All eyes were focused on the prize as a record event crowd gathered at Sugarbush Resort in Warren, Vermont this past weekend to battle for downhill and enduro glory. An international cast of gravity heavy hitters, including Canadian sensation Antoine Caron, pictured, was on hand to tackle some of the most technical and challenging tracks of the year. With a constantly shifting leaderboard in the Vittoria ESC overall standings, every race is key at this point in the season.
Sugarbush is one of the biggest mountains on the Vittoria ESC schedule and an ideal host for the third Box Showdown Weekend and Vermont State Championship. It has been a moist few months in northern New England but Mother Nature decided to cooperate, for the most part, serving up perfect temperatures and generally clear skies.
As is the tradition on BOX weekends, the enduro kicked things off on race day, with racers competing in both disciplines getting an early start on the field. As in past years, the opening stage provided a rude awakening for riders on the treacherous East of Eden trail on the far southern flanks of the mountain. IRide pro, Dylan Conte ran the shadowy gauntlet and just missed the podium with a sixth-place finish.
East of Eden is challenging under the best of conditions. Throw some mud into the mix and it becomes nearly impossible to ride cleanly. Defiant Racing youngster, Michael Maldonado had a big day on the bike winning his class in both the enduro and the downhill.
Stage One was the shortest track on the day but it is unrelenting with no break until the timing box was thankfully reached. Jackson Jenkins, riding for Alpine Bike Works, solved the big puzzle and won his first 15-18 enduro.
Returning to the top of the Valley House high-speed chair, Stage Two took to the crowd pleasing Grand Stand, probably the most popular trail on the mountain. Scott Mooney took home a solid sixth-place finish in the huge 19-29 class.
Following Stage Two, racers faced the Fox seat post timed climb transfer to a new sector of the mountain. The long transfer climbed up through the lower reaches of the Castlerock area before topping out near the base of the North Lynx triple chair.
Stage Three wandered down a new race zone on riders right of the Gate House ski trails. An old cross-country trail was resurrected for this stage. As with many rarely-ridden tracks, things can get sloppy in a hurry. This more remote and pedally' stage added an adventurous dimension that was missing from last year's event. Young Hudson Nablo stayed positive as he negotiated some of the deeper muck on the stage.
The bottom of Stage Three was a blast as it snaked down a loamy ridge amongst widely spaced old-growth evergreens. Franck Kirscher had another solid run at Sugarbush piloting his Transition Patrol to a fourth consecutive Vittoria ESC podium.
One more trip to the top of the Valley House lift brought racers to the epic top-to-bottom final stage. After a quick cruise down some open slopes, riders set their sights on Ruffed Up, one of the steepest tracks on the mountain. Alex Gadbois took the high line to set up for a steep, greasy chute.
After surviving Ruffed Up, riders faced a lengthy high-speed romp down Fisher Cat and Burly Maple that had legs and arms burning by the finish line.
As I mentioned, Mother Nature mostly cooperated on the weekend. Late in the day on Saturday, a wall of water moved into the area and drenched the mountain briefly, recharging the already saturated soil.
Race day couldn't have been better with blue skies and temperatures in the low 70's as Vittoria ESC Enduro Meister, Chris Gilbert delivered instructions during an early-morning rider meeting.
The Box Showdown Weekend awards can be a lengthy affair. The enduro victors kicked off the party after a long day of racing. The winners of the Fox seat post climber's challenge which rewarded the fastest riders up the climbing transfer between Stages One and Two.
Winners of the Alex Rims super stage race were awarded a tubeless set-up to each class winner and a set of Alex Rims to the fastest amateur racer on Stage Three.
The women's pro race saw Pivot Cycles pro, Lauren Petersen return to the top step for the first time since her victory in the opening round in Pennsylvania. Petersen had a particularly convincing margin on Stage Two that carried her to the victory. "It was nice to take the win. The tracks were awesome! I liked the addition of Stage 3. The mud obviously made it really tough but it was nice to have something new there after having the last few Sugarbush events offer pure DH-oriented stages. I had a weird crash on Stage 3 during the race and slammed my left foot into a rock and twisted my knee, so I lost a bit of time there. Had a bit of a tough go on Stage 4 feeling some discomfort from that crash. But I had a blast! I love technical, muddy tracks."
In the runner-up spot was Canadian sensation, Rachel Pageau who has been on a roll this season but had her winning streak snapped at Sugarbush due to some Stage Two troubles.
The women's pro podium from left: Clair Sick - 5th (missing), Mel Hershey - 3rd, Lauren Petersen - 1st, Rachel Pageau - 2nd, Clarissa Finks - 4th.
