ROUND 1, SNOW SUMMIT, BIG BEAR LAKE, CALIFORNIA,
31 MAY - 3 JUNE 2001
Downhill & Dual Salom
Repo by Paul Skilbeck

DOWNHILL

BIG BEAR LAKE (Calif.), Marla Streb won the third Chevy Trucks NORBA National Championships Mountain Bike Series of her career, taking the first of the five-round 2001 nationwide series on the spectacular course at Snow Summit Mountain Resort. A powerful contingent of Australian men, led by the remarkable newcomer Mick Hannah, 17, riding for the equally remarkable Global Racing Team, swept the first three places in the men's race.

The 1.8-mile Snow Summit downhill course plummeted a dizzying 1,200 feet down the mountainside. With features including several big jumps - topped by a 40-foot double - the course was worthy of one of the world's largest and most famous downhill mountain biking events.

WOMEN'S REPORT

Marla Streb, San Geronimo, Calif. (Foes-Azonic) - the 2000 world championship bronze medallist - spent much of winter practicing on her moto-cross bike, which she said helped her prepare for the big jumps on this fast, dusty course.

A head-on motorcycle collision with another motorcyclist on a local dirt trail only a week ago may have discouraged some riders, but this hardly seemed to phase Streb - who was unharmed in the accident - although it was not until the morning of the downhill final that she finally plucked up the courage to practice leaping across the 40-foot gap of the big double jump.

With a clean and trouble-free run, she comfortably took the win.

Streb's main rivals pre-race were 2000 national champion Missy Giove, Durango, Colo. (Global Racing), and 1998 national downhill champion Leigh Donovan, Capistrano Beach, Calif (Schwinn).

Giove, who was hampered slightly from a painful crash in the Dual Slalom event of Saturday almost had an over-the-bars crash in the notorious 'Rock Garden' section on the upper slopes of the course, and may have lost time there to Streb. Streb was 3.9 seconds faster than Giove, who finished second.

Third place was filled by Tara Llanes, Newport Beach (RPM-Yeti), who turned in a time 5.6 seconds slower than Streb. Donovan failed to find her best form and finished eighth.

QUOTES

1st place - Marla Streb, San Geronimo, Calif. (Foes-Azonic) "I felt this morning that I should be able to win if I didn't make any major mistakes."
"I got the crash (with another motorcyclist) out of my system and didn't think about motorcycles at all today. I'm into bicycles now."
"I came here two weeks ago to start acclimatizing. I stayed in a tent and trained for this event. I think being here for that long helped me today."
"As soon as I managed to accomplish the double (jump), I felt really good about the course. I hadn't wanted to try it before this morning, but this morning I felt ready."

2nd place - Missy Giove, Durango, Colo. (Global Racing) "I took it easy at first, then ramped the pace up, but messed up the rock section and almost went over the handlebars. I kept on telling myself 'recover, recover' for the jumps."
"I am happy not to have crashed. Second is not bad, and I'm more consistent than Marla Streb over the course of a season."
"It's good to have the full support of a great team like Global Racing, that makes a lot of difference in being well prepared for an event."

3rd place - Tara Llanes, Newport Beach, Calif. (RPM-Yeti) "I really am satisified with 3rd on this course. At first the double jump was intimidating, and it took me four runs to do it, but this course was not as intimidating as some of the World Cup courses we have to race on, with huge wet rocks and tree roots. I thought this Big Bear course was really good - it was tough."

MEN'S REPORT

After appearing as an unknown at the 2000 Downhill Junior World Championships wearing baggy shorts and no body-armour protection - and then winning the silver medal - 17 year-old Mick Hannah has caused quite a stir in downhill mountain bike racing.

At the Sea Otter Classic in March, he almost beat the great Brian Lopes, Laguna Beach (GT-Fox).

This weekend, at the Chevy Trucks NORBA National Championships Mountain Bike Series, Hannah won both the Dual Slalom and the Downhill. With the increasing number of specialist riders these days, this is a rare achievement.

Hannah's team, the impressive new Global Racing Team, took three of the five podium places today.

Hannah was almost beaten by his compatriot Nathan Rennie (RPM-Yeti), whose time of 3:15.24 was only 0.05 of a second slower than Hannah. Back in Australia Hannah grew up in Rennie's shadow, but the younger rider now appears to be coming into his own on the international scene.

Third was another Australian, Chris Kovarik (Intense Cycles), with a time of 3:17.72.

With two more Global Racing riders, Greg Minaar, Republic of South Africa, and Markholf Berchtold, Brazil, placing fourth and fifth respectively, the top USA finisher was John Waddell, Fairfield, Calif. (SunRace-Santa Cruz) in sixth place.

QUOTES

1st place - Mick Hannah, Australia (Global Racing) "My favorite part of the course was the jumps. I hit the doubles flat stick, it was such a good feeling flying free through the air."
"I was excited when I first rode this course, I love this kind of terrain. I love the loose, dusty surface, it is so unpredictable, and that's what I love."
"This is the best feeling I've ever had. I can't find words to explain it."

2nd place - Nathan Rennie, Australia (RPM-Yeti) "I feel great about second place, and congratulations to Mick Hannah."
"It's a really good course for me - very dusty and difficult, in and out of ruts."
"I'm just happy for Mick, and to have another Australian to meet on the podium."
"I am intersted to see what he (Mick Hannah) is like on a really technical course."

3rd place - Chris Kovarik, Australia (Intense Cycles) "I was a bit nervous in my run because last year I had a big crash here right before the finish. I just concentrated on getting in clean."
"One of my goals this year is to be more consistent. I've learnt every year to get more consistency. This comes with experience and more confidence."

