Contact Paul Skilbeck for full results pskilbeck@o2sm.com
or visit bluewolfevents.com/results

PARK CITY , Utah (June 30th, 2008) -- The fourth round of the US National Mountain Bike Series, the Deer Valley National, presented by Subaru Gary Fisher, concluded today at Deer Valley, Utah, with the glory shared between those returning from the world championships in Italy last weekend after a weeks-long campaign in Europe, and those that stayed at home. Ryan Trebon, Geoff Kabush and Katerina Nash starred in the Kenda Tires and Tubes cross country race, while Melissa Buhl, Joanna Petterson, Cameron Cole and Justin Leov claimed victory in the Fox Racing Shox gravity races.

Kenda Tires and Tubes Cross Country - Men
Ryan Trebon (Kona), of Bend, Or., outclimbed a determined Jeremiah Bishop (Trek VW), of Harrisonburg, Va., who announced his return to form with a second-place result in Saturday's Cross Country. Bishop, like Trebon, did not compete at the cross country worlds - he turned down the offer of a place on the national team because he didn't think his form justified it. "The Cape Epic in South Africa at the start of the season turned out to be a lot harder than expected, then I went straight to Europe, but I got ill and had a bumpy world cup campaign. I was just not finding a rhythm, so I decided to stay home and train and get myself on track for the second half of the season, rather than go to worlds and ride below my best," said Bishop.

He and Trebon gradually made the four-lap race their own, but until the final three miles it was anybody's guess which of the two would take it. "There must have been five or more lead changes, it was an exciting race," said Bishop. Ultimately Trebon had the best legs and his late-race charge took him 43 seconds clear of Bishop.

Trebon rode a 29-inch wheeled bicycle to his win, making it the first time a '29er' has won a national series mountain bike cross country race.

Multiple NMBS champion, Geoff Kabush (Maxxis), of Canada, finished third, 1:28 back. "I'm coming off a month in Europe, and I'm a little sick," he said. "With the world championships done I'm a little more peaked than Ryan (Trebon) and Jeremiah (Bishop), but I'm happy I rode a fairly solid race. Still, it's three years in a row that I've been off the pace at Deer Valley."

Fourth was Andy Schultz (Kenda/Titus), of Missoula, Mt., at 3:11, and fith was Carl Decker (Giant), of Bend, Or., at 3:24. Decker was pleased with the way things turned out for him after a difficult start. "It's a tricky race because it begins with a big climb and then you go straight into singletrack after the top, so everybody's trying to get a good position on the climb and you go way harder than you want to. I pretty much blew myself up to get 12th position over the top of the climb, but then I had to ride a bit easy for the next hour until I recovered. But I kept my chin up and I hydrated plenty and I came back and started passing people, and had some left for the finish and made it up onto the podium."

Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski (Subaru Gary Fisher), apparantly still fatigued from his European exploits and travel, was a few riders off the front when he flatted - ultimately taking eighth at 6:52. Adam Craig (Giant) and Todd Wells (GT), skipped this race in order to recover from their travel and prepare for forthcoming races on the east coast, beginning with NMBS round five at Wyndham, New York, July 10th-13th.

Series Roundup
Kabush looks well on his way to claiming another National Mountain Bike Series title, with 699 points compared to 575 for second-placed Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski. Strong riding by Carl Decker on Saturday elevated him to third overall on 544, but we cannot forget Barry Wicks (Kona), in fifth with 466, who did not compete at Deer Valley and is allowed one throw-out round in the final reckoning.

Kenda Tires and Tubes Cross Country - Women
It was no surprise to see the world's top women's cross country team sweep the top three places at Deer Valley, but Katerina Nash (Luna Chix), of the Czech Republic, scored the first National Mountain Bike Series cross country win of her career, which so far has been studded with victories in the Short Track. "We didn't realize it at first, because she's won so many short track races and we're used to her winning, but then we started celebrating," said the Luna Chix team manger Waldek Stepnowski.

