com. Registration is open to men and women, professional and amateur adults and juniors ages 13-18. Riders can choose to participate in a single race or purchase a season pass. In addition to race entry, all registration fees include an event T-shirt, lunch and lift tickets (where applicable). In order to collect points to qualify for the Enduro World Series, racers will need to obtain an EMBA license through EWS here.
Follow the series on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and #EnduroCupMTB.
MENTIONS: @EnduroCup /
@SCOTT-Sports
Rider at the 2016 SCOTT Enduro Cup in Moab, Utah
Tyson Baker at the 2016 SCOTT Enduro Cup in Moab, Utah
Nick Dru at the 2016 SCOTT Enduro Cup in Moab, Utah
Garth Spencer, at the 2016 SCOTT Enduro Cup in Moab, Utah
Cory Wittwer at the 2016 SCOTT Enduro Cup in Moab, Utah
Cooper Dendel at the 2016 SCOTT Enduro Cup in Moab, Utah
ANGELICA RAMIREZ at the 2016 SCOTT Enduro Cup in Moab, Utah
Riders and Sierra Nevada Brewing at the 2016 SCOTT Enduro Cup in Moab, Utah
2016 SCOTT Enduro Cup in Moab, Utah
Expo area of the 2016 SCOTT Enduro Cup in Moab, Utah
Raffle winner of Rotor crank at the 2016 SCOTT Enduro Cup in Moab, Utah
Plank competition for a Vittoria wheelset at the 2016 SCOTT Enduro Cup in Moab, Utah
Mike West at the 2016 SCOTT Enduro Cup in Moab, Utah
PARKER DEGRAY at the 2016 SCOTT Enduro Cup in Moab, Utah
Naish Ulmer at the 2016 SCOTT Enduro Cup in Moab, Utah
Clay Kimsey at the 2016 SCOTT Enduro Cup in Moab, Utah
Ileana Anderson at the 2016 SCOTT Enduro Cup in Moab, Utah
Rider at the 2016 SCOTT Enduro Cup in Moab, Utah
Stan "California" Jorgensen at the 2016 SCOTT Enduro Cup in Moab, Utah
Garth Spencer at the 2016 SCOTT Enduro Cup in Moab, Utah
Naish Ulmer at the 2016 SCOTT Enduro Cup in Moab, Utah
Mike Taylor at the 2016 SCOTT Enduro Cup in Moab, Utah
Teal Stetson-Lee at the 2016 SCOTT Enduro Cup in Moab, Utah
Amanda Cordell at the 2016 SCOTT Enduro Cup in Moab, Utah
Riders at the 2016 SCOTT Enduro Cup in Moab, Utah
Macky Franklin at the 2016 SCOTT Enduro Cup in Moab, Utah
Dylan Stucki at the 2016 SCOTT Enduro Cup in Moab, Utah
Katie Compton at the 2016 SCOTT Enduro Cup in Moab, Utah
Teal Stetson-Lee at the 2016 SCOTT Enduro Cup in Moab, Utah
Cooper Dendel at the 2016 SCOTT Enduro Cup in Moab, Utah
Katie Compton at the 2016 SCOTT Enduro Cup presented by Vittoria in Moab, UT
Parker Degray at the 2016 SCOTT Enduro Cup presented by Vittoria in Moab, Utah
Parker Degray at the 2016 SCOTT Enduro Cup presented by Vittoria in Moab, Utah
endurocupmtb.com/gallery-2015-scott-enduro-cup-moab