GRADE CHEESEHEADS A FOR EFFORTJUNE 18
CHEESEHEAD?S GRADE: ?A? FOR EFFORTJUNE 18
The idea of putting on a NORBA downhill mountain bike race in an area that doesn’t have mountains was not considered by the US Big 10, which has 11 teams.
The second stop of 2002 NORBA NCS, Alpine Valley, WI, produced an exciting Downhill event. This was despite having very limited resources such as mountains.
THE COURSE
Starting out from the gate, the DH course featured a steep, muddy vertical drop section that was riddled with at minimum 30 cm deep ruts. Expert and Pro riders had been practicing for hours in the rain. The downhill course featured a steep vertical drop section. However, most riders had to pedal hard to reach the jump’s face to ensure landing on the doubles backside. This was necessary to maintain momentum in slow and muddy conditions. The course went through tight tree sections, with riders passing over many log jumps and rocky sections. The DH course took top pros just over a minute to descend its 300 feet vertically. However, the Alpine Valley terrain changed from sandy gravel-like soils to wet and sticky clays, which created major problems for downhill racers who don’t use mud or rain-specific tires. Because there was no way to make up lost time, the short downhill course presented more challenges to racers that other shorter courses. Racers had to sprint every turn as if it were their last.
MIDWEST MANNERS
The Alpine Valley, located just outside of Lake Geneva, WI, offered excellent views of nearly every gravity-oriented event, including the Pro Mountaincross, Amateur Slalom, and sections of the downhill course. The courses were incredibly difficult and staff seemed excited to be part this new national event. Volunteers stood happily in the rain lifting mud-caked DH bicycles onto chairs lifts to allow racers to do one more practice run. It was amazing to witness the excitement and wonder of a new downhill spectator as they were captivated by the spectacle of downhill racing.
Many mountain bikers and race enthusiasts were disappointed when Mammoth Mountain, CA was not going to be stopping on the 2002 NORBA NCS. These emotions were followed by the shock that the Mammoth race would now be replaced by a NCS event in Midwest. Cross country racing is a great sport in the Midwest, and mountain bikes are very popular. But what about downhill? Yes. Yes.
Five race NORBA NCS series were launched May 9-12 at Snow Summit in California. They then moved to Alpine Valley Resort, East Troy, WI, from June 13-16. The series will then travel to Snowshoe (WV) June 20-23, Durango, CO August 1-4, and Mount Snow, VT Aug. 15-18.
