Canadians mine for medals at Fontana City US Cup / Pro XCT
Holden Jones wins Junior Men's, Pendrel second, L'Esperance and Peter Disera 2-3 in California
Fontana City US Cup is the first North American UCI HC event of the year and, combined with it’s placing on the calendar so close ahead of Sea Otter, the extra UCI points always make for a strong field taking to the start. 2018 is no different, with a stacked women’s elite field fighting it out over the fast Fontana circuit. With the majority of the Clif Pro Team in town for the team’c Clif Summit, Catharine Pendrel was joined on the start line by her World Cup veteran teammates Eva Lechner, Lea Davison as well as Haley Batten and Maghalie Rochette who, though she’s specialized more in cyclocross lately, has a solid XC resume behind her. Add Liv Cycling’s Sandra Walter and a pack of Canada’s top women who have flocked south for the Fonta event to the rising group of American cross-country racers, including 2017 U23 World Cup winner Kate Courtney, and fast, close racing was a guarantee. Even Canadian national team track racer, Jasmin Duehring threw her at into the ring, borrowing a bike to join in on the racing.
The Californian US Cup is also the first in two weekend of UCI Junior Series racing, so an international field of elite youth were lined up to start the days racing earlier Saturday morning. Junior racing and results are included below.
Fontana City US Cup – Elite Women’s XCO
In the women’s elite race, Canada’s Olympic Bronze Medallist Catharine Pendrel (Clif Pro Team) jumped out to a small lead on lap one, with 2017 US national XC champion Erin Huck (Construction Zone) and Eva Lechner (Clif Pro Team) chasing together 20 seconds behind. A little further back, Haley Batten was the third Clif rider, and fourth on course, with Coquitlam, B.C.’s Sandra Walter (Liv Cycling) close behind. 40 seconds back, another group of four were closing in, with Maghalie Rochette (Clif Pro Team), Sofia Gomez-Villafane (Stans Pivot Racing), Caoline Bohe (Danish Cycling Federation), and Specialized Factory Racing’s Kate Courteny all riding together.
By lap 2, the Huck had caught Pendrel, and the two were riding together 30 seconds in front of Walter in third. Lechner was now sitting in fourth with Batten fading to fifth just 10 seconds ahead of Courtney. Gomez-Villafane and Bohe were another minute back, and Rochette had drifted back to ninth.
On the final lap, Huck was able to separate herself from Pendrel to claim the opening round of US Cup racing by a slim seven second margin. Eva Lechner had recovered her podium position from Walter to finish third, 90 seconds back of the leading pair, with Courtney rolling in another minute later for 5th. Batten, Gomez-Villafane, a late charging Lea Davison (Clif Pro Team), Bohe and Rochette rounded out the top 10.
RELATED: Pendrel, L’Esperance claim first Canada Cup wins of 2018 at Bear Mountain
Cindy Montambault (Equipe du Quebec) held on to a strong start, finishing 13th, while first year elite racer Jenn Jackson (AWI Racing) raced to 16th. Showing incredible versatility on the bike Duehring finished 18th, with Equipe du Quebec’s Anne-Julie Tremblay joining her inside the top 20 at 19th.
Rebecca Beaumont (Marin x Peppermint), Emily Unterberger (Pendrel Racing) and Elyse Nieuswold (Pendrel Racing) finished 21st, 22nd, and 24th, making for a strong Canadian crowd in the top 30. Juliette Tetreault crossed the line 34th for Equipe du Quebec, while Sidney McGill (Focus CX Canada) and Mackenzie Myatt (Cyclesmith) did not find luck on their side, dropping out of the race.
Fontana City US Cup – Elite Men’s XCO
Andrew L’Esperance (Forward Racing) and Peter Disera (Norco Factory Racing) continued their strong start to the 2018 North American season, finishing 2-3 on the podium beheind Christopher Blevins (Specialized) in Saturday’s last XCO event at Fontana City US Cup. The top three rode three of the races four laps together with Switzerland’s Nicola Rohrbach (Goldwurst-Power/Felt), who is fresh off a fifth place finish at the Absa Cape Epic in South Africa. On the last lap, though, Blevins was able to pull out a 19 second advantage over L’Esperance, who continues to show solid form after his Canada Cup win last weekend in Victoria, B.C., and Peter Disera, who would repeat his 3rd place from last weeks racing. Rorhbach faded on the final lap to finish a minute down on Disera, but still with enough of a lead to hold off Sebastian Carstensen and Jonas Lindberg of the Danish Cycling Federation, who placed 5th and 6th. U23 racer Marc-Andre Fortier (Pivot Cycles OTE) finished 10th, for three Canadians in the top 10 in Fontana.
