Stephen Ettinger (BMC) and Katerina Nash (Luna Pro Team) won the short track mountain bike race held in Fontana, California on Sunday afternoon.
The Fontana short track happened one day after the Fontana round of the USA Cycling US Cup cross country series presented by Sho-Air Cycling Group. Most of the favorites from the previous day’s race stuck around to also compete in the short track.
Elite Women
Katerina Nash powered to victory in the elite women’s short track race in Fontana, one week after winning the short track at Bonelli Park.
Some of the world’s top women lined up at the start for what would be approximately a 20-minute all-out race around a short course.
Nash, who is from the Czech Republic but lives in California, led the powerful Luna Pro Team to victory, finishing three seconds ahead of Emily Batty (Trek Factory Racing) of Canada in second and four seconds ahead of another Luna rider Georgia Gould of the United States.
Australian national champion Rebecca Henderson gave Trek Factory Racing another podium spot by finishing fourth while yesterday’s US Cup cross country winner Catharine Pendrel of Canada gave Luna the final place on the podium in fifth.
Elite Men
US cross country national champion Stephen Ettinger recovered from a disappointing Fontana cross country race the previous day to race to victory in the short track. Ettinger had had to abandon the cross country race due to a mechanical while he was in the three-man group leading the race.
On Sunday, Ettinger, who last year proved he is among the best domestic mountain bikers, showed even more potential with a breakout victory against a talented international field. The American beat Emil Lindgren (Giant Pro XC) of Sweden and fellow American Todd Wells (Specialized Racing).
Trek Factory Racing riders swept the final two spots with Dan McConnell in fourth and Sergio Mantecon Gutierrez in fifth. Both riders had played an agressive role in the previous day’s racing with the Australian McConnell winning the Fontana round of the USA Cycling US Cup and Gutierrez having launched several attacks on each lap’s climb.
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Photos © Christy Nicholson / EchelonDesignPhoto.com
We caught the action for Cat 1, Pro Men and Pro Women’s Fontana Short Track races. A full Photo Gallery is posted and photos are available for purchase at EchelonDesignPhoto.com.
Fontana Short Track Brief Results
Elite Women
1 Katerina Nash (Czech Republic) Luna Pro Team
2 Emily Batty (Canada) Trek Factory Racing
3 Georgia Gould (United States) Luna Pro Team
4 Rebecca Henderson (Australia) Trek Factory Racing
5 Catharine Pendrel (Canada)
Elite Men
1 Stephen Ettinger (United States) BMC Mountain Bike Team
2 Emil Lingren (Sweden) Giant Pro XC
3 Todd Wells (United States) Specialized Factory Racing
4 Dan McConnell (Australia) Trek Factory Racing
5 Sergio Mantecon Gutierrez (Spain) Trek Factory Racing Team
Top Photo – Stephen Ettinger (BMC) wins the Men’s Short Track.
