Race Report & Video: Eastern States Cup Showdown - Enduro & Downhill Racing at Sugarbush

Photos and words: Jeb Wallace-Brodeur
Video: Jason Scheiding

Hard to believe but the Maxxis Eastern States Cup race season has officially passed the halfway mark in its 2018 schedule. More than 300 enduro and downhill racers turned out this past weekend for the BOX Showdown at Sugarbush Resort in central Vermont. The weather was nearly perfect and the racing was tight with some unexpected results for the women and a history-making performance on the men's side.

Sugarbush has been in the lift-serviced biking business for many years now. While the network remains largely unchanged, the trail crew continues to tweak their offerings and the riding experience improves each season. With a robust vertical and sustained pitch, the racing at Sugarbush leans towards the downhill end of the gravity racing spectrum.

The four-stage enduro kicked things off on Sunday. There are no warm-up runs at Sugarbush and racers jumped right into the thick of things on Stage One with a high-speed, jump-filled rollercoaster right out of the gate. Veteran pro Willem Cooper aired things out on the upper section of the opening stage.

The second half of Stage One was contested on the dread-inducing East of Eden. This unrelentingly technical test piece has been the scene of untold carnage over the years. The uncharacteristically dry summer that Vermont has been experiencing this year had the trail playing relatively nice for a change, though it still sent numerous riders out of the saddle. David Kahn, from Danny's Cycles, won the stage by four seconds and hung on to edge runner-up Ziggy Ribetto by a scant two-second overall margin to win the 16-20 category.

Stage Two began at the highest lift-serviced point with a rocket ride down Grand Stand, probably the most popular trail on the mountain. Canadian Caroline Allen blitzed the boardwalk section and took second in the amateur women's category.

The lower section of the second stage followed Wild Turkey which is a rollicking ride through a hardwood forest. Ben Farrell charged to a seventh-place result in his first race of the season in the highly-competitive 21-29 age group.

The biggest pedal on the day was found on the transfer between Stages Two and Three where riders climbed to a little used track cut on the far side of the Castlerock lift. This was the site for the FOX Transfer Seatpost Climbers Challenge.

Stage Three was where the race was decided. The loamy singletrack featured plenty of punchy little climbs and awkward corners. Racers who put the hammer down on this segment were rewarded with big margins that often propelled them to the top of the results sheet. Ben Smith charged through a rooty section near the end of the track and took home fourth in the U15 class.

A final ride up the Super Bravo express quad deposited racers at the top of the last and longest stage of the day. This track had it all from open slopes to tight singletrack to man-made features. The crux of the final fun-fest was Ruffed Up, a steep and balancy drop through tight woods. Garrett Joyal kept his eyes on the coming attractions of the final stage.

The pitch eases up lower on the mountain but the challenges never do and the last stage was a real fitness test for racers. Kyle Field put together a consistently fast day to take third in the 21-29 field.

The men's pro race was owned by a couple of Sugarbush-sponsored local riders. Steve Estabrook won the first stage and had the lead going into stage three but gave up 35 seconds on the physically-demanding pedal fest and had to settle for the runner-up position.

Vermont local Isaac Allaire won three stages, and absolutely torched the field on the all-important third stage, to take the men's pro win. Allaire has owned the Sugarbush enduro of late, taking the crown three years in a row. "The Enduro Sugarbush puts on is great! I went over the bars on Stage One with a silly mistake but I was fine and able to complete the stage and have solid runs on the remaining three stages. I wasn’t too worried about it because Stage One was the shortest and the next three count for much more towards the race."

The men's enduro pro podium from left: Jason Scheiding-5th, Kory Nagy (missing)-3rd, Isaac Allaire-1st, Steve Estabrook-2nd, Dylan Conte-4th

The runner up for the pro women was Canadian sensation Rachel Pageau. The Devinci Development Racing rider has been busy this summer, most recently with her first World Cup downhill appearance at Val Di Sole in Italy, but the reigning ESC champion was off her game a bit at Sugarbush and had to settle for the second step of the podium.

