This weekend was the final race in the USA Cycling Ultra Endurance Series in North Carolina at the National MTB Oktoberfest. The weekend was made up of 4 different races with Saturdays 8 hour race as the pinnacle event of the festival. Some of the best racers from around the US showed up to duke it out.
In the mens race Nat Ross (Subaru/Gary Fisher) and Tinker Juarez (Mona.Vie/Cannondale) took the early lead but after a couple of laps they were over taken by Harlan Price (Independent Fabrication) and Jeremiah Bishop(Trek/VW). Nat had come down with a virus just prior to the race and found himself battling the bug to stay in the race. Tinker held on about a minute or two back for most of the race while the leaders battled out front for the full eight hours.
Harlan and Jeremiah switched off the lead several times, never letting the other get away. Finally on the last lap Jeremiah made a break for it and put a small gap on Harlan on the final climb. Near the top of the climb Jeremiah's chain dropped and he ran up the hill scared that he would be caught. In the end Jeremiah was able to take it with only a 12 second gap over Harlan. Tinker finished third, Ernesto Marenchin fourth and Nat Ross rounded out the top 5. Nat's finish would give enough points to secure the Series win.
In the women's race Pua Sawicki found herself alone out front for the entire race, only to do battle with the solo men and team racers. Pua was able to win by several laps and also take the fastest overall female day and night laps along with the Queen of the mountain hill climb contest.
On the final lap Pua took her dog (Koa) out to top off a really great race. Koa is probably the first dog to ride on the victory lap at a Nationals, he loved it!
With this victory Pua is now the 2008 female Ultra Endurance Series Champion. Pua won 4 of the 5 races she entered in this series and the one and only loss was due to having to pull from the race after suffering a bad crash at the Marathon Nationals, in Colorado. This is her 3rd National Series championship and 6th National title in her four years of professional racing.
Report and Photos Courtesy of Ron Sawicki
