Ischen Stopforth was the runaway winner of the women‘s Talisman The Herald Karoo to Coast Mountain Bike Challenge yesterday, while the men‘s race was a far closer encounter.
Source: The Herald Online. For the full story, click here.

The women’s race was a two-rider affair from the gun, with Butler, a pro mountain bike racer by trade, taking the holeshot and opening an early lead. Simms was the only woman to match Butler’s pace, and the pair rode away from the field. In the final lap Simms stayed even with Butler but could not come around the 37-year-old from Portland.
Source: Velo News. For the full story, click here.

With word of Friday’s Jeep 48STRAIGHT Open Qualifier event at The Canyons in Park City, Utah, competitors arrived from near and far for a chance at cash, glory and national broadcast exposure. Utah’s best came from Layton, Murray, Park City, Ogden, Provo and St. George, with others coming from Great Britain, South Africa, and U.S. states including Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, New York, North Carolina and Oregon. Click here to read the rest of the article →

There’s an intriguing new wrinkle to the Baldy Hill Climb, which observes its 30th anniversary Saturday, Sept. 27. For the first time the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation community event will include a mountain bike race up Baldy.
Source: Idaho Mountain Express. For the full story, click here.

Tiffanie Novakovich’s face was freckled with mud. Amy Klein’s was plastered with a smile. Stefan Bussey’s was marked by both mud and grins, with a little wonderment thrown in thanks to the kindness of strangers.
Source: Anchorage Daily News. For the full story, click here.

Female riders over the age of 16 will have the opportunity to give mountain biking a shot at Cowalfest in Argyll, Scotland, on Saturday October 4.
Source: Bike Radar. For the full story, click here.

After only a few years in the sport, Niki has become one of Australia’s most highly-regarded female competitors in mountain biking and one of only a few athletes to be competitive in both Downhill (DH) and Cross Country (XC) disciplines. Niki has been ranked number one and two in the national series for XC and DH respectively. She has been a regular podium finisher at national championships and has achieved a first or second ranking in a number of national series events.
Source: Perth Now. For the full story, click here.

Briton Rachel Atherton maintained her winning 2008 form with victory in the women’s downhill at the Mountain Bike World Cup event in Austria.
Source: BBC Sport. For the full story, click here.

Marie-Hélène Prémont of Chateau-Richer, Que., won the bronze medal in the season finale in World Cup mountain biking Sunday in Austria and was crowned the overall champion on the circuit for 2008. Prémont and Catharine Pendrel of Kamloops, B.C., took the top two places in the season standings.
Source: CBC.ca. For the full story, click here.

Heading into the first race of the Jeep 48STRAIGHT Mountain Bike Series last month in New Jersey, one would have been hard pressed to pick Californian Kathy Pruitt as the favorite to bring home a title. After taking down one renowned racer after another to earn the win and a share of the $100,000-plus cash purse, she will no longer have the element of surprise on her side heading into the second leg of the series, taking place Sept. 19-20 at The Canyons in Park City, Utah. Click here to read the rest of the article →