Cross-Country Men
Roland Green (Trek Volkswagen) took his good form into the record books at Mount Snow by winning his fifth straight NORBA race. “I’ve won the last three times here,” said Green. “So I guess you could say that this is my mountain”.

Green went off the start line with his training partner Ryder Hesjedal (Subaru/Gary Fisher) leading the charge. The two men from British Columbia went clear while another fight emerged behind. Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski (RLX Polo Sport) drew help from his teammate Carl Swenson.

“I guess I owe him a dinner tonight,” said Horgan-Kobelski of Swenson’s effort. “He just said ‘Get on and stay with me.'” Like a plane pulling a glider, Swenson sacrificed himself for two laps just to keep his young teammate’s pace high enough to lose his closest challenger, Travis Brown (Trek/Volkswagen).

This 21-mile race started in cloaking heat, on a challenging Vermont course left uncharacteristically dusty by a summer of drought. Midway through the race, however, winds changed and a dark cloud opened up on the course as the riders started the final lap. Green pressed the pace and left Hesjedal, who held in second. Horgan- Kobelski deposited Swenson and started the final lap in third place. Paul Rowney (Yeti/Pearl Izumi) and Brown went in pursuit of Horgan- Kobelski, while a young upstart, Jeremiah Bishop (Trek/Volkswagen East Coast) drew a head on them.

With rain falling heavier, Green slipped through the course’s rocky sections – at one point snagging and ripping open his shorts on a tree – and cruised to victory. Hesjedal scored second, nearly four minutes behind the cresting form of Green. Nearly another three minutes passed before the third place finisher arrived. Instead of Horgan-Kobelski, the crowd saw Rowney emerge to finish third, sparking concern that Horgan-Kobelski might have crashed. The young American emerged, however, and celebrated his national title. A minute later, Brown had to outsprint Bishop to hold on to fifth.

Liam Killeen (Subaru/Gary Fisher) continued his strong form in the run up to the World Championships, by taking a strong ninth position.

1. Roland Green – Trek/Volkswagen 2:04:57
2. Ryder Hesjedal – Subaru/Gary Fisher 2:08:45
3. Paul Rowney – Yeti/Pearl Izumi 2:11:55
4. Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski – RLX/Polo 2:12:05
5. Travis Brown – (Trek/Volkswagen 2:13:00
6. Jeremiah Bishop – Trek/Volkswagen East Coast 2:13:01
7. Chris Sheppard – Haro/Lee Dungarees 2:13:55
8. Seamus McGrath – Haro/Lee Dungarees 2:14:26
9. Liam Killeen – Subaru/Gary Fisher 2:14:28
10. Geoff Kabush – Kona 2:14:55

Cross-Country Women
Hampered by a special plastic cast, not to mention the pain of riding down bumpy dirt tracks with a broken arm, Alison Dunlap (Luna Chix), summoned all of her courage and roared through the ranks on the final lap, catching and leaving her only threat to the national title, Shonny Vanlandingham (SoBe/Cannondale) with one lap to go.

Although only seventh in the series final, Dunlap had done enough to claim one of the hardest fought titles of her bountiful career.
The race for line honors at the series final went to Argentina’s Jimena Florit (RLX Polo Sport), who claimed her fourth of the five cross country races and finished with most points in the series. Yet Florit, who lives in San Diego and is applying for US citizenship, will not be eligible for the national champion’s title until a US citizen.

One week ago, Dunlap had looked good enough to win the series outright, holding a two-point lead over Florit. Unfortunately a training crash mid-week left Dunlap with a broken wrist and she raced today with a cast. After a weak start, falling to 17th at one point, Dunlap rode through the pain and moved up several spots on the final lap to finish seventh. As the top American in the series she won the national title.

Commonwealth Games Champion and 2001 Mount Snow winner Chrissy Redden (Gary Fisher/Subaru) led the race early with Florit in tow. Alison Sydor (Trek/Volkswagen) followed in third for much of the race.

Racing in oppressive heat on a loose, technical course, several women struggled. On the second of three laps, Florit pressed the pace and Redden popped. Florit held the lead to the finish, winning with a 47-second margin over Sydor. A struggling Redden held for third, followed by her teammate, Mary Grigson of Australia, the 2001 series winner. Gretchen Reeves (Rocky Mountain) finished fifth, her best result of the season.

1. Jimena Florit – RLX Polo Sport
2. Alison Dunlap – Luna Chix
3. Mary Grigson – Subaru/Gary Fisher
4. Shonny Vanlandlingham – SoBe Cannondale
5. Susan Haywood – Trek/Volkswagen
6. Mary McConnelloug – Seven Cycles
7. Willow Koerber – Cane Creek
8. Chrissy Redden – Subaru/Gary Fisher
9. Gretchen Reeves – Rocky Mountain
10. Trish Sinclair – Gearsracing.com