Sea Otter Classic 2011- XC report

(April 14-17, 2011) MONTEREY, Cali- The 21st running of the Sea Otter Classic is now a rap. Another year of amazing weather made for a perfect stage for racing!

Short Track Friday April 16th- The Pro Short Track is an amazing display of sheer power and endurance. Riders are sent out onto a sub one mile course that weaved it’s way along the bottom of the dual slalom hill side. With the course being so short, racers were pushed to the limits to keep the pace high and not get lapped by the leaders. As the Pro Women set off on their race, it quickly became apparent whom would be this years winner. Georgia Gould set a pace that the rest could only struggle to hold on to. Riders like Luna teammate Katerina Nash, Subaru-Trek racer Emily Batty and Heather Irmiger were left to battle it out for the remaining top four position. Georgia’s riding was smooth and she seemed to not even be breaking a sweat for the effort. When the race was finished, Katerina Nash finished strong in second and Canadian Emily Batty pulled into the third place finish.

The Pro Men’s race was another where a lead group quickly pulled away from the main pack, leaving the rest struggling to not be lapped and pulled from the race. Specialized racers Max Plaxton and Todd Wells, along with Kenda racer Sid Taberlay set an extremely high pace. The three battled it out for several laps, switching between the front runner in the group. With about three laps to go Max Plaxton put down an impressive attach with no answer from Sid or Todd. “When Max jumped I tried to bridge the gap a few times,” said Colorado local Todd Wells. “I just didn’t have the gas. And when Sid didn’t counter attach I just sat in to try and take second.” Sid was able to motor out to the finish line, sneaking past Todd to take second place. It was incredibly impressive to see Sid battle it out with two teammates, and take the second place position. The top five rounded out with Adam Craig from Bend Oregon and Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski of Boulder Colorado.

Cross Country Saturday April 17th- The stage was set for another great cross country race. The course saw a few minor changes, mostly in the overall length. With a shortened track, the racers were sent out for 7 laps for Pro Women and 8 for the Pro Men. Also, this years course saw a fair amount of road sections, pulling team tactics into the mix. The Pro Women’s field was stacked. With names like Emily Batty, Katerina Nash, Kelli Emmett, Pua Mata and Georgia Gould this was sure to be an exciting race. As the racers came around onto the first portion of single track, Subaru-Trek racer Emily Batty found herself in the mix with three Luna Pro Team racers; Catherine Pendrel, Katerina Nash and Georgia Gould. “I knew I had my work cut out for me after the first lap,” said Batty. “The Luna girls are all strong racers and together they can be unstoppable.” As the main lead group came around for the third lap, one key racer was not present, Georgia Gould. Gould suffered a flat near the start of the lap, dropping her off the lead and running for the aid station. With only two Luna racers to battle with, Batty was looking calm and collective. As the trio rounding for the final lap someone was going to have to make a move. Batty laid out a massive attach on the back end of the course, dropping the Luna girls and securing a first place finish. Catharine Pendrel and Katerina Nash took second and third respectively. Georgia Gould was able to recover some from the flat, finishing out in eight position.

The Pro Men’s race was much like the women’s. Team tactics and road sections played a major part in the race. The likes of Specialized racers Todd Wells and Max Plaxton teamed up against Cannondale racer Jeremiah Bishop. “I think Todd and Max were a little surprised,” said Bishop. “They kept laying down attacks but I just kept hanging on.” Todd Wells was impressed with Bishops ability to stick out the attacks from him and teammate Max Plaxton. “We kept putting down attacks time and time again, but just couldn’t shake Bishop.” Said Todd Wells. The three stayed together for nearly the entire race until Bishop had a mishap entering a section of single track on the back end of the course. “I have actually crashed in that spot before. It is loose, rutted and fast. I think Wells and Plaxton were surprised to see me stick it out for so long. Had I not gone down, the finish would have been different.” Dirty and a little banged up, Bishop still had a smile on his face at the finish line. Todd Wells was extremely excited with the results. “I finally won Sea Otter cross country after trying since 1998!” Nice work Todd!

For a complete list of results visit the Sea Otter Classic webpage.

All photos and report by Devon Balet