Re: 1994 Manitou DH
Also found a couple of reports from the week:
FOORD, FURTADO WIN MAMMOTH
By Dan Koeppel, Mountain Bike Magazine
MAMMOTH LAKES, CALIFORNIA - A trio of tales dominates the news from this
week's Grundig World Cup/Norba National/off-road schmoozefest in the
California Sierra. Story one is that Brits can kick ***at altitude. Story
two is Juli Furtado remains virtually unbeatable. Story three is a sordid
tale of big bucks and shifting loyalties.
Britain first. Lowlanders or not, England's off-roaders proved they can
compete--and win--at Mammoth's 8,000 foot altitude. Gary Foord (Scott) won
the men's cross-country. Caroline Alexander (Klein) came in second, after
Furtado, in the women's. And Tim Gould (Schwinn) came in a close third in the
men's cross-country a day after winning the hillclimb.
Alexander--who dropped out of last year's XC after a half-lap--seemed in
shock over her results. "I just wanted to finish," Alexander said. "I'm so
surprised!"
The win confirms Alexander as Furtado's closest rival in for the Grundig
World Cup. She's second behind the GT rider, who still holds a vast--and
virtually unshakable--lead for that prize.
Off the course, gossip raged that this would be John Tomac's last ride for
long-time sponsor Raleigh. Though Tomac's parting from Raleigh--perhaps as
soon as next week, though more likely at season's end--was confirmed by
several reliable sources, none of them could vouch for the second half of the
rumor: that Tomac had already signed a $250,000, two-year contract with
Giant. Tioga will remain Tomac's lead sponsor, at least through the end of
this season. "After that, we'll have to look at everything," said Tioga
spokesman John Honda.
Tomac dropped out of the race after leading the first lap, citing an
unspecified illness.
Furtado--who has taken Tomac's place as the world's winningest,
most-recognizable mountain biker--absolutely cruised Mammoth. She was
characteristically pessimistic before the race, saying that the revamped
course was too loose and sandy, but went on to lead from the beginning,
topping Alexander by 4:14. Finishing behind Alexander were Tammy
Jacques-Grewal (Evian), Susan DeMattei (DBR), and Ruthie Matthes (Evian).
Matthes holds the Norba National Championship Series lead--Furtado skipped
Atlanta's cross-country in June after an elbow injury. That makes Furtado the
circuit's most powerful and unlikely underdog, a situation Furtado
acknowledged was "very weird."
Golden Brainard--rookie pro for Specialized--turned in a stunning, surprising
performance. Brainard trailed Furtado by a respectable 0:52 at the end of
one lap. She retired after breaking her front derailleur.
In the men's event, Gould led nearly the entire way--at the beginning of lap
three by 0:36--before being passed by Foord and Bart Brentjens
(Netherlands/American Eagle) on the final climb. Two miles remained in the
race, and Gould held on, but could not regain the lead.
Afterwards, Gould denied his hillclimb win the day before depleted his energy
at the finish of the cross-country. "That was a good half-hour's training,"
Gould said. "I really, really wanted to win. I just got passed."
The big American XC story was Ned Overend (Specialized), Mammoth's all-time
most successful rider. Overend, 38, passed three dozen racers during the
second and third laps, dicing with Foord for second place before dropping
back at the end. Univega's John Weissenrieder finished fifth.
Unofficial overall World Cup standings after Mammoth: Brentjens, Foord,
Henrik Djernis (Denmark/Ritchey), Tinker Juarez (Volvo-Cannondale), and
Tomac. Women's standings: Furtado, Alexander, DeMattei, Sylvia Furst
(Switzerland/Specialized-2 Calorie Quest), Alison Sydor
(Canada/Volvo-Cannondale).
Winner of the women's hillclimb was Jill Smith (Canada/Diamond Back).
Mammoth's signature event--the Kamikaze downhill--is scheduled for Saturday,
July 9, followed by the Reebok Eliminator on Sunday.
MEN'S CROSS COUNTRY RESULTS:
1. Gary Foord, GBR/Scott, 2:20:12.00
WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY RESULTS
1. Juli Furtado, USA/GT, 1:42.14.62
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BENEKE, SONIER TAKE KAMIKAZE
by Dan Koeppel
MAMMOTH LAKES, CA, JULY 9 - Speeding quickly down a course rougher than
previous years, German downhiller Jurgen Beneke (Marin/Manitou) diced it out
with John Tomac (Tioga/Raleigh), beating the U.S. rider by 2:02 seconds down
the 3.5-mile Mammoth Mountain Kamikaze course. Kim Sonier, riding for Iron
Horse, won the women's Kamikaze, topping Italy's Giovanna Bonazzi
(Princycles) by .61 seconds.