Stepnowski praised the spirt of Nash, who has kept her mind focused on winning races despite the disappointment of missing out on Olympic team selection following an ill-timed injury at the Fontana NMBS race earlier this year. Then at the world championships, while positioned inside the top ten she hit a rock and bent her rear derailleur and finished the race in 12th place (Pendrel finished sixth, and Gould ninth). "Katarina responded to her disappointments with a lot of grace, she has kept a positive attitude, and she keeps on smiling...And then she comes out here and wins, what a pro! She's a great athlete, such a good role model. It's great to see she still has the appetite to try for the wins, she's showing the young riders how it's done, " he said.

Nash went into the lead early in the race, ahead of her team-mates Catherine Pendrel, of Canada, and Georgia Gould, of Bend,Or. But Gould overexerted herself on the first climb and lost contact with Pendrel and Nash. She regained them on the find descent and they started Lap Two as a trio, but Gould lost contact on the first climb. "I had a better second half than first half. Sometimes it just takes a while to settle into your rhythm," said Gould, who moved up past Pendrel into second place in the final half of the last lap. "I am really delighted for Katherina, taking her first NMBS win, she totally deserved it!" Said Gould, who finished 25 seconds down on the Czech national. Pendrel finished at 1:31.

Heather Irmiger (Subaru Gary Fisher), of Boulder, Co., placed fourth at 2:48, and Pua Sawicki (Ellsworth), of Miliani, Hi., came in at 4:19 to round out the top five.

Series Roundup
With 663 points after four rounds, Katerina Nash now has a solid lead in the series... but that might not last. Georgia Gould, now fourth with 536 points has the best three results from the four races so far, and with consistent riding she still is favorite to win another series title. Heather Irmiger (Subaru Gary Fisher) moves up into second place with 566 points, but when the low result is thrown out Catherine Pendrel - now third with 542 - and Gould should both leapfrog her. But this is mountain biking and much can happen, so predictions are unwise at this point in the series with two rounds remaining.

Kenda Tires and Tubes Short Track - Men
The Deer Valley Short Track course, which took about two minutes to complete, held much of its technical challenge in a few tight corners. After a slow start, Jeremiah Bishop (Trek VW) made his way from 15th place up to Kabush, Trebon and other front runners. Carl Decker (Giant) was not far behind. Decker had positioned himself at the wrong side of the pack - as far as getting around the first corner was concerned - and ended Lap One around 20th place. "Kabush dabbed really hard on the first corner, and it caused a pileup. I got held up by that," explained Decker. It took the Bend, Or., rider most of the race to get up to the leaders, and by the time he got there, there were only three laps to go. "I felt great. There was a trio off the front: Kabush, Trebon and Bishop, and I joined them just as the attacks started happening. This was kind of a relief, because I'd been chasing hard and I was content at that point to hang on. I finally made it past Jeremiah (Bishop) for third place," recalls Decker.

For Kabush it was a very different race. "After Saturday, I knew Trebon would the the strong man again, so he and I traded blows for a few laps early on. Then Jeremiah Bishop came up and joined us. Ryan went off and got a small gap with about three laps to go and I just waited patiently for my time. I closed the gap on the last lap, then got away on a small uphill. I was using a super-light tire and was able to carry more momentum into and accelerate out of the tight turns faster than Ryan, so I was clear coming out of the final turn."

Kabush finished four seconds ahead of Trebon. Decker came in third at 11 seconds, and Bishop fourth at 13. Ross Schnell (Trek VW), of Grand Junction, Co., was fifth at 41 seconds.

Kenda Tires and Tubes Short Track - Women
Katerina Nash made it a double-one for herself this weekend, adding the Short Track win to Saturday's Cross Country. Not surprisingly, Pendrel and Gould rounded out the top three for the Luna Chix team.

Gould had a decidedly better start in the Short Track than she did the day before. But by the halfway point she was paying for her early enthusiasm. "Katerina and Catherine went around me, but I was able to hang on and nurse myself into third place," reports Gould.

After working with Pendrel for a few laps, Nash attacked on the short climb in the closing part of the race and quickly opened up an unassailable lead. Pendrel came in 11 seconds later, with Gould third at 47 seconds. Heather Irmiger placed fourth at 1:03 and Kathy Sherwin (Sobe-Cannondale), of Heber City, Ut., claimed fith place at 1:13.

