PLATTEKILL RACE #1MAY13
PLATTEKILL RACE #1MAY13
The 2002 season of Northeast downhillers began at Ski Plattekill, Roxbury, NY on May 4-5. The seven-race Plattekill Extreme Series, a top North American race series, is well-known for offering riders of all levels challenging courses. It regularly draws riders from as far as Montreal, Maryland, and Michigan. Plattekill’s popularity means that there are high attendance numbers at the local race. Pro fields include rising stars from the Norba downhill scene. Plattekill has seen the participation of several World Cup pros, including Vanessa Quinn and Phil Tinstman.
After the cancellation of the Snowman on-snow annual event, the 2002 Plattekill series was off to a slow start. There were hundreds of riders eager to experience downhill racing. This event saw a record number of people attend, judging by the number of riders who rode the lift and the amount of cars that parked in the lot. The weather was not typical Plattekillish for the weekend. Plattekill’s unpredictable weather is a joke among local riders. However, highs were in low 60s with clear skies. One thing that was a problem was the large number of biting insects. It was the first time memory riders had ever seen a Plattekill race leave with more bites than bumps or bruises.
Dual
Plattekills Dual Course (old UCI 2-man style) was renowned for its size, burliness and reputation in 2001. Laszlo reduced the course to race mode for the 2002 season. This was to allow newcomers to the sport and make it easier to transition to racing after a long off-season. Many pros said that the course would become more difficult for top riders over time, but it will not be too hard for beginners.
Norba Pro Kyle Ebbetts’ off-season training was evident with his number one qualifying position, but he was beaten by strong riding by Jay DeJesus & Tom Oakes. After a wrist injury in 2001, Todd August returned to racing and finished second. Holly Kuhn hoped to beat Mary Jordan in the Women’s race.
Results:
Pro Men
1. Jay DeJesus Racers Edge
2. Todd August Iron Horse
3. Tom Oakes
4. Kyle Ebbett Iron Horse
Pro Women
1. Holly Kuhn Racers Edge/Zoo York
2. Mary Jordan
3. Dania Magri Intense/Fox/Spy
4. Donna Fletcher Iron Horse
Downhill
Sunday’s downhill course featured a mix of old and new trails. It tested those who had lifted weights in the off-season as well as those who had drank pints. By Plattekill standards, the course was quite manageable (ie. Although the course was easy to ride your first time down, it was almost 100% singletrack with a few tricky rock drops. This made riding skills difficult.
Pro was full of talent, with many talented juniors and experts making the jump to the Pro and Semi Pro ranks. There were a few Canadians there, including 2001 series winner Derrick Nobman, who was on the disabled list due to a moto-inflicted injury. Lars Tribus is recovering from surgery. Jesse Whitsell was in Vegas, watching the Supercross Finals. The win could be won by anyone.
Mathieu Lavrin, Cycles Balfa rider, won the riding competition of the day by putting 6 seconds more than second! Lars Tribus surgeon must be doing wonders because he managed to place 2nd only a few months after undergoing his ACL and MCL surgeries. George Muffin Ryan, BeOne/Project rider, showed glimpses of the future with a podium finish in his first Plattekill Professional race.
Holly Kuhn won the Women’s Pro category by 14 seconds, doubling his lead! Leif Lorenzen, Down Cycles’ JrX rider, proved Bert Piccarello, his employer and Pro rider was teaching him some of the training secrets during the off-season.
Results:
Pro Men
1. Mathieu Lavrin Balfa
2. Lars Tribus Intense/Rock Shox
3. George Ryan BeOne Bikes/The Project
4. Clayton Harper BeOne Bikes/The Project
5. Kyle Ebbett Iron Horse
Pro Women
1. Holly Kuhn Racers Edge/Zoo York
2. Kathy Krause Avalanche/Brooklyn Machine Works
3. Dania Magri Intense/Fox/Spy
4. Donna Fletcher Iron Horse
JrX
1. Leif Lorenzen Down Cycles
2. Jonathan Lutke Sussex Bike
3. Doug Chazotte Whitco Toy
4. David Flynn Maxxis/Spy/Hansens
5. Heikki Hall
