No one would have guessed that after the dust had settled on round #3 of the PRO XCT series that Team Sho- Air/Specialized would have two riders on the podium and walk away with the PRO XCT series leader’s jersey, but that’s exactly what the team did. This weekends men’s pro field was stacked deep with talent as 70+ men lined up to do battle in Birmingham, Alabama.
All the heavy hitters were there, along with some fresh faces and local regional talent.
The race set off to a blistering start as the men rocketed up the pavement climb as newly crowned Costa Rican National Champion Manny Prado lead the initial charge for position into the first wooded single track section. Just before entering the single track Sho-Air/Specialized rider Sid Taberlay led Kabush, Trebon, JHK, Wells, Plaxton,Jurekovic and others. As the riders came out of the woods, it was Kabush on the front with Taberlay and a 15 man freight train leading up the steep road section climb before entering into another technicalsinewy single track decent. As lap after lap went by multiple attacks whittled the field down to five players, which included Sho-Air/Specialized riders Sid Taberlay and Max Plaxton.
On the rider’s last lap up the paved climb in the back section, Sho-Air’s Taberlay made a violent attack as the riders headed for a single track section. Only JHK was able to follow, with Sho-Air’s Plaxton and Specialized’s Todd Wells dropping off the back. From there Taberlay stayed glued to Horgan-Kobelski’s wheel as the two powered there way towards the finish. As they hit speeds in excess of 40 MPH on the down hill decent into the finish, Taberlay came out the slip stream to jump into the first of two 90 degree left hand corners leading to the start finish line straight. Once out of the last corner, Taberlay stomped on his S-Works Stump jumper hard tail and put several bike lengths into second place Jeremy Horgan Kobelski. Only a few seconds back came Sho-Air/Specialized rider Max Plaxton aboard his S-Works Epic in a mono e mono sprint with Specialized Factory rider Todd Wells aboard his 29’er.
In the end it was Plaxton getting the nod for 3rd and retaining the PRO XCT leader’s jersey, while Taberlay’s win moved him into a tie for second place and only 5 points out of the leader’s jersey
heading into round # 4 of the PRO XCT in Colorado Springs.
1, Catharine Pendrel (Luna) 1.29.38
2, Georgia Gould (Luna) 1.29.39
3, Katerina Nash (Luna) 1.31
4, Pua Sawicki (Ellsworth)
5, Kelli Emmett (Giant)
6, Heather Irmiger (Subaru/Gary Fisher)
7, Lea Davison (Rocky Mountain/Maxxis)
8, Sue Butler (Monavie-Cannondale.com)
9, Kathy Sherwin (Tomac/Kenda/Hayes)
10, Kimberly Flynn
11, Anina Aaron (Kenda/KMC)
12, Jamie Dinkins
13, Erin Dasterhef
14, Chloe Forsman (Luna)
15, Maureen Kunz
Pro Men
1. Sid Taberlay (Sho-Air/Specialized)
2. Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski (Subaru/Gary Fisher)
3. Max Plaxton (Sho-Air/Specialized)
4. Todd Wells (Specialized)
5. Seamus McGrath (Jamis)
6. Geoff Kabush (Rocky Mountain/Maxxis)
7. Adam Craig (Giant)
8. Troy Wells (Clif Bar)
9. Rotem Ishay
10. Andy Schultz (Kenda/Tomac/Hayes)
11. Colin Cares (Kenda/Tomac/Hayes)
12. Sam Jurekovic (Sho-Air/Specialized)
13. Carl Decker (Giant)
14. Ryan Woodall
15. Thomas Turner
16. Sam Schultz (Subaru/Gary Fisher)
17. Erik Tonkin (Kona)
18. Kris Sneddon (Kona)
19. Ryan Trebon (Kona)
20. Manuel Prado (Sho-Air/Specialized)
