The fat lady hasn't sung yet, but she's getting warmed up, as the Vittoria Eastern States Cup downhill race season enters the home stretch. This coming weekend, the Plattekill Bike Park will once again host the series finals for both the New England and Atlantic downhill tours. With double points on the line, the overall titles are up for grabs in every category and age group. It's going to be an exciting weekend as many of the overall battles are incredibly tight. The top three Atlantic Series pro men, Mauricio Estrada, George Ryan and Leland O'Connor are separated by only seven points coming into the Plattekill race. It doesn't get much tighter than that. On the New England side, Alex McAndrew has a slightly more comfortable lead but teammate Isaac Allaire and Jordan Newth are in hot pursuit and within easy striking distance. The Champions in every class will be awarded a 2015 Vittoria ESC Championship Jersey, while the top three in every class receive a custom championship plaque. Additionally between the two series the male and female Pro Racers will split a $4,000 total purse equally.
Plattekill tracks are always racer favorites and this year the crew has been working hard to open up a brand new, never before used course for the finals. The track will be on the double chair side of the mountain. With some old favorites and some brand new fresh-cut sections, this course will be an excellent test of skills. The track was designed by the new Plattekill Bike Park Get Loose race team, which spent many hours scouting, taping, cutting and cleaning the course to get it just right. This year’s finals course is guaranteed to please with fast, steep, and loose terrain. The designers made sure to tape most of this course very wide, leaving lots of opportunity for rider’s line choice to impact their results.
As always, the race is open to everyone, whether you're a first-timer or you've hit every stop this year. The Catskills are especially beautiful this time of year and this will be a fun party with much of the East Coast racing world congregating in one place for the first time this season.
And if the finals at Plattekill weren't enough, the following week, October 17th and 18th, will see the 2nd annual Vittoria ESC East Coast Super Downhill Championship Finals at Mountain Creek Bike Park in New Jersey. This is a World Cup-style event designed to bring together the best racers in the region for one last throw down. The format works like this: The top five in every class in the Atlantic Downhill or the New England Downhill Final Series Standings will automatically qualify for the East Coast Super Downhill Championship Finals. All other racers must place in the top 15 in the qualifying event to race in Super Championship Finals. The qualifying event will take place on Saturday and the East Coast Super Downhill Championship Finals will be on Sunday. The race is open to everyone, but you'll have to race your way into the finals if you didn't finish in the top five in one of the overall series.
The track will be the same that was used in last year's Super Championship and takes advantage of Mountain Creek's notoriously rocky terrain as well as some impressive man-made features. And you get to finish your race in the water park, which is pretty cool.
There will be some big money on the line at this event, with a $5,000 purse up for grabs.
The breakdown for cash awards is as follows:
Female Open $300 / $200 / $100
Male Expert 19-29 (Cat1) $300 / $200 / $100
Male Expert 15-18 (Cat1) $300 / $200 / $100
Female Pro $1000 / $400 / $200
Male Pro $1000 / $400 / $200
Racers MUST be present at the award ceremony to receive awards and cash payouts.
Don't let the season get away from you. There will be snow on the ground before you know it. Come to Plattekill Bike Park this Columbus Day weekend, October 10th and 11th, and Mountain Creek Bike Park the following weekend for the most fun you can have on two wheels. If you don't go, you'll be hearing about it from your bike buddies until next season. And that's a long ways away.
For more information please visit:
easternstatescup.complattekill.commountaincreekbikepark.com
MENTIONS:
@MCBP |
@Eastern-States-Cup
collegiatecycling.org/eccc/wiki/index.php?n=Calendar.Current
Come race!!