Video & Race Report: Eastern States Cup in Sugarloaf, ME
Words: Eastern States Cup
The Maxxis ESC crew heads "upta" Maine for an Oakley Showdown double header weekend, bub. Home to the longest trails we'll race all season as well as some of the best views, The Loaf has become a favorite venue among racers. Stan's Enduro racers would tackle five challenging stages, including one off the 4,238' summit of Sugarloaf. The Intense Downhill would be contested on a course feature super fast ski trails along with steep and chunky woods sections. As usual this season, wet weather would play a factor and reward those who were able to let the bike roll through the muck. Keep scrolling to see who made it down with clean jerseys and shiny medals come Sunday afternoon.
It's been one wet summer in New England. Unfortunate to see streaks of mud get tracked on to beautifully sculpted berms, but everyone races the same course and these mudders are the races we remember most after they're over.
Killer views from the top of the Superquad, even with the passing storms.
Hard to believe fall is right around the corners in these parts.
STAN'S ENDURO
As most race weekends in 2023, it rained Friday and Saturday nights. Low clouds hung around as Kate's Kids, Enduro Lite and 14U racers headed up for their first stages of the day at 8:15am.
Most classes would start their day with a hefty pedal to the top of the Whiffletree Quad for both Stages 1 and 2. Michelle Guy had a banner weekend, earning the Amateur Women's win in both races as well as the female Oakley Showdown.
Our male Oakley Showdown winner Nick Frazier has been on a tear in 2023, earning his tenth and eleventh U16 & Amateur U16 wins this weekend.
Kyle Hamel flies out of the sugar shack and into first place for the 21-29 men's class. He would put the hammer down late in the day to win Stages 4 & 5.
This is the first year we're raced off the summit due to it being closed earlier in the summer for migratory birds. The only catch was a savagely steep hike-a-bike from the top of the Superquad to get there.
Ben Nephew literally brought his running shoes and hoofed it to the summit faster than anyone to win the Fox Transfer Seatpost Climbers Challenge. What commitment!
If you're an East Coaster, you don't get many chances to ride your bike down a ski trail at 4,200'. Thanks for the experience, Sugarloaf trail crew!
Adrian Hayden lets it rip on the giant slalom turns. He would remain consistent, finishing P4 for the Pro Men.
Third place for former World Cup XC racer and Olympian Mary McConneloug. She enjoys traveling around to different riding destinations and like the rest of us, found out Enduro racing is a blast. We're psyched to have you Mary, see you at another one soon!
Another former XC World Cupper, Ellen Noble also found her way onto the box this weekend. Second place and a win on the steep and demanding Stage 3.
Avery Ellis put a hurting on the rest of the Pro women's class, winning by a minute and forty seconds with four stage wins to boot.
Stan's Enduro Pro Women: 4th - Tina Dutra, 2nd - Ellen Noble, 1st - Avery Ellis, 3rd - Mary McConneloug, 5th - Kelly Dube
Tucker Shearer has been in the mix with the top Pro boys all season and earned his best result yet this weekend, third place.
Nathan Sterckx matches his best Pro result, P2 with three stage wins, just 2.2 off the win.
Five weeks out of wrist surgery and Max Beaupre is back at it, besting the Pro Men with a pair of stage wins and a total race time of 19:43.
Stan's Enduro Pro Men: 4th - Adrian Hayden, 2nd - Nathan Sterckx, 1st - Max Beaupre, 3rd - Tucker Shearer, 5th - Eli Gadbois
INTENSE DOWNHILL
Dropping into our longest DH course of the year. With average run times ranging from five to seven minutes, the arm pump and fatigue are real.
Trail boss Adam Craig could be seen taking laps with course tape and radio dangling off his belt loops all weekend. The Olympian still has the speed, P4 against a stacked Pro men's field on the trails he's worked so hard to make a reality.
Speedy ski trails and tape flapping in the breeze.
