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XC Blog Posts

2010 Team News Roundup

By LaBabarbarian - February 2, 2010 - 14:54

Rider: Ryan Berrecloth

Rider: Ryan Berrecloth

Ryan Berrecloth Gets Spanked

Ryan Berrecloth has re-signed with Spank Bikes on an expanded sponsorship package. This year Berrecloth will be sporting the Tweet Tweet Dirtjump frame, Spank’s 2010 EVO line of rims, including Spike EVO 35AL DH Rims, Tweet Tweet EVO 30AL DJ Rims, and Subrosa EVO All Mountain Rims, as well as rocking the complete line of Spank saddles, including the Subrosa, Tweet Tweet, and Starblast. Berrecloth is also sponsored by Knolly bikes, which provides the rider with full-suspension frames.

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USA Cycling Announces Pro XCT Stops

By LaBabarbarian - January 5, 2010 - 16:55

Source: USA Cycling

seaotter08xcstart

USA Cycling announced the addition of two races to the USA Cycling Pro Mountain Bike Cross Country Tour—the Sea Otter Classic and the Mellow Johnny’s Classic. The Pro XCT calendar will consist of six UCI-sanctioned events throughout the United States, providing athletes with a national stage on which to accumulate UCI ranking points and top prize purses.

“The 2010 Pro XCT will provide one of the best calendars of quality UCI mountain bike races we’ve had in many years,” stated USA Cycling CEO Steve Johnson. “We are committed to our long-stated goals of providing athletes with consistent top-level competition opportunities, increasing exposure for mountain biking domestically and maximizing U.S. start spots at the sport’s highest stages; and the Pro XCT national calendar provides a sustainable platform to help accomplish these goals.”

Following the series kick-off at Fontana, California, the renowned Sea Otter Classic will serve as the second stop on the USA Cycling Pro Mountain Bike Cross Country Tour. Sea Otter’s elite/pro men’s and women’s mountain bike races on April 18 will operate at the UCI C1 level, offering maximum ranking points to top riders. The Pro XCT will then move south to Lance Armstrong’s renowned ranch in Dripping Springs, Texas for the Mellow Johnny’s Classic, which is set to take place on May 29. The nation’s professional cross country mountain bike series will then continue as planned with the Bump ‘N Grind in Birmingham, Alabama on June 5, the Subaru Cup in Mt. Morris, Wisconsin on June 26 and the series finale in Colorado Springs, Colorado on July 10.

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Emily Batty Interview: Bright Eyes

By Mazzman - October 26, 2009 - 15:43

Words: Lou Mazzante
Photos: John Gibson

EVEN AS THE WORLD RUSHES AROUND HER, there is tranquility in Emily Batty’s sapphire eyes. Just 21 years old, she is halfway through a careerchanging season: a three-month string of races on three continents that includes victories at the Pan Am games in Chile, the Sea Otter short track and five consecutive Canada Cup races. In April, she pulled off the best performance of her career, breaking into the top 10 at the World Cup in Offenburg, Germany. She accomplished all of this while racing for a small regional team, and with a calm confidence belied by her youthful exuberance.

Photo: John Gibson

Then again, Batty already has more than a decade of race experience. She was born and raised on a cattle farm in Brooklin, Ontario, and has been a part of the XC race scene since she was a child. Her father raced, and her two older brothers and younger sister all race. When she was nine, she was offered her first job—as her brother’s “feeder” at local XC events.

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Bromont World Cup Preview

By Colin Meagher - July 30, 2009 - 13:54

No, this is not the downhill. This is the XC track. I guess one could say the technical bar has been raised a bit. Photo: Colin Meagher

No, this is not the downhill. This is the XC track. I guess one could say the technical bar has been raised a bit. Photo: Colin Meagher

Last year, Bromont was a mystery to most riders on the World Cup circuit. But most of them walked away impressed. The DH track was short and nasty, filled with roots and rocks. Technical skills were definitely required. The 4X was one of the longest and most creative tracks on the circuit. And the cross-country was pretty fun: not too long, not too short, not too much climbing… most racers said it was just about right.

But heavy rain—a deluge, really—over the past days quickly erased many of those fond memories. The DH track went from short and fun to damn tricky in a hurry. The first 4X practice was cancelled and the whole event was nearly called off. And the XC? Well, riders finished practice runs coated in mud, completely dazed, and ready for a beer. Even the ones who don’t drink.

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News: 2009 Madrid World Cup Results

By Screamin Mimi - May 25, 2009 - 16:59
A fast chasing Absalon looking to catch the Merida rider. P: Colin Meagher

A fast chasing Absalon looking to catch the Merida rider. P: Colin Meagher

Madrid’s weeklong heat wave leading up to the World Cup XC race in Casa de Campo Park subsided just before the race—replaced by a deluge of rains—but the action was still scorching hot.

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