Momentum Endurance athletes competed at the US Mountain Bike National Championships at Mt. Snow, Vermont July 17th – 20th. Each had unique goals for the weekend and a lot of focused training was done in preparation for the weekend.
Chloe Forsman of the Luna Women’s Professional MTB team successfully defended her U23 XC National Championship title. Shortly into the race Forsman established her lead and it grew each lap until the finish. Excitement and satisfaction were the emotions after scoring a hard-earned champion’s jersey once again.
Perry Roper of Richland, WA placed third in the Expert Men 45-49 XC on Saturday. Not resting on his strong XC result Roper went on to finish 2nd in the Expert Men 30+ STXC in a race that came down to the very final lap. Though a championship jersey eluded Roper, he was pleased with his performances, knowing that his training efforts proved to be fruitful. With some added motivation for 2009, expect to see him racing even faster.
Dan Smiley of Burlington, CT competed at the National Championship in his first-ever year of competition. Racing in the Beginner Men 50+ category, Smiley came through successfully with his top ten result. Mt. Snow’s course is more demanding than any other and Smiley showed that he’s catching on quickly with his skill and fitness. At 53 years young, we still haven’t found a limit to his progression. With a balanced plan of hard training and ample recovery Smiley continues to love what he does while improving every month. A strong finish at the National Championships was a rewarding confirmation that the training can keep him young and enjoying the bike more than ever.
With motivation stemming from the successes of my athletes, I went on to finish a personal best 22nd place in the Pro Men’s XC. It was an excellent day and a bit of redemption on a course that’s had me struggling in each of my three prior attempts. It’s very rewarding when everything comes together for one of the season’s biggest events.
You can full results from all of the US MTB National Championship events here. Thanks keeping up with Momentum, -Coach TJ
