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Derek Zandstra top Canadian at Whiskey 50 weekend

April 29, 2014
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Canadian mountain bike champion Derek Zandstra put in a strong performance at the past weekend’s Whiskey 50 mountain bike festival.

Zandstra opened the event by winning the fat-tire crit race on Friday. Zandstra crossed the line in his maple-leaf jersey, beating Fernando Riveros Paez of Colorado Springs. Geoff Kabush, Zandstra’s Scott-3Rox teammate, finished third.

In the women’s fat-tire crit, local rider Chloe Woodruff took the top spot, ahead of Katerina Nash and Erin Huck. The top Canadian was Nash’s Luna teammate Danielle Kabush, of Victoria, B.C. Scott-3Rox racer Amanda Sin was pulled, but ranked 19th. The professional racers had Saturday off, but praised the amateurs who ended up having to race in sleet and snow.

 

During Sunday’s Whiskey 50 race, Zandstra was the top Canadian, finishing third behind winner Christoph Sauser and second place Todd Wells. A multi-time marathon mountain bike world champion, Sauser was well prepared for the longer format of the main event.

Zandstra played a key role in chasing down Sauser throughout much of the race, but the effort appeared to have put him at a disadvantage at the finish, where he ultimately dropped behind Wells.

The 2012 and 2013 champion, Geoff Kabush, was getting over illness that had sapped his energy for training in the lead up to the event. He finished 35th overall.

Woodruff showed that she was just as capable on the 50-mile distance as she was in the crit race, and won overall. Woodruff made use of her local knowledge to pick her best points of attack.

Erin Huck and Evelyn Dong finished second and third respectively. Katerina Nash, who had finished second last year, was unable to answer the speed of the leaders and finished in fourth.

Danielle Kabush was again the top Canadian, finishing ninth. Amanda Sin finished 14th overall.

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