Beneke rode a prototype long-travel downhill bike built by Manitou, while
Tomac rode his own experimental Raleigh downhill rig.
Who didn't win? Missy Giove--one of the Kamikaze favorites--turned in a
heroic fifth-place performance after suffering a broken hand in practice the
day before. Giove had vowed to race no matter what, and finished seven
seconds behind Sonier, riding partly one-handed, to preserve her World Cup
lead.
Current men's Grundig leader Francois Gachet landed in 42nd place after a
tech problem with his rear shock.
In the first heat of the Kamikaze--which counted toward the NORBA, rather
than the Grundig, points series, Yeti rider Jimmy Deaton topped second-place
finisher Beneke, while Sonier beat German Regina Stiefl (Bypass/Rocky).
Code:
Beneke went on to win the eliminator by 0.64 seconds
KAMIKAZE RESULTS:
MEN/GRUNDIG WORLD CUP
1. Jurgen Beneke, Germany/Marin-Manitou, 4:47.92
2. John Tomac, USA/Tioga-Raleigh, 4:49.95
3. Todd Tanner, USA/Specialized, 4:52.71
4. Tomi Misser, Spain/Volvo-Cannondale, 4:54.86
5. Phillipe Perakis, Switzerland/Diesel-Dainese, 4:55.26
6. Myles Rockwell, USA/Volvo-Cannondale, 4:56.77
7. Kelly Lee, USA/Yeti, 4:58.20
8. Albert Iten, Switzerland/Wheeler, 4:58:29
9. Filip Meirhaege, Germany/Team MBK, 4:59.21
10. Chris O'Driscoll, USA/Schwinn, 5:01.80.
MEN/GT NORBA NATIONAL
1. Jimmy Deaton, USA/Yeti, 4:51.65
2. Jurgen Beneke, Germany/Marin-Manitou, 4:52.52
3. John Tomac, USA/Tioga-Raleigh, 4:52.86
4. Myles Rockwell, USA/Volvo-Cannondale, 4:53.57
5. Phillipe Perakis, Switzerland/Diesel-Dainese, 4:54.73
6. Jake Watson, USA/Marin, 4:55.39
7. Eric Palmquist, USA/Cataclaim, 4:55.49
8. Francois Gachet, France/Sunn Chipie, 4:55.89
9. Kelly Lee, USA/Yeti, 4:56.15
10. Andrew Shandro, Canada/KHS, 4:46.15
Note: Only US riders receive Norba points.
WOMEN'S/GRUNDIG WORLD CUP
1. Kim Sonier, USA/Iron Horse, 5:16.36
2. Giovanna Bonazzi, Italy/Princycles, 5:16.97
3. Regina Stiefl, Germany/Bypass Rocky, 5:18.83
4. Cindy Devine, Canada/Clark Kent, 5:19.51
5. Missy Giove, USA/Volvo-Cannondale, 5:23.72
6. Cindy Whitehead, USA/KHS-Bolle, 5:25.63
7. Penny Davidson, USA/Evian, 5:25.74
8. Mikki Douglass, USA/Diamond Back, 5:26.62
9. Susan DiBiase, USA/Evian, 5:27.19
10. Kathy Sessler, USA/Action-Tec, 5:28.84
WOMEN'S/GT NORBA NATIONAL
1. Kim Sonier, USA/Iron Horse, 5:10.59
2. Regina Stiefl, Germany/Bypass Rocky, 5:12.26
3. Ann-Caroline Chausson, France/Sunn Chipie, 5:14.35
4. Missy Giove, USA/Volvo-Cannondale, 5:18.29
5. Cindy Devine, Canada/Clark Kent, 5:19.05
6. Penny Davidson, USA/Evian, 5:21.79
7. Rita Burgi, Switzerland/Swatch-Yeti, 5:23.98
8. Susan DiBiase, USA/Evian, 5:24.50
9. Mikki Douglas. USA/Diamond Back, 5:26.88
10. Cindy Whitehead, USA/KHS-Bolle, 5:27.80
REEBOK DUAL SLALOM RESULTS
MEN:
1. Brian Lopes, Mongoose
2. Jimmy Kight. Barracude-Dos Equis
3. Terry Tenette, Ritchey-Agro
4. "Pistol" Pete Loncarevich, Parkpre
5. Gerg Herbold, Miyata/Grip Shift.
WOMEN:
1. Cheri Elliot, KHS
2. Leigh Donovan, DBR (Diamond Back)
3. Giovanna Bonazzi, Princycles
4. Kim Sonier, Iron Horse
5. Penny Davidson, Evian