Sean Fincham (Forward Racing), also U23, backed up his fourth at Bear Mountain with a 14th in Fontana. Felix Belhumeur was the next Canadian at 21st, followed by Gunnar Holmgren (Hardwood Nextwave) in 27th, Alexandre Vialle (Equipe du Quebec) in 30th, Quinton Disera (Norco Factory Racing) in 31st and Raphael Auclair (Pivot Cycles OTE) in 40th.
RELATED: Pendrel Racing launches at Bear Mountain Canada Cup
Junior Men and Women: 2018 Fontana City US Cup / UCI Junior series
Fontana City US Cup race, like the Bear Mountain Canada Cup, is part of the UCI Junior Series. While Bear Mountain was a UCI C1 event for the Juniors, Fontana gets the highest, HC rating, meaning more valuable UCI ranking points for the winners. The high UCI designations for these early season events have made for strong international fields in the junior races.
Holden Jones (Pendrel Racing Development) repeated Bear Mountain Canada Cup performance at Fontana City, winning the Junior men’s race over Kevin Vermaerke, who was third last weekend in Victoria, by a narrow four second margin. A minute behind them, Paul Fabian (Bear Development) of Prescott, Ariz. put himself between Cumberland, B.C.’s Carter Woods (Cycling BC / Rocky Mountain) and the final spot, pushing Woods into fourth on the day. Tyler Clark (Homested Racing) finished seventh and Charles-Antoine St-Onge (Equipe du Quebec) eighth, just one minute off Australia’s Sam Fox in fifth, to make four Canadians in the top ten.
RELATED: Bear Mountain Canada Cup Weekend – Junior and Short Track racing
In the Junior Women’s race, Sofie Heby Pedersen of the Danish Cycling Federation stormed away from the field to win with a comfortable margin. Equipe du Quebec’s Marianne Theberge battled with Saga Molin of Varber, Sweden for podium spots, with the Scandinavian finishing second ahead of Theberge in third. Behind Theberge, Madeline Robbins of Durango, Colo. was fourth and Mireille Larose-Gingras, who won the Bear Mountain Junior women’s race, finished fifth.
2018 Fontana City US Cup (UCI HC) – Elite Women (Top 30)
| 1 | ERIN HUCK | 3 | 01:19:23 | 37 | F | BOULDER | CO | |||
| 2 | CATHARINE PENDREL | 3 | 01:19:30 | 38 | F | KAMLOOPS | BC | CLIF PRO TEAM | ||
| 3 | EVA LECHNER | 3 | 01:21:01 | 33 | F | CLIF PRO TEAM | ||||
| 4 | SANDRA WALTER | 3 | 01:21:18 | 38 | F | COQUITLAM | BC | LIV CYCLING CANADA | ||
| 5 | KATE COURTNEY | 3 | 01:22:17 | 23 | F | KENTFIELD | CA | SPECIALIZED FACTORY RACIN | ||
