In Saturday’s US Cup pro women’s XC race, Laura Slavin of the EliteEndurance.com Pro Factory Team placed 18th, one of her best results ever.
The start line of the women’s UCI pro race. A stacked field.
Slavin picks her way through a thick crowd at the start.
In the men’s pro event, Nick Lando of Team Town Cycle battled to a valiant 33rd, coming in front of much of the region’s talent and finishing near rider’s he’s never come close to.
Start line of the men’s UCI Pro race.
Well, Day 1 was not a fluke — Lando was prepared for the intensity and focus of the Day 2 Short Track event. He started near the back and amongst the chaos of the first lap-and-a-half he cut through to the front third, an amazing effort and display of high-level MTB performance.
Lando leading a few riders in Sunday’s short track.
The pro men galloped across the course at blazing speeds lap after lap and Lando continued to hang in and move up. He cracked in the final lap or two, dropping a spot on-course but he powered home for an incredible 18th!
Lando emptying the tank for Sunday’s short track.
In Saturday’s Kenda Cup amateur short track event, MTBNJ’s Kristine Angell-Contento sliced the course faster than everyone but one competitor — who turned out to ride pro-level triathlon.
Contento-Angel chasing down a competitor.
In the opening laps, Kristine was able to pace with her and ride smooth but the eventual winner’s fitness was just on another leveland Kristine had to dial it back on the climb. She was able to hold her pace and come home in 2nd place by a wide margin.
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- Coach Ken & Laura Slavin.
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- Coach Ken & Nick Lando.
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- Coach Ken & Kristine Contento-Angel.
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- Exhausted athletes relax at the Elite Endurance tent after their races.
