Pro GRT results and photos from Highland Mtn Bike Park

May 20th, 2011 12:08am

The second round of the PRO GRT series went down at Highland Bike Park in New Hampshire this past weekend and on hand were th

Highland Mountain Bike park was up to the challenge of the event as it had a great little track that mixed a little of everything for the riders. A little bit of  "A" line, some rock sections and a pedal section. The most critical part of the course was the flat section into a rock infested rise. It wasn't a big rise, but one that would benefit the rider who was in shape and could carry speed over it. Most riders were gasses at this point because the mud slowed the speeds and required a serious burst of cardio pedaling to carry speed and negotiate the rocky section.

For a course that took only two and half minutes to complete, it sure did pack a lot of diversity into it.

Pictured left - Lars Sternberg (Transition Bikes) coming down his race run in the euro looking forest shrouded in clouds. Sternberg was fast. Finishing 7th.

The finish was fast and fun at Highlands Bike Park - even in the rain.

JD Swanguen of X-fusion/One/Amada showing how to build a levy and keep the rain out your pits.

One of the challenges on race day was the changing weather conditions. While New Hampshire lured you in with two great weather days of riding on Highlands new trails and DH course, mother nature delivered on her promise of rain come race day forcing riders to rethink their tire decisions. Rains spikes or dry weather tires?

In the end, the constant rain proved to have very little impact on traction. The course holds water very well and constant rain allowed rider tires to sink in and find traction on what looked like a slippery course. Only on the flat pedal section did the mud influence the outcome as carrying speed through the flat section and into a rock garden was the critical part of the race.

From our vantage point at the end of the flat section into the rock garden, it was easy to see who carried speed and who did not. The Trek Team members, Curtis Keen and Cody Warren were clearly the fastest on the important section.

Cody Warren looked strong on this tough flat section that really would prove to be the race diference.

Gwin's run was good, but not quite enough to overcome Mulally on his home turf.

And that is the way they finished the race - with Trek Teammates Neko Mullally, Aaron Gwin and Justin Leov taking the podium with Curtis Keen in fourth.

Neko qualified second, but came clean when it counted for his first PRO GRT win on one of his home tracks. A great kid with loads of talent, now racing with the big boys. Expect more good things from him. Mulally forgot his Vans in South Africa and rode a pair of borrowed Five Ten's to get his first victory.

It was the local boys first Pro win on the PRO GRT series and racing outside the JR category.

East coat ripper and local favorit Benjamin Moody had a loud cheering section and didn't dissappoint taking eighth overall.

The smallish womens field was won easily by Jill Kitner. The Transition Bikes star continued on her winning ways as she is tuning up for select world cup events. Kitner won the series last year. Joanna Petterson had a solid run in the runner up position with a healthy margin over third place Lauren Daney.

Transition Bikes Jill Kitner continues her winning ways rolling down the rock face at Highlands.

PRO RESULTS
 

MEN

1) Neko Mulally    2:20.95
2) Aaron Gwinn    2:23.45
3) Justin Leov    2:24.70
4) Curtis Keene    2:27.04
5) Cody Warren    2:27.69


WOMEN

1) Jill Kitner        2:50.52
2) Joanna Petterson    3:01.30
3) Lauren Daney     3:12.25
 

On Highland Mtn Bike Park

Highlands bike park is home to the Claymore challenge and now the PRO GRT!

It was BicycleWorld's first visit to Highland Mtn. bike park and I wasn't sure what to expect from the home of the Claymore Challenge (coming up in June).

Borrowing Kevin Aiello's KHS practice rig, I hit the lift to grab a couple of runs and see what I could find.

What I found was a super quaint mountain that makes you feel very much at home. It feels like it's your own personal bike park. I would actually call Highland very much Whistler like in it's infancy. The mountain is small, but the builders did a great job making numerous runs. Since last year alone they have added something like eight new runs - that's aggressive building! The runs aren't long which isn't a always a bad thing . Hit a quick run, get on the lift, repeat. You don't have to have marathon conditioning, carry water or stop for three breaks just to get to the bottom.

All of the runs are serviced by one central lift. Go left or go right at the top, you can't go wrong. The trails traverse the mountain and sometimes require a bit of pedaling, but not usually. My favorite trail was the DH course, but the jumpy, buffed berm runs like Happy Hour were the most popular. Yes there are wooden, bridges, stunts, a coupled of great drops and everything else in between.

Because the park is a bit remote, you won't see the lines that some places have. If you get tired or hungry, the snack bar/lodge is right there for you. Like the Mountain, it is not a gargantuan lodge with overpriced food. The food was actually outstanding. And the lodge was comfortable. Inside the lodge on the lower level is a bike store complete with bike repair and rental facility. It was worked by two super cool dudes whose name escapes me. They were super helpful and appeared to be genuinely stoked on bikes. The industry needs more of these guys.

If you are planning a trip of any kind to the East coast and can swing a day or two, put Highland on your list. It may not be as epic as Whistler, but it is fun, well run and worth the trip to this beautiful part of the country. A six inch travel bike is perfect for this park, but you can ride everything from a XC to a DH rig. The mountain is planning a full blown XC course this year too. That would make this a truly an every rider destination. Slope-style, DH, and XC. The perfect storm is brewing…

Travel Tip: If you are flying into the area, Manchester airport is much closer and has easier access than Boston. It can be cheaper also. But they do run less flights into there. Renting a car at Manchester is super cheap. $19 a day from Hertz was really cool and the drive is just 40 easy miles to the hill. Hotels and Motels range from $63 at the Super 8 (in Tilton) to $159 per night elsewhere. But beware, the town of Tilton and Laconia can also get over run with crazy NASCAR fans since New Hampshire Motor Speedway is just eight miles down the road. So call ahead.

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