On the men's pro side, local powerhouse Isaac Allaire, riding for Chuck's Bikes, Transition, MRP, and Renthal, continued his hot streak winning three of four stages for a seven-second overall margin. Allaire has been hot on his Transition Patrol, also winning two Vittoria ESC downhills on his single-crown steed. "I love Sugarbush because of the natural terrain and technicality of riding there. When they announced an enduro and downhill on the same day I had to participate! Stages 1,2 and 4 were very downhilly' which all consisted of fast natural and some man made sections. Then there was Stage 3, the slickest of them all. The fresh-cut line turned into a rutted-up single track and I had a few struggles during my run but made up for it on Stage 4, which was my favorite. Two thumbs up!"
In the runner-up spot was Canadian, Antoine Caron racing for Pivot-Reynolds Enduro. Caron tied Allaire on Stage One and topped the field on the grueling Stage Three for a slim overall lead but couldn't match Allaire's pace on the final segment where he ceded the victory.
In the third spot was a wily veteran, Jason Memmelaar riding for Yeti, Smith, Fox and Five Ten. Memmelaar tied Allaire for the win on the opening stage and was just a whisker off the pace the rest of the way taking third in the final three stages.
The men's pro podium from left: Steve Estabrook - 5th, Jason Memmelaar - 3rd, Isaac Allaire - 1st, Antoine Caron - 2nd, Franck Kirscher - 4th.
Racers then broke out the big bikes as the afternoon was devoted to the downhill portion of the Box weekend. Sugarbush's DH track has long been a favorite of racers and offers a wide variety of challenges. ESC North American Downhill Team member, Avi Ehrlich launched down the track at pace Sunday afternoon.
The top of the track features a fast and loose sprint down the open slopes of Snowball. Californian Chelsea Kimball no doubt felt at home in the dusty chunder as she sped to a fifth-place result in the pro women's field.
Entering Eden Woods, the track instantly starts throwing obstacles at racers. Simona Croccolo stumbled on an early rocky roadblock.
A slick off-camber slab has long been a technical highlight of the Sugarbush track. There was plenty of carnage on practice day but the slab had dried sufficiently by race day that most got through unscathed. Specialized pro, Jordan Newth is no stranger to the Sugarbush track and tamed the feature easily.
An old rock garden was unearthed at last year's event and remained for the 2017 edition. Speed Legion pro, Chris Mari took the committing rock line on rider's left.
A watery seep kept the midsection of the track muddy and slick all weekend.
The pitch eases a bit toward the bottom of the track but pedal-bashing rocks keep riders on their toes at all times. Drummer Racing's Douglass Wilson sped to a fourth-place finish in the Cat 1, 40+ class.
Transitioning from bright sunlight to deep shade entering a steep rocky chute presented a big challenge low on the track. Jake Desmarais, racing for Bikers Edge took home the win in the Cat 2, 15-18 class.
A pair of bouldery staircases was a popular spot for spectators as racers attempted, with varying results, to huck the rough double feature. Colombian, Esteban Zuluaga Mejia sent the first set and took home a top 15 pro finish.
The final portion of the Eden Woods is peppered with troublesome rocks and racers got no break until they finally exit the woods for the final berms and jumps above the finish line. Matthew Sullivan took home a podium finish in the Cat 2, 30-39 field.
The Box Components Showdown events award the top racers who compete in both enduro and downhill events with some of Box Components' finest bike technology. For the women, Rachel Pageau again took the crown for her multisport efforts over Lisa Chamberlain, one of the busiest racers on the Vittoria ESC circuit.
With a win and a third, Isaac Allaire triumphed on the men's side of the BOX components battle. Steve Estabrook and Michael Maldonado filled out the BOX Showdown podium.
The class winners of the Fly Racing speed zone challenge. Ivanna Estrada and Jake Desmarais were the fastest amateurs on the day.
In the women's pro race, ESC North American Downhill Team member Mazie Hayden won her first pro race after moving up from the amateur class last year. "I loved the track, it's my favorite on the circuit. During practice, I found a couple alternate lines that helped me avoid some slippery, messy areas that were giving me trouble and I felt fairly smooth by race day. It was great to race against so many other awesome women!" Hayden will be representing the ESC at the Mont-Sainte Anne World Cup in August racing in the new Junior Women's category.
In the runner-up spot was Ella Skalwold, riding for Transition Bikes and Kingdom Trails. Skalwold was a dominant performer on the Vittoria ESC tour in 2015 but was sidelined for much of the past season with an injury. Her result bodes well for a promising return to top-level results.