Taking her first win for the pro women was Clarissa Finks. The Liv Co-Factory Team member put down a dominant performance with three stage wins and a second to finish 27 seconds ahead of her nearest competition. Finks is always in the podium conversation and this break-out win may propel her to more top-tier results."I have been really excited for this race. As far as the race goes, for me it was all about getting a clean first stage - East of Eden has always been a nemesis of mine. Stage 3 was an absolute ass-kicker but I figured that is where the race was to be won or lost so I just gritted my teeth and pushed through. I was shocked to take the stage win there with all the other strong ladies I was racing against. This is my first win since moving up to the pro field in 2015 and I couldn't be happier that it happened on my home turf!"

The women's enduro pro podium from left: Clair Sick-5th, Corrine Prevot-3rd, Clarissa Finks-1st, Rachel Pageau-2nd, Hazel Brewster-4th

The Alex Rims Super Stage winners, including our fastest male and female amateurs, Miranda Gajda and Ziggy Ribetto, who each went home with a fresh pair of Alex rims.

The fastest climbers of the day on the transfer from Stage Two to Stage Three with their well-earned prizes from the FOX Transfer Seatpost Climbers Challenge.

The fastest racers from each class on the Flat Tire Defender Super Stage, including our fastest amateurs David Kahn and Miranda Gajda, who took home a new set of Flat Tire Defender rim inserts.

BIKE CHECK
Jared Wood hails from Cohoes, N.Y. and delivers uniforms to businesses when he's not playing with gravity. He's got a nice DH rig that's been built from the ground up

Rider height: 5'9" , weight: 150lbs
Frame: Canfield Jedi , medium
Fork: Manitou Dorado
Rear shock: DVO Jade
Brakes: Hopes V4's
Rotors: 200mm front, 180mm rear
Shifter and Derailleur: Sram x9
Cassette: Sram 23-11t
Cranks: Canfields 155mm
Chain Ring: 36t
Chain Guide: MRP G3 custom made for Canfield
Wheels: Spank Race 33's bear claw edition
Hubs: Onyx Racing
Tires: Schwalbe Magic Mary, 25psi front & 27psi rear
Saddle: WTB High Tail test ride edition
Seatpost: Race Face Carbon next
Bars: Carbon Renthal 780mm wide 30mm rise
Stem: Spank Spike
Grips: Race Face Strafe lock one
Pedals: Canfield Crampons

The afternoon belonged to the downhill crowd. The Sugarbush track has long been considered one of the most legitimate tracks on the east coast with a wide variety of unrelenting challenges. The top of the track is a high-tempo, open-slope bomb run that rewards racers who take it to the edge of control through the loose, marble-strewn terrain.

Diving into the trees, racers were confronted with the classic Over the Ledge trail. Rocks and roots rule the lower half of the track. Pro rider Joe Montano, once a regular on the circuit but now earning his merchant marine chops at sea, returned to land (and air) this weekend.

An off-camber ledge that has been a trouble spot for many a rider during damp years proved more manageable in dry conditions. Vermont pro Dylan Conte took the committing high line into the ledge and the gamble paid off with a 5th-place result.

A double rock stair set lower on the course is often the most popular spectator spot. Andrew Driscoll put down a lightning fast run to win the U15 class and held the fastest time for much of the day.

The junior expert class was won by Canadian wonder kid Tristan Lemire who kept his 2018 undefeated streak alive. Lemire, who is only 14, has been putting down times this year that put him near the top of the pro ranks and he would have finished 8th at Sugarbush. Lemire is off to the Canadian National Championships in British Colombia next and we wish him well.

The FLY Racing Speed Zone winners from each class including our fastest amateurs of the day, Eric Beauchamp-Lachapelle and Ella Bartosh.

Riley Weidman, who has hit every downhill round this season, turned in her best performance of the year to take the runner-up position for the pro women.

26-year-old Maxine Bergeron from Ottawa, Ontario also had a break-through performance, winning the women's pro race by nearly four seconds. Bergeron is currently living and working in Montréal, Quebec and has focused mainly on races north of the border until this season. "I want to race the ESC series to improve my skills and push myself, which isn't easy because there are a lot of fast girls on the circuit. The track at Sugarbush was longer then I'm used to but really sick. The hardest part of the track for me was managing my energy from top to bottom. I like to think I had a good race run despite being in the wrong lines in the open at the top. I still made it work into a pretty good race run!"

