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ENLARGE
The Pan Am Continental Mountain Bike Championships, which are held yearly at different locations on the American Continent, draws a collection of some of the best riders the Western Hemisphere has to offer.
Riding at a Santiago, Chile course that none called home, the members of the U.S. Team prevailed as a tour de force in the world of mountain biking. In addition to having excellent riding skills and fitness, these athletes also acted as excellent ambassadors to our nation, making many new friends and having fun at the same time.
As North Americans, we can all be proud to call these riders our own.
Nevada City 18-year-old and Elite Downhill Mountain Bike racer Graeme Pitts, riding for Kirt Voreis AllRide Academy/Santa Cruz Bicycles, Point 1, and Framewrap, traveled to the bottom of the world to compete in the Pan Am Continental Mountain Bike Championships. His first year racing Pro/Elite, Pitts was named to the USA Downhill Elite Men’s Team along with 4 other riders.
The races were held at a ski resort called La Parva 11⁄2 hours northwest of Santiago in the town of Farellones (The Crags). The resort is in The Andes at an altitude of 11,000-plus feet, with conditions that can best be described as loose, volcanic rubble with “moon dust” that no amount of rain could turn into mud.
Riding a lot at Northstar at Tahoe, Mammoth Mountain and Bootleg Canyon (south of Las Vegas) helped Pitts to be comfortable with this type of terrain. However, going over the bars on the second day of practice left him with an injured wrist — in addition to the broken toe he already had upon arriving in Chile.
Pacing himself by riding conservatively to avoid further damage to his wrist and relying on ice, aspirin and tape, his plan paid off. A podium finish is always the objective, but the main goal was to finish in the top 25 in order to gain 20 UCI points (International Cycling Union) which would make Pitts able to compete at World Cup races staged all over the world.
When the racing was over, Pitts had what he wanted — 22nd place in a field of 64 of the best riders in the Western Hemisphere. Back home over a week later, Pitts found out that he had, in fact, broken his arm.
Fortunately, it is not severe (distal radius fracture) and should not interrupt his training or next race coming up in three weeks — The Sea Otter Classic, held at Laguna Seca Raceway every Spring. This race is important because it is a showcase for manufacturers and teams and attracts hundreds of thousands of spectators.
The USA Gravity Team was the most under-manned team at the event with only five Elite Men, one Elite Woman, and one Masters; the only team smaller was Mexico.
Most teams were present with around 15 riders in the Elite category alone. La Parva being a home course for the Chileans, they racked up the most podium finishes with the USA coming in second with a total of eight podiums in various events. In the downhill events, three USA team members were on the podium in five different events, and all were in the top 30, so they made an excellent showing. In the Cross Country races, USA earned another three medals in two events.
When the dust had settled, the title of Champion Downhill Elite Men went to U.S. Team member Chris Van Dine, who has spent a lot of time living and riding in Chile. Thanks to his ambassadorship, the USA team was welcomed as brothers.
The event had the feel of a South American soccer match, with wild cheering and boosting riders who did well onto team shoulders. When Van Dine crossed the finish line with the winning time, the Chileans rushed him in a cloud of “moon dust,” going berserk and lifting him above the crowd on their shoulders.
It was truly heartwarming for us to have such a wonderful welcome in a foreign country so far away.
For a more detailed race account, reports from other events and general information, go to GraemePitts.com.
Riding at a Santiago, Chile course that none called home, the members of the U.S. Team prevailed as a tour de force in the world of mountain biking. In addition to having excellent riding skills and fitness, these athletes also acted as excellent ambassadors to our nation, making many new friends and having fun at the same time.
As North Americans, we can all be proud to call these riders our own.
Nevada City 18-year-old and Elite Downhill Mountain Bike racer Graeme Pitts, riding for Kirt Voreis AllRide Academy/Santa Cruz Bicycles, Point 1, and Framewrap, traveled to the bottom of the world to compete in the Pan Am Continental Mountain Bike Championships. His first year racing Pro/Elite, Pitts was named to the USA Downhill Elite Men’s Team along with 4 other riders.
The races were held at a ski resort called La Parva 11⁄2 hours northwest of Santiago in the town of Farellones (The Crags). The resort is in The Andes at an altitude of 11,000-plus feet, with conditions that can best be described as loose, volcanic rubble with “moon dust” that no amount of rain could turn into mud.
Riding a lot at Northstar at Tahoe, Mammoth Mountain and Bootleg Canyon (south of Las Vegas) helped Pitts to be comfortable with this type of terrain. However, going over the bars on the second day of practice left him with an injured wrist — in addition to the broken toe he already had upon arriving in Chile.
Pacing himself by riding conservatively to avoid further damage to his wrist and relying on ice, aspirin and tape, his plan paid off. A podium finish is always the objective, but the main goal was to finish in the top 25 in order to gain 20 UCI points (International Cycling Union) which would make Pitts able to compete at World Cup races staged all over the world.
When the racing was over, Pitts had what he wanted — 22nd place in a field of 64 of the best riders in the Western Hemisphere. Back home over a week later, Pitts found out that he had, in fact, broken his arm.
Fortunately, it is not severe (distal radius fracture) and should not interrupt his training or next race coming up in three weeks — The Sea Otter Classic, held at Laguna Seca Raceway every Spring. This race is important because it is a showcase for manufacturers and teams and attracts hundreds of thousands of spectators.
The USA Gravity Team was the most under-manned team at the event with only five Elite Men, one Elite Woman, and one Masters; the only team smaller was Mexico.
Most teams were present with around 15 riders in the Elite category alone. La Parva being a home course for the Chileans, they racked up the most podium finishes with the USA coming in second with a total of eight podiums in various events. In the downhill events, three USA team members were on the podium in five different events, and all were in the top 30, so they made an excellent showing. In the Cross Country races, USA earned another three medals in two events.
When the dust had settled, the title of Champion Downhill Elite Men went to U.S. Team member Chris Van Dine, who has spent a lot of time living and riding in Chile. Thanks to his ambassadorship, the USA team was welcomed as brothers.
The event had the feel of a South American soccer match, with wild cheering and boosting riders who did well onto team shoulders. When Van Dine crossed the finish line with the winning time, the Chileans rushed him in a cloud of “moon dust,” going berserk and lifting him above the crowd on their shoulders.
It was truly heartwarming for us to have such a wonderful welcome in a foreign country so far away.
For a more detailed race account, reports from other events and general information, go to GraemePitts.com.
