July 20th, 2009, Team
It was a great weekend for the Subaru-Gary Fisher Mountain Bike Team and in particular, Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski and Heather Irmiger who are now US National Cross-Country Champs. The husband-and-wife teammates took the cross-country wins at the 2009 USA Cycling national mountain bike championships at SolVista resort in Granby, Colorado.
Both Horgan-Kobelski and Irmiger rode their carbon Gary Fisher Superfly 29ers to wins.
"Ever since I was a kid I dreamed about having a national championship race here in my backyard. And to win it with (Irmiger) is really special," said Horgan-Kobelski, who lives in Boulder, Colorado. "To have it come together for two people on the same day is almost impossible. It's something you dream about."
Horgan-Kobelski and Irmiger own a condo in nearby Winter Park and spend their summer months living at altitude and training on the trail network in the Fraser Valley. The two came into the 2009 national championship event as favorites, having both won national marathon cross-country titles at the Firecracker 50 race two weeks prior in nearby Breckenridge.
Horgan-Kobelski spent the majority of the five-lap race battling with fellow Coloradan Todd Wells (Specialized). Wells appeared to have JHK on the ropes at the race's midpoint, but Horgan-Kobelski was able to open a 30-second advantage on the final lap.
While chasing the Subaru-Gary Fisher rider, Wells saw his chances for a win suddenly dashed when the crank arm on his Specialized S-Works Epic unthreaded and fell off.
Meanwhile, fellow Subaru-Fisher rider Sam Schultz battled with his brother Andy Schultz (Kenda) and held off a surging Jeremiah Bishop (Monavie-Cannnondale) to finish third.
Like her husband, Irmiger's decisive move came on the course's long climb, catching and passing early leader Katie Compton (Independent Fabrication). But the winning attack came after Irmiger received two flat tires during the four-lap race.
"On the second lap I didn't think it was going to happen," Irmiger said. "Someone told me that (Compton) had 1:15 on me. I knew there were two laps left but I was like, 'Holy Crap that's a big gap.' And every time you flat it messes with your rhythm."
Irmiger came into the event as a favorite alongside fellow Coloradan Georgia Gould (Luna). Both went to the front of the women's race on the opening climb, dragging Compton and Willow Koerber (Subaru-Gary Fisher) along. Compton took the lead after Irmiger suffered her first flat near the summit, but Irmiger managed to make up time and pass Compton on the last lap climb.
Close behind was fellow Subaru-Gary Fisher teammate, Willow Koerber, who finished second. This comes on the heels of an impressive fourth place finish at the Downieville All-Mountain Classic last weekend for Koerber.
For full recaps:
cyclingdirt.org: JHK Post Race XC Nationals 1st Place!!!
cyclingdirt.org: Heather Irmiger Post Race XC Nationals 1st Place!!!
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