Mountain States Cup #4, Chili Challenge - Day One

(June 4, 2011) ANGEL FIRE, NM - The 23rd Annual Chili Challenge kicked off this weekend in Angel Fire New Mexico. This long running race has been known for its uncertain and at times nasty weather. If it wasn’t raining or snowing, then it was nuclear hot and insanely dusty. This year’s event brought on nearly picture perfect weather.

Day one of the Chili Challenge saw off the cross country racers to battle their way up and down Angel Fire Resort. Racers climbed their way up Angel Fire Resort 2,000 feet per lap. After grinding their way to 10,500 feet, they were challenged to the grueling downhill of Angel Fire. It's a true mountain biker's course that'll call on every skill you have as a rider.

With it being such a busy weekend in the world of mountain bike racing, attendence was lowwer then normal. Heidi Rentz from Moab Utah laid the hurt to the small group of pro women. She was able to blaze two long laps nearly three minutes faster the Rebecca Gross in second. Yeti's very own Sarah Rawley rounded out the podium in third place.

The pro men’s race was an exciting one to say the least. The small field made for tight racing. On the first lap a small group of five broke off from the main group. Super D champ Mike West took advantage of the length to the downhill and was able to catch and pass everyone minus mountain bike legend Travis Brown.

The two racers battled it out back and forth on their second lap. Travis Brown was able to box out West on the descent and pull away from him on the final third lap. “I thought I had lost him,” said West. “Once I got to the technical section near the top I got a glimpse of Travis and gave it my all from there.”

Brown and West blazed down the mountain, neither showing any sign of letting up. On the final straight away to the finish line West was able to make a break. “I saw one last chance. There was a tricky little spot right at the end that had two lines. Travis went right and I went left and gave it all I had. The finish line was right there and I was able to get half a bike length on him,” said a visually excited West.

Once the dust settled from the cross country racing, the dual slalom racing heated up. The long running four cross course was replaced with an interesting and technical dual slalom course. The top of the course handed you some large hip jump features into a few high speed berm turns to a long run of loose and flat turns to the finish. The track challenged the riders in the turning skills and their ability to know when to open it up and when to slow down.

A Culture of Speed team manager and racer Chris Webb gave us some insight on the course. “The course was fun up top with the big features and then a high speed drop into the two berms. The flat turns towards the bottom turned out to be fun because you got to smash some gates. It was technical because you had to make your bike turn on edge, which ensures fun.”

The racing was heated and exciting. National Champ Ross Milan was forced into the small final after a controversial gate pass, but edged out Michael Buell to take third. “I won every race and still got third. A little frustrating, but that is racing. Whenever I get to line up on the start line I am having fun,” said Milan.

The Pro Men’s big final came down to last year’s winner Chris Boice and Erik Nelson. Both riders made this ball bearing covered course seems as though their tires and dirt were velcro. Every turn was on point and perfect. But in the end, it came down to horse power and Erik Nelson was able to smash the pedals just a little harder then Boice.

The Pro Women's contest was a little shorter then Men's due to low attendence. Darian Harvey of Durango Colorado and Catherine Cantway of Steamboat Springs went head to head for the only racers in their class. After recieving her first place metal, Darian shouted out to the crowd, "Come on ladies! We need more competition!"

As the sun dropped behind the mountains and the clouds brought on a beautiful sunset. Day one is in the books and day two is set for tomorrow. Hopefully the weather holds for tomorrow as it is another full day of racing. In the words of Team Geronimo racer Brian Buell, "Super D for an appetizer and downhill for dinner tomorrow."

Story and photos by Devon Balet

For complete results go here.