| 6 | HALEY BATTEN | 3 | 01:22:43 | 20 | F | PARK CITY | UT | CLIF PRO TEAM | ||
| 7 | SOFIA GOMEZ VILLAFANE | 3 | 01:23:14 | 24 | F | PARK CITY | UT | STANS PIVOT PRO TEAM PB M | ||
| 8 | LEA DAVISON | 3 | 01:23:28 | 35 | F | JERICHO | VT | CLIF PRO TEAM | ||
| 9 | CAOLINE BOHE | 3 | 01:23:32 | 19 | F | DANISH CYCLING FEDERATION | ||||
| 10 | MAGHALIE ROCHETTE | 3 | 01:24:31 | 25 | Â | F | ST-JEROME | QC | CLIF PRO TEAM | |
| 11 | SAVILIA BLUNK | 3 | 01:24:59 | 19 | F | INVERNESS CA | CA | |||
| 12 | GWENDALYN GIBSON | 3 | 01:25:21 | 19 | F | RAMONA | CA | NORCO BICYCLES | ||
| 13 | CINDY MONTAMBAULT | 3 | 01:25:40 | 35 | F | VAL-DAVID | QC | EQUIPE DU QUEBEC | ||
| 14 | CHRISTINE EIKMEIER | 3 | 01:25:54 | 26 | F | MURRIETA | CA | BEAR VALLEY BIKES | ||
| 15 | EVELYN DONG | 3 | 01:27:15 | 33 | F | HEBER | UT | SPRY CYCLES | ||
| 16 | JENN JACKSON | 3 | 01:27:56 | 23 | F | BARRIE | ON | AWI RACING | ||
| 17 | AMY BEISEL | 3 | 01:28:01 | 34 | F | COLORADO SPRINGS | CO | ORANGE SEAL OFF- ROAD TEA | ||
| 18 | JASMIN DUEHRING | 3 | 01:28:02 | 26 | F | MISSION VIEJO | CA | TWENTY20 PRO CYCLING | ||
| 19 | ANNE-JULIE TREMBLAY | 3 | 01:28:19 | 22 | F | SAGUENAY | QC | ?QUIPE DU QU?BEC/CYCLONE | ||
| 20 | HANNAH RAE FINCHAMP | 3 | 01:28:25 | 23 | F | ALTA DENA | CA | CLIF PRO TEAM | ||
| 21 | REBECCA BEAUMONT | 3 | 01:28:30 | 28 | F | ALMA | QC | MARIN X PEPPERMINT | ||
| 22 | EMILY UNTERBERGER | 3 | 01:28:45 | 22 | F | REVELSTOKE | BC | |||
| 23 | KELSEY URBAN | 3 | 01:29:02 | 20 | F | KENT FIELD | CA | WHOLE ATHLETE DNA CYCLING | ||
| 24 | ELYSE NIEUWOLD | 3 | 01:29:02 | 26 | F | NEWMARKET | ON | PENDREL RACING | ||
| 25 | BIANCA HAW | 3 | 01:31:22 | 22 | F | KZN | ||||
| 26 | RACHEL ANDERS | 3 | 01:31:25 | 20 | F | SANDY | UT | PIVOT-COMPETITIVE CYCLIST | ||
| 27 | EMMA MAARANEN | 3 | 01:32:57 | 41 | F | BEND | OR | KS-KENDA WOMEN’S ELITE TE | ||
| 28 | FIONA DOUGHERTY | 3 | 01:33:52 | 20 | F | WACO | TX | |||
| 29 | NICOLE TITTENSOR | 3 | 01:34:02 | 32 | F | AXTELL | UT | JANS/SCOTT/REYNOLDS | ||
| 30 | SARAH TUCKNOTT | 3 | 01:34:46 | 19 | F | LESMURDIE | WA |
2018 Fontana City US Cup (UCI HC) – Elite Men (Top 30)
| 1 | CHRISTOPHER BLEVINS | 4 | 1 | 01:32:03 | 20 | M | DURANGO | CO | SPECIALIZED RACING | |
| 2 | ANDREW L’ESPERANCE | 4 | 21 | 01:32:22 | 27 | M | HALIFAX | NS | FORWARD RACING-NORCO | |
| 3 | PETER DISERA | 4 | 44 | 01:32:45 | 23 | M | BARRIE | ON | NORCO FACTORY TEAM XC | |
