Day 1 Race Report: WTB East Coast Showdown Enduro

The 3rd stop of the 6-race POC Eastern States Cup Enduro Series was held in conjunction with the WTB East Coast Showdown; a weekend featuring three races in 2 days. Saturday July 5th was a day dedicated to enduro and it would prove to be a good one, as over 150 racers showed up to compete on 5 stages spanning a large portion of the massive east coast mountain resort. Killington, Vermont is well known for it's ski season prowess, but more and more mountain bikers are beginning to appreciate the enormous quantities of both loam and fun this place has to offer. Conditions were prime after heavy rains came through the area 2 days prior, leaving the dark and tacky dirt in its wake and the massive field of racers, including over 35 pro men and 10 pro women, were more than happy to let it rip. Coming off of the steep, rocky and loose terrain at Blue Mountain 2 weeks prior, the 5-stage course at Killington was much less about the steeps and deeps and much more about pedaling at every opportunity and getting in and out of the corners with as much speed as possible. And for many who were willing, it was a perfect day to stop and take in the combination of perfect mountain weather, great trails and a crowd of like minded people. Day 1 of the WTB East Coast Showdown would prove to be a fantastic kickoff to the weekend!


Friday, July 4th was a gloomy and moody affair, with many riders taking the day to find their lines and practice their runs in the clouds. The weather system brought a deluge of rain to the region on Thursday and left plenty of clouds and mist in its wake for most of Friday.


The quality of the dirt that resulted from the weather was astonishingly great, much to the surprise of most of the riders throughout the practice day.


The enduro race alone would see over 20 female participants on Saturday; the largest turnout for any Eastern States Cup enduro race to date. The POC ESC Enduro Cup is growing by leaps and bounds in it's second season.

By race morning, the weather had completely cleared and a gloriously full and sunny view of the massive mountain greeted us. Riders had a short window to get a practice run or two in prior to the race meeting to get a feel for the trails and reinforce a few lines choices.


Killington has no shortage of lodging options, but the most popular would be camping in the upper parking lot just below the gondola. With the lifts not running until 10 on Saturday, many would take the opportunity to dial in their rigs, get plenty of coffee and discuss the upcoming effort with friends and fellow riders.


The POC Eastern States Cup is well known for providing riders with courses that offer up a heaping helping of steep and deep terrain. This race, however, would prove to be much less about handling yourself on big and rowdy terrain and much more about laying down power as often as possible and maintaining speed throughout a number of tight turns and off-camber root and rock gardens.


Elisa Otter came prepared for the pedaling and wasn't afraid of the riskier line options, an approach that would place her 6th overall in the pro women's field.


The fastest sections of the day were often straight ahead, access-road sections; challenging riders to handle themselves at over 40 mph on the loose gravel and over a handful of water bar g-outs. Leland O'Connor wasn't afraid to let go of the brakes; a quality that, coupled with his fitness and power, would net him a 2nd overall in the pro men's field.


Killington is a massive mountain by most standards, offering up over 2,000 feet of vertical and several thousand acres of terrain to folks who are itching to explore the high ridges of central Vermont. For mountain bikers, this place offers up some amazing dirt, beautiful forests and some of the most fun trails you'll find at a bike park anywhere. Kevin Deal made the trek from central Ohio and was all smiles throughout the race; due in large part to the terrain and the fact that his efforts would place him neatly inside the top 10 pro men.


By ESC standards, there weren't many mandatory jumps or drops throughout Saturday's race. But Kevin Simard is Canadian and we all know that Canadians will try their hardest to keep the rubber off of the ground. Fortunately for Kevin, the fast line on Stage 1 meant gapping this particular jump.


Riders couldn't let their guard down despite the lack of super steep terrain or sizable features, as many times they were able to generate plenty of speed from the wide open sections into the singletrack sections, where chunky rocks and massive roots were there to greet them. John Riggins was more than happy to say hi.


On the weekend of America's birthday, it's appropriate that the top rider sport some stars and stripes and fortunately Seamus Powell was here to oblige. 2 weeks prior, Seamus had proven to be the strongest rider on a day where downhilling would prove to be the most valuable tool in a racer's bag of tricks. On Saturday a bit more finesse and fitness were the order of the day and Mr. Powell proved once again to bring the most ammo to the gun fight, with a winning margin of 29 seconds over the nearest competitor. So far Seamus appears to be well on his way to defending his POC Eastern States Cup enduro crown. With 3 races to go, it'll be interesting to see if anyone will be able to step up and challenge him for the overall.


Once the race was over, many riders cleaned and wrenched their bikes before heading back up to practice on the DH and Super-D courses, both of which would be run during Day 2 of the WTB East Coast Challenge.


The Pro Women's Podium: Ali Zimmer - 1st, Kelly Dolan - 2nd, Lauren Petersen - 3rd, Elinor Wesner - 4th and Susan Clifford (not pictured) - 5th. Zimmer would prove to be a force throughout the weekend as Day 2 results would soon show...


The Pro Men's Podium: Seamus Powell - 1st, Leland O'Connor - 2nd, Jason Scheiding - 3rd, Steve Crosslet - 4th and Chris Patton - 5th.


As Killington shut down towards the end of Day 1, the shadow of Day 2 loomed over the mountain as many of the folks who raced Saturday began to ready themselves for what lay ahead on Day 2...


For full results on the POC Eastern States Cup WTB Showdown Enduro please click here.

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