Race Report: 2019 BME Finals in Aspen Snowmass

The 2019 Yeti Cycles Big Mountain Enduro presented by Maxxis season came to an end last weekend in Aspen Snowmass, CO for the Grand Finale. The race included 6 tough stages and some legit big mountain descents that this venue is always known for, totaling 60 minutes of timed racing on average for most categories (48+ for the fastest pro men). For the first time in many years, the rain held off, tracks were dusty, and the weather was picture perfect for this classic event, with temperatures hovering in the low 80's. Of the 6 stages raced this weekend, over half of the them are normally closed to the public and only used for this BME event. Hence why this venue is so special for the racer experience, in always having fresh and unique tracks that seldom get ridden, except one a year for this BME stop.

On Saturday, racers tackled a new stage that combined French Press, Papa Smurf and Trails 8 and 9. The second stage of the day was on Animal Crackers and Two Creeks, which is always a racer favorite and one of the longest and burliest stages of the weekend. Stage 3 took racers atop Sam's Knob into West Government, which is a fresh cut trail that resembles old-school DH tracks from the 90's and drops steeply down the mountain. Following Day 1's enduro action, the BME crew also executed a Downhill race and an outdoor movie premier, showing the latest Anthill movie, Return To Earth.

After a busy first day of action, riders then faced the biggest day of the weekend on the bike that included long pedal transitions to 3 diverse stages on Sunday. Stage 4 combined Powerline and Starks, Stage 5 was on Aspen Mountain with a 3,300 foot descent, and Stage 6 took place back in Snowmass on the infamous Bonzai DH trail, where hecklers were out in full force to watch the excitement on the numerous drops and "Hells Kitchen" area on the final stage.

Jake Ingram taking the win for the Expert class.

Zephyr Sylvester's weekend and season came unwound with a broken hand suffered from a crash on stage 2.

Scott Countryman on stage 2.

Stage 2 step down into the finish.

Good to see Jubal back up to speed after coming off the injury bench.

At the end of the 2-day battle, it was Cooper Ott taking the weekend win for pro women and Carson Lange taking the win for pro men. This event truly showcased the best terrain and was a good balance of pedal vs lift access transitions, long stages and a mix of tech vs flow, thus showcasing the best all-round riders, fitness and technical ability.

Pro Men
1st: Carson Lange
2nd: Dave Camp
3rd: Shane Leslie
4th: Jubal Davis
5th: William Farmer

Pro Women:
1st: Cooper Ott
2nd: Lia Westermann
3rd: Antonia Wurth
4th: Lauren Bingham
5th: Corinne Prevot

Full Results Here:

Mike West took the weekend and series win for the master 40+.

Lauren Bingham took 4th on the weekend.

Carson Lange keeping it pinned for the win.

CB's Bart Stuchlik getting low in the flowery stage 4.

Cooper Ott putting an exclmation point on her season with another win to take the overall series win too.

Antonia Wurth picked up some speed for 3rd overall.

Corrine Prevot on stage 5.

Big aspens and steep pitches accentuate stage 5.

Quinn railing a steep berm lower down on stage 5.

Rudeboy Eli Burke representing in the Am's class.

Reflecting on a great season, owner of BME, Brandon Ontiveros, stated "It's been a great 8 years of running the BME and one of the best seasons here in 2019, with a fantastic venue to host the Finale. Wrapping up our biggest year yet, we will go back to the drawing board to consider all opportunities and new changes that are on the horizon moving forward. Stay tuned for 2020 plans and possible new directions for BME. I want to personally thank all of the racers, our dedicated staff, sponsors and venues for their continued support in helping us grow the BME brand and shape the sport of Enduro here in the States."