| 4 | NICOLA ROHRBACH | 4 | 76 | 01:33:44 | 32 | M | EDLIBACH | GOLDWURST-POWER/ FELT | ||
| 5 | SEBASTIAN CARSTENSEN | 4 | 98 | 01:34:11 | 23 | M | DANISH CYCLING FEDERATION | |||
| 6 | JONAS LINDBERG | 4 | 97 | 01:34:15 | 21 | M | DANISH CYCLING FEDERATION | |||
| 7 | LUKE VROUWENVELDER | 4 | 7 | 01:34:41 | 23 | M | CHAPEL HILL | NC | LUKEVCOACHING.COM | |
| 8 | REECE TUCKNOTT | 4 | 87 | 01:35:11 | 22 | M | LESMURDIE | WA | PERTH MTB CLUB | |
| 9 | BENJAMIN SONNTAG | 4 | 22 | 01:35:25 | 38 | M | DURANGO | CO | TEAM CLIF BAR | |
| 10 | MARC-ANDRE FORTIER | 4 | 53 | 01:35:55 | 22 | M | VICTORIAVILLE | QC | PIVOT CYCLES OTE | |
| 11 | RUSSELL FINSTERWALD | 4 | 3 | 01:36:01 | 27 | M | COLORADO SPRINGS | CO | ||
| 12 | CYPRESS GORRY | 4 | 9 | 01:36:05 | 24 | M | PISGAH FOREST | NC | ROULEUR DEVO PB DNA CYCLI | |
| 13 | JERRY DUFOUR | 4 | 19 | 01:36:25 | 21 | M | BIRMINGHAM | AL | ||
| 14 | SEAN FINCHAM | 4 | 81 | 01:37:08 | 20 | M | SQUAMISH | BC | FORWARD RACING | |
| 15 | RYAN STANDISH | 4 | 84 | 01:37:10 | 25 | M | AURORA | CO | ||
| 16 | CARSON BECKETT | 4 | 35 | 01:37:28 | 21 | M | BENTON | KY | BEAR PRO TEAM | |
| 17 | COLE PATTON | 4 | 24 | 01:38:21 | 20 | M | CASHMERE | CA | ||
| 18 | DANIEL JOHNSON | 4 | 64 | 01:38:23 | 21 | M | DURANGO | CO | BEAR PRO TEAM | |
| 19 | PETER KARINEN | 4 | 65 | 01:38:24 | 22 | M | CALUMET | MI | BROKEN SPOKE RACING | |
| 20 | SANDY FLOREN | 4 | 17 | 01:38:25 | 21 | M | BERKELEY | CA | BEAR DEVELOPMENT TEAM | |
| 21 | FELIX BELHUMEUR | 4 | 37 | 01:39:03 | 22 | M | QUEBEC | QC | PIVOT CYCLES OTE | |
| 22 | ZACH CALTON | 4 | 40 | 01:39:11 | 21 | M | BOUNTIFUL | UT | SPRY – LEGACY PROPERTIES | |
| 23 | NIC BEECHAN | 4 | 4 | 01:39:15 | 27 | M | IDYLLWILD | CA | TREK TEST TEAM | |
| 24 | JULIEN BOURDEVAIRE | 4 | 38 | 01:39:30 | 28 | M | LOS ANGELES | CA | MOMENT CYCLING SMILES OF | |
| 25 | STEPHAN DAVOUST | 4 | 26 | 01:39:59 | 23 | M | DURANGO | CO | GIANT FACTORY OFF-ROAD | |
| 26 | ALEX WILD | 4 | 27 | 01:40:45 | 26 | M | MORGAN HILL | CA | SPECIALIZED FACTORY RACIN | |
| 27 | GUNNAR HOLMGREN | 4 | 60 | 01:40:49 | 19 | M | ORILLIA | ON | HARDWOOD NEXT WAVE | |
| 28 | BRIAN MATTER | 4 | 70 | 01:41:19 | 40 | M | SHEBOYGAN | WI | LINEAR SPORT CYCLING | |
| 29 | CAL SKILSKY | 4 | 83 | 01:42:00 | 57 | M | ORO VALLEY | AZ | CZ RACING | |
| 30 | ALEXANDRE VIALLE | 4 | 89 | 01:42:59 | 24 | M | PREVOST | QC | ?QUIPE DU QU?BEC/TOYOTA S | |