Fox Racing Shox Downhill - Men
The three world championships competitors who earned podium positions were New Zealander Justin Leov (Yeti/Fox Shox), who placed sixth in Italy, and Australia's Amiel Cavalier (Giant), who finished 18th, and Leov's compatriot and trade team-mate Sam Blenkinsop, who was 17th at the worlds. Today Leov was once again comfortably ahead of Cavalier, with a 3:01.41 compared to a 3:07.28. Cavalier was very narrowly ahead of another New Zealander, Sam Blenkinsop (Yeti/Fox Shox), who finished with a 3:07.33. Blenkinsop placed 17th at the world championsips.

Cavalier was happy with his result: "The qualifier was not so good for me. I hit my chainring on a rock or something going around a corner and snapped the chain. I qualified with a slow time and went off very early in the finals. I took it a bit easy at that same corner, but overall I had a good run and I'm pleased with the result," said Cavalier, who for the past few years has been based in Auburn, Ca.

Gwin Aaron (Yeti), of Morongo Valley, Ca., took fourth place with a time of 3:07.49, while Chris Van Dine (Cannondale), of Park City, Ut., was fifth fastest with 3:11.21.

Series Roundup
With two rounds remaining, the series is perhaps wider open than it looks. Brad Benedict (X-Fusion/Santa Cruz), of Campbell, Ca. holds the series lead with 589 points, well clear of Brad Oien (ODI/Southridge), Fountain Valley, Ca., on 498. But the presence of very strong international riders such as Justin Leov, Amiel Cavalier and even bigger names a possibility at the remaining two races, Benedict's lead is not assured. He will need to be very consistent to hold on for the win and cannot afford any medium or poor results.

Fox Racing Shox Downhill - Women
Joanna Petterson, of South Africa, scored what is thought to be her first National Mountain Bike Series win, with a dominating ride of 3:53.21 that left her rivals a long way back. Petterson reached the 1/4 finals of the 4-Cross in Italy, and placed 12th. Finishing second was Darian Harvey (Sobe/Cannondale), of Durango, Co., in 4:05.84, and Lisa Myklak (Spyder/Fox), of Boulder, Co., was third with a 4:09,23. New Zealand's Amy Laird, who finished 16th at the world championships, was fourth with a time of 4:13.59, and Leana Gerrard (Mona Vie/Cannondale), of Lake Tapps, Wa., was fifth fastest with a 4:21.39.

Series leader and 2008 champion, Melissa Buhl (KHS), of Chandler, Arizona, elected to miss the downhill, which makes it difficult for her to retain her series title. "I injured my right hand and left shoulder in practice for the 4-Cross worlds, so the rock gardens and steep rough sections on the downhill just hurt the injuries too much. I decided it's better to wait until I find out exactly what's wrong before I think about pushing it too much," explained Buhl, who traveled directly from Italy to Deer Valley.

Series Roundup
Depending on whether or not Melissa Buhl attends the final two rounds of the series, the final two rounds will come down to a contest between Darian Harvey who has 651 points from four rounds, and Lisa Myklak, who has 544 from three rounds.

Fox Racing Shox Dual Slalom - Men
Cameron Cole (Maxxis) of New Zealand took the win ahead of Petr Hanak (Totally Wired), of Winter Park, Co. Chris Boice (Yeti/Fox Shox), of Albuquerque, NM., defeated Aaron Gwin (Yeti), of Morongo Valley, Ca., to claim third place.

Fox Racing Shox Dual Slalom - Women
Melissa Buhl (KHS), of Chandler, Az., returned from her 4-Cross triumph in Italy, where she also placed 10th in the downhill. Buhl left no doubt about her position with a win over Lisa Myklak. Leana Gerrard defeated Petterson for third place. "The course was decent, kind of mellow. I had a couple of jars, but fortunately slalom is not as rough as the downhill."

Kenda Tires and Tubes Super-D - Men
Sam Blenkinsop (Yeti/Fox Racing Shox), of New Zealand finished with a time of 5:44.81 to edge out Australia's Amiel Cavalier (Giant), who came in at 5:45.56. Britain's Waylon Smith was third with a 5:47.35.