Full pull this weekend for Ethan Vara, 6th in the Motorex Ebike class in the morning followed by an Amateur 19-29 win in the afternoon. He would earn third place in the Oakley Showdown, edged out by his brother Jackson who got second by just 1 point.
Lev Dransfield was flying through the chunky stuff all weekend, come Sunday he would post the third fastest time of the day and earn the 16U Expert class win.
Luca Catalano stays light on the bike over slick roots. He would top the 18U Expert class by 3.83s, his second win of the season.
Pedal art.
Lenci Bogdan snapped her front brake lever off, but somehow rode it out to third place for the Pro Women.
Ella McAndrew was the fastest mom out there this weekend, securing second place in the Pro women's class.
Double win weekend for Maxine Bergeron, as she became the Quebec DH Champion in Bromont Saturday, then drove down to race with us Sunday. What a legend.
Intense DH Pro Women: 2nd - Ella McAndrew, 1st - Maxine Bergeron, 3rd - Lenci Bogdan
Veteran racer Steve Estabrook is back on the box, sliding into third place for the Pro Men.
Dylan Conte lead the last two splits but by the time he got up to speed it wouldn't be enough, as he would trail the winner by two seconds flat.
It was a big job to win in these conditions but if anyone can do it, it's Andrew Driscoll. He put down a 5:15 to capture his second Pro win of the season.
4th - Adam Craig, 2nd - Dylan Conte, 1st - Andrew Driscoll, 3rd - Steve Estabrook, 5th - Patrick Paré-Martin
Oakley Showdown Female: 2nd - Tillie Lange, 1st - Michelle Guy
Oakley Showdown Male: 2nd - Ethan Vara, 1st - Nick Frazier, 3rd - Jackson Vara
Thanks for the memories, Sugarloaf! We'll see everyone back in action next weekend in the Poconos for another Oakley Showdown at Blue Mountain. Get registered!
Words and photos: Andrew Santoro
Video: Seth Merritt
Stan's Enduro Results
Intense DH Results
Easternstatescup.com
2023 MAXXIS ESC PRESENTED BY KATE'S REAL FOOD SCHEDULE
INTENSE CYCLES DOWNHILL SERIES
April 30 Powder Ridge, CT
June 18 Jiminy Peak, MA
June 25 Killington, VT
July 23 Sugarbush, VT
July 30 Mount Snow, VT
Aug 20 Sugarloaf, ME
Aug 27 Blue Mountain, PA
Sept 17 Thunder Mountain, MA
Oct 8 Powder Ridge, CT
Oct 15 Killington, VT Series Finals
STAN'S ENDURO SERIES
May 21 Powder Ridge, CT
June 4 Glen Park, PA
June 18 Jiminy Peak, MA
June 25 Killington, VT
July 8 Arrowhead, NH – Outbound Night Enduro
July 23 Sugarbush, VT
Aug 6 Burke, VT
Aug 20 Sugarloaf, ME
Aug 27 Blue Mountain, PA
Sept 10 Arrowhead, NH
Sept 17 Thunder Mountain, MA
Oct 1 Woodstock, VT
Oct 29 Thunder Mountain, MA Series Finals
OAKLEY SHOWDOWN SERIES
June 18 Jiminy Peak, MA
June 25 Killington, VT
July 23 Sugarbush, VT
Aug 20 Sugarloaf, ME
Aug 27 Blue Mountain, PA
Sept 17 Thunder Mountain, MA Series Finals
MOTOREX EBIKE ENDURO SERIES
May 21 Powder Ridge, CT
June 4 Glen Park, PA
July 8 Arrowhead, NH – Outbound Night Enduro
August 20 Sugarloaf, ME
Sept 10 Arrowhead, NH
Sept 17 Thunder Mountain, MA
Oct 1 Woodstock, VT
Oct 29 Thunder Mountain, MA Series Finals
Author Info:
Member since Mar 14, 2012
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1 Comment
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wondertrack1
(Aug 23, 2023 at 5:23)
Santoro, awesome write-up, as usual! For those of us that missed the race, your photos and words really bring it to life. Much appreciated.
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