| 31 | QUINTON DISERA | 4 | 45 | 01:42:59 | 20 | M | BARRIE | ON | NORCO FACTORY TEAM XC | |
| 32 | SEIYA HIRANO | 4 | 58 | 01:43:21 | 31 | M | NAGANO MATUMOTO | NAGANO | TEAM BRIDGESTONE CYCLING | |
| 33 | LIAM EARL | 4 | 49 | 01:43:34 | 22 | M | BOISE | ID | TEAM CLIF BAR | |
| 34 | NATHAN BARTON | 4 | 34 | 01:43:34 | 21 | M | AUBURN | CA | SCOTT CYCLING DEVELOPMENT | |
| 35 | GARRETT GERCHAR | 4 | 55 | 01:43:40 | 22 | M | BOULDER | CO | CLIF BAR | |
| 36 | TOKI SAWADA | 4 | 86 | 01:43:47 | 24 | M | ??? | ??? | TEAM BRIDGESTONE CYCLING | |
| 37 | ELI KRANEFUSS | 4 | 66 | 01:43:55 | 21 | M | MILL VALLEY | CA | BEAR PRO TEAM | |
| 38 | RYLAN SCHADEGG | 4 | 79 | 01:44:14 | 20 | M | LOGAN | UT | PIVOT-COMPETITIVE CYCLIST | |
| 39 | NICK LANDO | 4 | 20 | 01:44:53 | 21 | M | RINGWOOD | NJ | BEAR PRO TEAM P/B TREK | |
| 40 | RAPHAEL AUCLAIR | 4 | 33 | 01:45:40 | 21 | M | QUEBEC | QC | PIVOT CYCLES – OTE |
2018 Fontana City ProXCT HC (UCI Junior Series) – Junior Men (Top 20)
| 1 | HOLDEN JONES | 3 | 645 | 01:08:51 | 18 | M | SQUAMISH | BC | PENDREL RACING DEVELOPMEN | |
| 2 | KEVIN VERMAERKE | 3 | 666 | 01:08:55 | 18 | M | RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA | CA | WHOLE ATHLETE P/B DNA | |
| 3 | PAUL FABIAN | 3 | 634 | 01:09:52 | 18 | M | PRESCOTT | AZ | BEAR DEVELOPMENT TEAM | |
| 4 | CARTER WOODS | 3 | 667 | 01:10:49 | 17 | M | CUMBERLAND | BC | CYCLING BC | |
| 5 | SAM FOX | 3 | 636 | 01:10:55 | 18 | M | LAUNCESTON | TAS | LAUNCESTON CITY CYCLING C | |
| 6 | ALEXANDER YOUNG ANDERSEN | 3 | 613 | 01:11:13 | 18 | M | DANISH CYCLING FEDERATION | |||
| 7 | TYLER CLARK | 3 | 626 | 01:11:40 | 18 | M | KING CITY | ON | HOMESTEAD RACING | |
| 8 | CHARLES-ANTOINE ST-ONGE | 3 | 661 | 01:12:01 | 17 | M | ST-DENIS-DE-BROMPTON | QC | ?QUIPE DU QU?BEC / DALBIX | |
| 9 | TURNER CONWAY | 3 | 627 | 01:12:41 | 18 | M | YUCAIPA | CA | FULLERTON BIKES/TASCO TRI | |
| 10 | FINN GULLICKSON | 3 | 639 | 01:13:12 | 18 | M | COLORADO SPGS | CO | WHOLE ATHLETE | |
| 11 | IAN MILLENIUM | 3 | 615 | 01:14:12 | 17 | M | DANISH NATIONAL TEAM | |||
| 12 | DYLAN FRYER | 3 | 638 | 01:14:13 | 18 | M | SAN ANSELMO | CA | BEAR DEVELOPMENT TEAM | |
| 13 | SETH SAXTON | 3 | 660 | 01:14:34 | 18 | M | DRAPER | UT | ROULEUR DEVO PB DNA CYCLI | |
| 14 | KADE BRASHER | 3 | 623 | 01:14:37 | 18 | M | HOLLADAY | UT | ROULEUR DEVO PB DNA CYCLI | |
