At the start of the day the wind was already whipping and by the time the race started the wind was blowing like a sandblaster. The women started first. Byberg entered the race as the favorite due to her second place in the World Championships. But she had been defeated just two weeks earlier by All-American girl Kelli Emmett (Giant). Subaru/Gary Fisher teammates Willow Koerber and Heather Irmiger were also expected to be in the mix as they hold a World Championship podium and National Champion jersey between the two of them. Although no one had heard much from Georgia Gould since last fall, the Luna rider is always strong in Fontana and has a habit of winning Pro XCT races.
The women started fast, all hoping to be the first person up the opening climb ahead of the bottleneck that always happens. Byberg, Gould, and the Gary Fisher teammates all surged toward the front of the bunch. While Okolestuff,com rider Pua Sawicki was mired in traffic and forced to the rear of the 20-plus field.
This year the women got their chance to ride the technical rock drop section that was deemed "too difficult" for them to attempt at last year's race. But rocks weren't about to slow this group down. Byberg occupied the lead with Irmiger, Koerber, and Gould right with her.
After the first of four laps the Norwegian broke free of her counterparts who could do nothing to bring her back even in the strong winds. While Byberg was working her way clear of the group Pua Sawicki had put in a huge effort to work her way through the entire field and into the top-5. Shortly, she was all the way up to third and putting the wood to Willow Koerber. Koerber's teammate had since dropped off the pace but Gould was holding on tight to her podium spot.
At the start of the final lap it was Byberg on her way to a win barring any catastrophe on course. Behind her Sawicki and Koerber were battling each other for the runner-up spot. Gould was still in fourth with Allison Mann (Rock n' Road Cyclery) and Kelli Emmett coming on strong.
Finally, Sawicki made her move, throwing down a nasty attack against the Gary Fisher rider. Koerber couldn't match the speed in Sawicki's legs as the Hawaiian rider moved securely into the second spot.
Behind them Gould was suffering through one of her worst final laps in a long time. The normally dominant rider was feeling some serious pressure with Allison Mann passing her first followed by Emmett.
The Giant rider wasn't done just yet. In her usual come-from-behind fashion she tracked down Mann and made the move into fourth.
In the end it was Lene Byberg winning by over a minute. Sawicki would come in with over a minute on Koerber who was followed by Emmett just three seconds in front of Allison Mann.
The men's race followed a very different script with equal amounts of excitement. Off the line Todd Wells (Specialized) seemed determined to make amends for his broken chain from Fontana last season. He was already in the lead when he reached to spot of his demise from 2009. The big Specialized rider was accompanied by four-time Fontana winner Geoff Kabush, US National Champion Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski, Sho-Air/Specialized teammates Sid Taberlay and Max Plaxton, and Sam Schultz also from Gary Fisher.
On the second lap, JHK had encountered a mechanical which dropped him from the group. His Gary Fisher teammate Sam Schultz had come unglued frojm the leaders but clung just 20 seconds off the back.
The leaders shuffled their positions throughout the race but no one could break free into the stiff head winds. The short climb on the back side of the course usually accounts for many of the breaks in the Fontana race and this year riders were driving straight into the worst of the wind. This meant a rider would need to get off the front in one of the singletrack sections and that is a tall order in a talented group of bike handlers like this one.
Cannondale rider Jeremiah Bishop was giving it his all to crack the top-5. He was clearly feeling strong and was putting time into fifth-placed Schultz. Just past the halfway point Bishop flatted his front tire. A slow wheel change sent him out of the top-10.
With just one lap left the lead group still remained. Each member of the group had to be acutely aware of Geoff Kabush being in the bunch. Kabush has never lost a race at Fontana and always seems to find a way to win in California. As the final miles ticked by the group stayed together with Wells finally leading them into the finishing straight.
Wells quickly wound it up with Kabush locked on his back wheel. Nothing was going to stop the Big Red S from crossing the line first. He had just enough lead to pump his fist as he took the win just 3 tenths of a second in front of Kabush. Plaxton crossed the line a few seconds later. Taberlay held on for fourth with Schultz rounding out the podium three minutes behind the lead group.
Race Notes:
20 year-old Robbie Squire (Jamis) finished 14th just behind Horgan-Kobelski, Kris Sneddon (Kona), and Jeremiah Bishop. He was the seventh US rider, a truly impressive result for the youngster.
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