2001 CHEVY TRUCKS NORBA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP MOUNTAIN BIKE SERIES
ROUND 1, SNOW SUMMIT, BIG BEAR LAKE, CALIFORNIA, 31 MAY - 3 JUNE 2001

RESULTS - WOMEN
1. MARLA STREB, San Geronimo, Calif. (Foes/Azonic) 3:42.3
2. Missy Giove, Durango, Colo. (Global Racing), 3:46.3
3. Tara Llanes, Newport Beach, Calif. (RPM Yeti), 3:48
4. Mariel Saner, Switzerland (Global Racing Team), 3:50.5
5. April Lawyer, Big Bear Lake, Calif. (Maxxis Tires), 3:51.8
6. Vanessa Quin, Australia, 3:53.4
7. Kathy Pruitt, Lake Almanor, Calif. (Dirtworks), 3:54.6
8. Leigh Donovan, Capistrano Beach, Calif.(Schwinn), 3:56
9. Katrina Miller, Australia (Jamis), 4:01.8

RESULTS - MEN
1. MICK HANNAH, Australia (Global Racing) 3:15.19
2. Nathan Rennie, Australia (RPM Yeti), 3:15.24
3. Chris Kovarik, Australia (Intense Cycles), 3:17.72
4. Greg Minaar, Republic of South Africa (Global Racing), 3:18.83
5. Markholf Berchtold, Brazil (Global Racing), 3:19.14
6. John Waddell, Fairfield, Calif. (SunRace-Santa Cruz), 3:20.03
7. Colin Bailey, Santa Barbara, Calif. (Maxxis), 3:20.25
8. Kirt Voreis, Santa Barbara, Calif. (Team Haro), 3:20.63
9. Brian Lopes, Laguna Beach, Calif. (GT-Fox), 3:21.58

Dual Salom - The 2001 SoBe Dual Slalom held at Snow Summit Resort in Big Bear, California, hosted one of the largest and most exciting mountain bike slalom races ever! Australia's Mick Hannah and Leigh Donovan of Mission Viejo, Calif. came out as the winners. As the first stop on the Chevy Trucks NORBA National Championship Mountain Bike Series, over 3000 spectators lined the side fence along easily the most challenging and technical race courses Team Big Bear has ever put together. A tight twisting course that left little opportunity for pedaling, and enormous opportunities for cornering, jumping, and berm shots.

Narrowing the huge field of over 100 of the world's top Pro men into a mere 32 qualifying slots set the stage for an exciting afternoon of heated action. From among the biggest names on the circuit, the newest faces on the scene would steal the limelight and stake themselves the top slots on the podium.

The Global Racing Team riders Mick Hanna and Greg Minnaar (Republic of South Africa) outraced names like Brian Lopes, Mission Viejo, Calif. (Team GT), Eric Carter, Temecula, Calif. (Mongoose Hyundai), 2000 world champion Wade Bootes, Australia, (Trek Volkswagen), and Dave Cullinan, (Oakley) on their way to ultimately facing each other in a final match that was decided inches from the finish lights. Mick taking the Championship round, with Greg in second, France's Michael Deldycke (Schwinn) placed third, and Bootes took fourth.

The Pro Women's field was led early on by another lightening fast green Global Racing jersey and an Orange mountain bike. Missy "The Missile" Giove came out fast in the early heats but took a hard crash in the semi-finals against Schwinn's Leigh Donovan.

Donovan advanced into the finals to meet Jamis's fastest woman racer, Katrina Miller of Australia. Miller had overtaken Tara Llanes, Brea, Calif. (Yeti) in the semi and was well matched against Leigh going into the finals. Miller and Donovan took a win each, but it was Leigh who edged Miller by nearly a full second to the finish in the final run of the competition.

It was a full afternoon of racing action that was full of thrills, surprises, and upset as the sport's fastest and most well known men were skillfully eliminated by relatively unknown faces on a course that demanded all the handling a rider could reach inside and pull out. On the courses this sport has come to know it could have easily been Brian Lopes and Eric Carter in an all American final - instead today it was a 17 year-old Australian and a 19 year-old African who would raise the bar another notch for the Chevy Trucks NORBA National Championships Mountain Bike Series.

Quotes:

Men
1st place - Mick Hanna - "The course here at Big Bear couldn't have been better. I just loved the technical aspect of the course. I felt great on my runs and my bike was working great. We had a few problems with my Rock Shox earlier in the week but it all smoothed itself out."

2nd place - Greg Minaar - "The course here was great, not a pedaling course at all which is good because I'm not a peddler! The bike was working well though looking back I'd have done better to ride my (Orange) Patriot. More power to the ground in the corners and going against Mick you need every bit to catch him! I was glad that it was him I faced in the final. I'd have been too nervous if the final were against someone like Wade Bootes!"

Women

1st place - Leigh Donovan - "Of all my (career) wins, this was definitely the sweetest of them all!"

2nd place - Katrina Miller - "The course was great! Very technical and challenging. I felt really good out there today."

Pro Men Slalom:
1. Mick Hanna, Australia (Global Racing Team)
2. Greg Minnaar, Australia (Global Racing Team)
3. Michael Deldycke, (Schwinn)
4. Wade Bootes, (Trek/Volkswagon)

Pro Women
1. Leigh Donovan, (Schwinn)
2. Katrina Miller, (Jamis Bicycles)
3.Tara Llanes, (Yeti/Pearl Izumi)
4. Missy Giove, (Global Racing Team)