The women's DH pro podium from left: Ivanna Estrada-5th, Rachel Pageau-3rd, Maxine Bergeron-1st, Riley Weidman-2nd, Kristin Lenart-4th.

Five of the twelve racing classes were won by Canadians at Sugarbush, and Montreal speedster Benjamin Despres-Morin nearly made it six but had to settle for 2nd when the dust had settled in the men's pro race.

History was made in the men's pro race as Defiant Racing's Isaac Allaire completed the first BOX Components double win. Rachel Pageau has earned several double victories on the women's side in the past but the elusive feat had never been accomplished by a man until this weekend. "I wanted to win the DH really bad. I had gone first and third in the Enduro and DH for 2 years in a row now and I had to do it. I went out the start gate in my DH run fast and had a nearly perfect run going until I started to hear air and sealant spray out of my front tire before I even entered the woods section of the track. I’m thinking to myself it’s over. The tire was soft but seemed rideable, so I gave it my best go! I tried to ride smooth and flow through the corners to avoid my tire rolling. I made it to the bottom, and ended up putting down a solid time. I couldn’t believe it considering my puncture. Turns out I only had 9 psi in my front tire when I crossed the line. My Flat Tire Defender saved my butt and everyone who races DH or Enduro should have some. Big thank you to Sugarbush for hosting an awesome race and supporting me with a great training ground. Glad I only live an hour away!"

The men's DH pro podium from left: Dylan Conte-5th, Steve Estabrook-3rd, Isaac Allaire-1st, Benjamin Despres-Morin-2nd, Mauricio Estrada-4th

The women's winners of the BOX Components Showdown with the best combined results from the enduro and downhill events: Clair Sick, Rachel Pageau and Jennifer Yanazzo

The men's winners of the BOX Components Showdown: Steve Estabrook, Isaac Allaire (missing) and David Kahn

The Maxxis ESC series now takes a small mid-summer break, with the next event taking place in mid-August with the Victory Hill Enduro in Vermont's Northeast Kingdom. This is a perfect chance to step up your game for the two-day format of the Enduro East series. The Thunder Mountain EWS Qualifier goes down on July 28-29. This will be a good one!



Enduro results: https://www.rootsandrain.com/race6602/2018-jul-15-maxxis-esc-enduro-6-sugarbush-vt/results/

Downhill results: https://www.rootsandrain.com/race6611/2018-jul-15-maxxis-esc-dh-4-sugarbush-vt/results/
http://www.easternstatescup.com/

2018 MAXXIS ESC SCHEDULE

ENDURO
April 22 Glen Park, PA
May 6 Plattekill, NY
May 20 Binghamton, NY
June 3 Thunder Mountain, MA
June 17 Blue Mountain, PA
July 15 Sugarbush, VT
Aug 12 Victory Hill, VT
Aug 26 Mountain Creek, NJ
Sept 23 Killington, VT
Sept 30 Wilmington, NY
Oct 21 Thunder Mountain, MA Finals

DOWNHILL
May 6 Plattekill, NY
June 3 Thunder Mountain, MA
June 17 Blue Mountain, PA
July 15 Sugarbush, VT
Aug 19 Windham, NY
Aug 26 Mountain Creek, NJ
Sept 23 Killington, VT
Oct 14 Mount Snow, VT Finals

BOX SHOWDOWNS - DH and Enduro on the same day
May 6 Plattekill, NY
June 3 Thunder Mountain, MA
June 17 Blue Mountain, PA
July 15 Sugarbush, VT
Aug 26 Mountain Creek, NJ
Sept 23 Killington, VT

CLIF ENDURO EAST presented by MAXXIS ESC
July 1 Mountain Creek, NJ - EWS Qualifier
July 29 Thunder Mountain, MA - EWS Qualifier
Sept 16 Victory Hill / Burke Mountain - EWS North American Continental Championships FINALS

CLIF ENDURO LITE presented by Maxxis ESC
July 8 Burke Mountain - Beginner Enduro Racers - Families - Kids - Fun!