Deer Valley Pedalfest: Intermountain Cup #7

Park City UT – 11 July 2011

Winter has gone. Park City is stuck somewhere between summer and spring. Moderate temperatures and blue sky greeted riders for the twentieth edition of the Deer Valley Pedalfest. The seventh installment of the Intermountain Cup Race Series (ICup) did double duty this year as State Champions were crowned and berths for the 2011 MTB National Championships were awarded.

Nearly 270 racers showed up at The Deer Valley Resort to contest a course that changed daily over the previous week as snow melted and more trail became useable. The final course featured a sharp incline off the start line leading into long sections of single track. Course conditions were generally dry with some wet sections near the melting snowpack. Passing zones were very limited. Members of the pro women's class indicated that their race had been affected by intermixing when they caught the men's expert class that started 2 minutes in front of them.

In women's action, the Australian National Champion, Katherine O'Shea (Torq Nutrition) lead out the first lap. Not far of the pace, Kathy Sherwin (Stan's No Tubes) lead the chase, followed by Sarah Kaufmann (Elete Nutrition), Kelsy Bingham (Jamis), Kara Holley (Mad Dog), Anna Fortner, and Erica Tingey (Jans/Whitepine). With few opportunities to pass, course knowledge paid off for Sherwin who was able to take the lead from O'Shea as the course turned up hill from it's lowest point at the Deer Crest Chairlift. Headed around for lap two Sherwin held a small 30 second gap over O'Shea. Kaufmann and Bingham trailed the lead pair by about a minute. It was during this second lap that the women caught the mens field. Intermixed with the slower men, Kaufmann and Bingham were unable to make any progress in closing with the leaders. Sherwin, at the front and free of the traffic, was able to extend her lead. At the finish O'Shea conceded 2 minutes to an on form Sherwin who completed the course in 1:38:56. Kaufmann rounded out the podium. The women's field averaged 5 minutes faster than the pro men's field.

One aspect of the ICup series makes tracking the men's fields difficult. Number plates appear to be assigned with no relation to which class a rider is competing. As a result it is nearly impossible to track action in these classes. The first lap of the mens pro class was led out by Jonny Hintze and two Roosters Brewery/Bikers Edge) teammates. Hintze would end up third on the day behind teammate Bent Pontius. Top honors went to Kevin Day (Kühl), completing three laps of the course in 1:47:13.