Kabush, Davison win STXC at Windham

by VeloNews.com

August 16, 2009
Comments Off

Photos
Results

By Andrew J. Bernstein

2009 Yankee Clipper: Lea Davison (Team Maxxis-Rocky Mountain) wins her first short track this year.

Photo: Dave McElwaine

Geoff Kabush (Maxxis) and Lea Davison (Maxxis) won the short track on Sunday in the Yankee Clipper at Windham Mountain in New York.

Kabush, following his victory in Saturday’s cross country, added a little icing to the cake by taking the short track ahead of Sam Schultz (Subaru-Gary Fisher and Sid Taberlay (Sho-Air-Specialized).

Davison, meanwhile, outfought Luna teammates Katerina Nash and Georgia Gould to win the women’s race.

A matter of inches

Schultz came up inches short of the win in the men’s pro short track Sunday at the Yankee Clipper at Windham Mountain Sunday, earning him not only an award for most aggressive rider, but praise from winner Kabush.

“Sam obviously has some good legs right now,” said Kabush after relegating the Subaru-Gary Fisher rider in a close, two-up sprint. “It was tight, I just had enough room to come around on the inside.”

Schultz was the only rider who could respond when Kabush attacked from a group of six with four laps to go. Setting a searing pace, Schultz and Kabush left an elite group in their dust, including Adam Craig (Giant), Taberlay, Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski (Subaru-Gary Fisher), and series leader Todd Wells (Specialized).

With Schultz’s teammate JHK sitting in the second group, pace-making fell to Kabush, who quickly established a 10-second gap. The gap grew over the next two laps and looked insurmountable with two laps to go.

Schultz, knowing that he wouldn’t be any match for Kabush in a sprint, put in a dig over the course’s climb on the bell lap, briefly opening a small gap.

“I tried to hold on, but he was right on my wheel, and that patented ‘Kabush pop’ — no one can beat him,” said Schultz.

Taberlay took the sprint for third after riding an aggressive race, including several laps in the lead on his own.

“I was hoping Max (Plaxton) or Sam (Jurekovic) would be able to mark Kabush, but it didn’t work out for us,” said Taberlay, a former Australian national champion.

Of his own race, Taberlay said he didn’t have enough in the tank to stick his early attack, and was content to sit on the chase group once he got brought back.

Todd Wells (Specialized), who started the race wearing the leader’s jersey in the short-track series, finished sixth, enough to secure the overall series title.

“I tried to conserve in the beginning,” he said. “Usually, I go out strong early, and then try to hang on and conserve later. Obviously, it didn’t work this time.”

Davison outfoxes Luna

Davison was alone in a sea of blue in the closing laps of the women’s pro race. The Maxxis rider was the only non-Luna rider to stay at the head of the race when Gould attacked with three laps to go.

With Nash and Katherine Pendrel hanging tight at the race’s business end, it momentarily looked as though Davison might fall victim to tactics based on Luna’s numerical advantage, but Davison was able to follow the right wheels when the Luna riders started racing against each other.

Nash, the only rider with a chance of taking the overall from Heather Irmiger (Subaru-Gary Fisher), attacked with two to go, popping both Gould and Pendrel, but Davison hung tough.

The two riders quickly extended their lead over a chasing Gould, with Davison winning the two-up sprint.

“It’s an honor to race against the best,” Davison said. “It gives you a good sense of where you’re at.”

Even when she realized she was isolated with the Luna riders, Davison said she remained confident.

“I’ve got a lot of fight in me,” she said. “At the end, I knew I had it left in my legs, so I went for it.”

Nash, who came up short in her bid to unseat Irmiger for the overall short track title, said she was going for the win when she attacked at two to go.

“It’s tough to lose in a sprint,” she said, “but at least it’s exciting for the spectators.

Even after Nash and Davison went off on their own, Davison proved the stronger rider, sharing pulls and responding to Nash’s repeated attacks.

“Lea was super strong, she rode smart and deserved to win,” said Nash.