Cavalier was enthusiastic about his race "That's the most fun I've had in a while. It was fast, loose and rough. There was a little bit of pedaling, I really enjoy racing these things!"

Cross country pro Carl Decker (Giant) was 13th, with 6:07.93, and Geoff Kabush (Maxxis) finished 19th with a 6:36.60. The course contained some very steep sections and relatively little pedaling.

Kenda Tires and Tubes Super-D - Women
Joanna Petterson scored her second win for the weekend with a time of 7:04.88, just ahead of New Zealand's Amy Laird, who came in with a time of 7:06.52. Third place went to Connie Misket (Velo Bella), of Sandy, Ut.

Subaru Gary Fisher Team hosts NorCal Schools squad
Seven of the top riders from the NorCal High School Mountain Bike Racing League, who were selected from a special invitational camp, traveled to Park City, Utah, to compete in the Deer Valley stop of National Mountain Bike Racing Series. The team was hosted by the Subaru-Gary Fisher mountain bike team, giving the young riders the first hand experience of preparing to race alongside top American pro's, such as Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski, and Heather Irmiger, and Sam Schultz.

The Subaru-Gary Fisher team mechanics not only tuned the NorCal team's bikes, but also taught the up and coming racers some of the nuances of pre-race inspection, tires selection and pressure, and tuning suspension for best performance. Sam Schultz, the youngest member of the Subaru-Gary Fisher team and 2006 U23 National Champion took the NorCal riders out to pre-ride the arduous 8.5 mile course.

The NorCal High Schools League teams went home with a collection of fine results from races that drew entrants from as far as Texas:

Junior Expert Men 16 years
1st William Curtis (San Rafael High School)
3rd Ben Sukys (Contra Costa High School)

Junior Expert Women 18 years
2nd Christine Weir (Nevada Union High School)

Junior Sport Men 16 years
1st Nick Newcomb (Drake High School)
3rd Alec Kassin (Drake High School)

Junior Sport Women 18 years
1st Lauren McQuinn (San Marin High School)

"We are very grateful to the Subaru Gary Fisher team for looking after us so well and showing us so much. The pro team concept fits our mission for growing the sport in schools, as well as giving some of our top riders an opportunity to reach for higher levels. The victories here were a bonus to a great experience. The Deer Valley race overall is an exceptional event, the trails, the accommodations, and the scenic town made for luxury racing. We very much hope to expand this program concept in the future," said Matt Fritzinger, founder and CEO of the NorCal High Schools league.

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Contact Paul Skilbeck for results: pskilbeck@o2sm.com

About The National Mountain Bike Series
The 2008 National Mountain Bike Series (NMBS) comprises six rounds and is the premier mountain bike racing series in the United States. It is sanctioned by the national governing body of cycling sports, USA Cycling. The series determines the most consistent performers over an entire summer's gruelling competition. For more information and to see the complete 2008 NMBS calendar, visit www.mtbnationals.com. For all non-media inquiries, please send email to: info@mtbnationals.com.

2008 NATIONAL MOUNTAIN BIKE SERIES - SCHEDULE KEY: XC=Cross Country, ST=Short Track, DS= Dual Slalom, 4X=Mountain Cross, DH=Downhill, Super D=Super D

Round 1 March 29 – March 30, 2008 UCI C1	Fontana National Southridge Park Fontana, California XC/DH/ST/4X/Super D
Round 2 April 5 – April 6, 2008 UCI C1	NOVA National McDowell Mountain Regional Park Fountain Hills, Arizona XC/ST/Super D
Round 3 May 17 – May 18, 2008 UCI C2	Santa Ynez National presented by Platinum Performance Ted Chamberlin Ranch Los Olivos, California XC/DH/DS/ST/Super D
Round 4 June 28 – June 29, 2008 UCI C1	Deer Valley National Deer Valley Resort Park City, Utah XC/DH/DS/ST/Super D
Round 5 July 12 – July 13, 2008 UCI C1	East Coast National Windham Resort Windham, New York XC/DH/DS/ST/Super D
Round 6, Series Final August 30 – September 1, 2008 UCI C2	NMBS Finals Presented by Trek VW Brian Head Mountain Bike Park Brian Head, Utah XC/DH/4Xor DS/ST/Super D