The thermostat was on high this past weekend as the ProGRT and Vittoria ESC downhill tours dropped in on a steamy Windham World Cup venue in the Catskills of New York. The race was the only UCI HC event on the U.S. race calendar and brought out a talented field of speedsters.
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Unlike the past many World Cups at Windham, when the track was a dustbowl, wet conditions were a big factor this weekend with passing thunder showers soaking the track on several occasions. A particularly strong storm rolled through on Saturday night, wreaking havoc of tents and pop-ups and knocking out power to much of the area.
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The course began in the rustic start house tucked in the woods at the top of the mountain. The track essentially followed last year’s World Cup course with a few modifications to the upper sections and the removal of the big features just above the finish line.
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The upper quarter had the steepest terrain with plenty of rocky drops and chutes that had riders locking up their rear tires and taking a two-wheeled slip-and-slide down the as they fought for traction.
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Leaving the woods, the track plunged down the infamous Bowling Alley, site of some heroic hucks from past events.
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After a raucous roller coaster in the woods, racers faced the legendary road gap and step down combo, always a big hit with spectators.
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The bottom half of the track was riddled with high-speed features, and compared to the tenuous steeps above, was a blast for racers to let loose on.
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The lower rock garden was the only interruption to the party train, with a sweaty jumble of rocks waiting to take down racers who strayed from their line.
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The big features lower on the track had been removed since the World Cup with a small step down over the Pro XC course and a couple tables the only remaining obstacles.
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The women’s pro race was won by Lauren Daney, riding for Patrol/110% Racing. Danny has been dominant in the Vittoria ESC series this season but hadn’t reached the top step of the podium in a ProGRT race this year until Windham. Daney topped runner-up Samantha Kngshill by more than five seconds.
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the women’s pro podium from left: Amy Leishear-4th, Samantha Kingshill-2nd, Lauren Daney-1st, Frida Ronning-3rd, Kristin Lenart-5th
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Shane Leslie, racing for the Palmer Project, topped a large men’s pro field, topping Giant Co-Factory’s Jason Schroeder by just under a second. This was Leslie’s first pro win in the national series and follows numerous flirts with the top step, including a second at the Angel Fire ProGRT in 2015.
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The men’s pro podium from left: Demetri Triantafillou-4th, Jason Schroeder-2nd, Shane Leslie-1st, Rafael Gutierrez Villegas-3rd, Isak Leivsson-5th
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