Following her second-place enduro result, iron woman Rachel Pageau returned to the podium with a third in the DH event. If the ESC ever gets into XC racing, Pageau would dominate that discipline too.
The women's pro/open podium from left: Chelsea Kimball - 5th, Rachel Pageau - 3rd, Mazie Hayden - 1st, Ella Skalwold - 2nd, Riley Weidman - 4th.
Defiant Racing's Mauricio Estrada returned to his winning ways in the men's pro field, taking the victory by just under a two-second margin. Estrada has been nearly untouchable this season, winning three of his four Vittoria ESC downhill starts. "This was my second time here at Sugarbush and I love this course. The top part is open and very fast and the rest of the course has multiple lines where you can gain time if you take risks and put in a consistent run. I had an awesome run riding at my limit and getting the win! I was also stoked to see my daughter Ivanna get 2nd place and my niece Silvana Paez get 4th place on a challenging course in their first year of racing."
Canadian speedster, Benjamin Despres-Morin battled to the second step on the podium with a sizzling run. Despres-Morin is a regular on various Canadian DH tour events and only occasionally makes his way south of the border. This was his best Vittoria ESC result to date.
Capping off an outstanding weekend of racing was Vermont pro, Isaac Allaire in the third spot. Allaire is the only racer to beat Estrada in a Vittoria ESC DH event this season. Racing the double bill this weekend, Allaire took over 20 runs on the rugged steeps of Sugarbush.
The men's pro podium from left: Luca Cometti - 5th, Isaac Allaire - 3rd, Mauricio Estrada - 1st, Benjamin Despres-Morin - 2nd, Steve Estabrook - 4th.
Hard to believe, but we've passed the halfway mark on the Vittoria ESC race calendar. Time flies when you're having fun! The next big event is the Clif Enduro East two-day EWS qualifier event at Burke Mountain/Victory Hill on August 5/6. This will be a good one, get registered now for a big discount on your entry fee. The regular Vittoria ESC series returns to action with a Box Showdown Weekend at Attitash Resort in New Hampshire on August 20th.
Words and pictures by Jeb Wallace-Brodeur
Video by Jason Scheiding
Enduro Results:
HereDownhill Results:
Herehttp://www.easternstatescup.comhttps://www.facebook.com/easternstatescup/Vittoria ESC Enduro Schedule Eight events, six best count.
April 23, Vittoria ESC Enduro – Glen Park, Stroudsburg PA
May 21, Vittoria ESC – Victory Hill, Victory VT
June 3, Vittoria ESC – Thunder Mountain, Charlemont MA – Box Showdown (State Championship)
June 25, Vittoria ESC – Blue Mountain, Palmerton PA – Box Showdown (State Championship)
July 16, Vittoria ESC –Sugarbush, Warren VT – Box Showdown (State Championship)
Aug. 20, Vittoria ESC – Attitash, Bartlett NH – Box Showdown (State Championship)
Sept. 3, Vittoria ESC – Blue Mountain, Palmerton PA – Box Showdown
Sept. 24, Vittoria ESC – Killington, Killington VT – Series Finals
Vittoria ESC DH Schedule Nine events, six best count.
June 4, Vittoria ESC Downhill – Thunder, Charlemont MA – Box Showdown (State Championship)
June 11, Vittoria ESC Downhill– Pats Peak, Henniker NH – State Championship
June 25, Vittoria ESC Downhill – Blue, Palmerton PA – Box Showdown (State Championship)
July 9, Vittoria ESC Downhill – Plattekill Mountain, Roxbury NY – State Championship
July 16, Vittoria ESC Downhill –Sugarbush, Warren VT Box Showdown (State Championship)
Aug. 20, Vittoria ESC Downhill – Attitash, Bartlett NH – Box Showdown
Sept. 3, Vittoria ESC Downhill – Blue Mountain, Palmerton PA – Box Showdown
Sept. 17, Vittoria ESC Downhill – Windham Mountain, Windham NY
Oct. 15, Vittoria ESC Downhill – Mount Snow, West Dover VT – Finals
Clif Enduro EastJuly 1–2 Killington
Aug. 5–6 Burke Victory
Sept. 9–10 Thunder
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Member since Mar 14, 2012
Our thoughts and prayers go out to Andrew and his family,
Andrew was new to mountain biking and enduro racing, according to his teammates he was a positive influence and was very passionate about our sport. His tragic accident happened while freeriding a jump feature the day before our enduro race. Andrew was registered for our enduro race on Sunday and had raced with us once before at Victory Hill. He's a hero for taking the time and effort to donate his organs before the accident.
Rest in Peace Andrew
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