| 15 | HENNIE VAN WYK | 3 | 665 | 01:14:40 | 17 | M | GAUTENG | ABSOLUTE MOTION | ||
| 16 | HUGO ELIASSON | 3 | 633 | 01:15:15 | 17 | M | VARBERG | SWEDISH NATIONAL TEAM | ||
| 17 | COLTON SACKET | 3 | 659 | 01:15:20 | 18 | M | TROY | TX | PIVOT-COMPETITIVE CYCLIST | |
| 18 | VINCENT THIBOUTOT | 3 | 663 | 01:15:21 | 17 | M | QUEBEC | QC | PIVOT CYCLE OTE | |
| 19 | NOAH HAYES | 3 | 640 | 01:15:44 | 18 | M | OAKLAND | CA | BEAR DEVELOPMENT | |
| 20 | MAX MCFADDEN | 3 | 651 | 01:15:49 | 17 | M | PIEDMONT | CA | OAKLAND COMPOSITE |
2018 Fontana City ProXCT HC (UCI Junior Series) – Junior Women (Top 20)
| 1 | SOFIE HEBY PEDERSEN | 2 | 689 | 00:53:18 | 17 | F | DANISH CYCLING FEDERATION | |||
| 2 | SAGA MOLIN | 2 | 679 | 00:57:33 | 18 | F | VARBERG | TEAM BIANCI/VARBERGS MTB | ||
| 3 | MARIANNE THEBERGE | 2 | 686 | 00:57:53 | 18 | F | LAVIS | QC | EQUIPE DU QUEBEC/ CLUB MA | |
| 4 | MADELINE ROBBINS | 2 | 684 | 00:59:05 | 17 | F | DURANGO | CO | BEAR DEVELOPMENT | |
| 5 | MIREILLE LAROSE-GINGRAS | 2 | 674 | 00:59:38 | 18 | F | LAC-BEAUPORT | QC | EQUIPE DU QUEBEC / SIGMA | |
| 6 | ALEXIS BOBBITT | 2 | 670 | 01:00:40 | 17 | F | AUSTIN | TX | ||
| 7 | ANNA CHRISTIAN | 2 | 671 | 01:00:40 | 18 | F | MINNEAPOLIS | MN | ||
| 8 | ROXANE VERMETTE | 2 | 687 | 01:01:41 | 18 | F | SAINT-FERRÉOL-LES-NEIGES | QC | CLUB CYCLISTE MONT-SAINTE | |
| 9 | MINA RICCI | 2 | 682 | 01:02:29 | 18 | F | WOODACRE | CA | BEAR DEVELOPMENT TEAM | |
| 10 | CAMILLE LIDDELL | 2 | 676 | 01:02:30 | 17 | F | MURRAY | UT | ROULEUR DEVO PB DNA CYCLI | |
| 11 | STELLA SISNEROS | 2 | 685 | 01:05:23 | 18 | F | VACAVILLE | CA | CYCLING DEVELOPMENT SCOTT | |
| 12 | CECILIA DEPUE | 2 | 605 | 01:05:30 | 18 | F | PRESCOTT VALLEY | AZ | AZ DEVO | |
| 13 | HAYLEY RICHARDS | 2 | 683 | 01:05:55 | 18 | F | TEMECULA | CA | SOCAL DEVO | |
| 14 | NATALIE FERNAU | 2 | 672 | 01:06:34 | 17 | F | SHOW LOW | AZ | HATCH TOYOTA RACING | |
| 15 | MILA LEGER REDEL | 2 | 675 | 01:06:58 | 17 | F | PARK CITY | UT | PIVOT-COMPETITIVE CYCLIST | |
| 16 | CLODAGH MELLETT | 2 | 678 | 01:06:58 | 18 | F | MILL VALLEY | CA | BEAR DEVELOPMENT | |
| 17 | HADLEY PEAY | 2 | 680 | 01:07:40 | 17 | F | ALPINE | UT | ROULEUR DEVO P/B | |
| 18 | EVELYNE WARD | 2 | 688 | 01:09:24 | 17 | F | LINGWICK | QC | EQUIPE DU QUEBEC | |
| 19 | KATHRYN MCDICKEN | 2 | 677 | 01:10:54 | 17 | F | APPLETON | WI | ASU DEVO | |
| 20 | MADELYNN GERRITSEN | 2 | 673 | 01:11:53 | 18 | F | GOLDEN | CO | PEDAL POWER |
