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Molday Stuns, Grigson Repeats at Chevy Trucks NORBA National Championship Series Opener
SNOW SUMMIT, Calif. (May 19, 2000) -- Most riders had waited only eight months in the off-season for Friday's May 19 Chevy Trucks NORBA National Championship Series cross-country opener at Snow Summit Resort, Calif. Men's cross-country Kirk Molday, however, had waited more than two years. After suffering from Epstein-Barr Sydrome in 1998 and plodding through a less-than-stellar 1999, Molday (Temecula, Calif. -- Trek-Volkswagen) proved to the mountain bike world that he's back on form, finishing more than 40 seconds ahead of the rest of the field.
In the women's event, Australian Mary Grigson (Gary Fisher-SAAB) won her second Chevy Trucks NORBA National, finishing more than 2 minutes ahead of top American and 2000 U.S. Olympic Long Team member Ruthie Matthes (Durango, Colo. -- Trek-Volkswagen).
Molday burst on the off-road scene in 1997 when, under Canadian citizenship, he finished fourth at the World Mountain Bike Championships. In 1998, he began competing as a U.S. citizen, but was shortly diagnosed with Epstein-Barr Syndrome and was sidelined for the rest of the season. In 1999, he competed at the World Cup level and posted a second-place finish at the Chevy Trucks NORBA National in Minnesota.
Molday began Friday's race in 44th, but by the end of the first lap, he moved to 15th and began picking off riders. Schwinn-Toyota RAV4 rider Jimi Killen, Fort Collins, Colo., led the first lap, but would eventually fall to 12th by the end of the race. By lap three, Molday, who the NORBA national championship series in 1997 as a Canadian, jumped to third. '96 Olympic road cyclist Greg Randolph (Boulder, Colo. -- Team GT) also pushed the front of the pack.
"I felt good going into the race. I didn't have a good start position, and I really didn't want to lead the others out. I let the others take the lead, but I didn't know Kirk (Molday) was moving up so fast," said Randolph, who posted his best national race finish Friday. "I started cramping, and at one point I got off my bike to stretch my hamstrings. At the start of the third lap, I just started going."
Molday, though, would prove to be unbeatable.
"I surprised myself here today, but it's nice to be on top. I knew I had good fitness today, but I didn't know where I was exactly. I thought I could get a top 10. I'm tired, but very happy. This race-win boosts my confidence. I try not to think a lot about what I've done. I want to concentrate on what I can do now.
Looking ahead to the rest of the season and his chances for a U.S. Olympic team spot, Molday said: "I don't know. It's still up in the air. You have to place in the top 10 in a World Cup and not too many Americans are doing that right now. I think it's possible if I'm on my game and can pull out some good races."
Grigson led nearly most of the two-lap women's race, with 2000 U.S. Olympic Long Team member Ann Trombley (Golden, Colo. -- Team Koulius Zaard) applying pressure during the first lap. By the end of the first lap, however, Grigson surged ahead of the field, putting nearly 30 seconds on the rider behind her.
"I didn't realize how tired I was, but once I was out there, I just kept going. Given the way I was feeling, I'm happy with my race today," said Grigson, who won her first Chevy Trucks NORBA National in 1998 in Colorado.
Matthes, a three-time consecutive national champion, overtook Trombley in the second lap. By controlling her game early in the race, Matthes was able to push forward toward the end.
"My coach told me to take it easy at the start, and that made me really nervous. I'm used to going out from the start fast and being in the thick of things. I finished strong and that's what I wanted to do today," said Matthes, who spent the last three weeks in Europe racing the World Cup Series. "It's great to be back in the States after these last World Cup races and racing the NORBA nationals."
Action at the Chevy Trucks NORBA National Championship Series picks up Saturday, May 20, with the pro short-track cross-country and the SoBe pro dual slalom. For the most up-to-date in formation on the Chevy Trucks NORBA National Championship Series, please visit www.usacycling.org/mtb.
CHEVY TRUCKS NORBA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES, MAY 19, SNOW SUMMIT, CALIF.
PRO CROSS-COUNTRY
Men (4 laps at ): 1. Kirk Molday, Temecula, Calif. (Trek-Volkswagen) at 2 hours, 37 minutes and 33 seconds; 2. Greg Randolph, Boulder, Colo. (Team GT) at :19 back; 3. Steve Larsen, Jacksonville, Ore. (LL Bean/Mongoose) @ 3:34; 4. Ryder Hesjedal, Canada (Gary Fisher-SAAB) @ 3:54; 5. Marc Gullickson, Boulder, Colo. (Mongoose Pro) @ 4:31; 6. Pavel Tcherkassov, Italy (Gary Fisher-SAAB) @ 5:56; 7. Geoff Kabush, Victoria, BC, Canada (Kona) @ 6:06; 8. Jess Swiggers, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Trek-Volkswagen) @ 6:19; 9. Roland Green, Victoria, BC, Canada (Team GT) @ 6:41; 10. Ziranda Madrigal, Mexico (Turbo) @ 7:02.
Women (2 laps at ): 1. Mary Grigson, Australia (Gary Fisher-SAAB) at 1 hour, 29 minutes and 36 seconds; 2. Ruthie Matthes, Durango, Colo. (Trek-Volkswagen) @ 2:04; 3. Ann Trombley, Golden, Colo. (Team Koulius Zaard) @ 2:18; 4. Jimena Florit, Argentina (RLX Polo Sport) @ 2:52; 5. Chrissy Redden, Campbellville, Ontario, Canada (Gary Fisher-SAAB) @ 5:51; 6. Gretchen Reeves, Boulder, Colo. (Cane Creek) @ 6:07; 7. Melanie Dorion, Deux-Hontagues, Canada (Team For Devinci) @ 6:23; 8. Rene Marshman, Lafayette, Colo. (Moots) @ 6:24; 8. Audrey Augustin, Williston, Vt. (Koulius Zaard) @ 6:30; 10. Amber Chorney, Vancouver, BC, Canada (Team Ford Devinci) @ 6:36.
Overall Standings are the same as the final results. |
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