Downieville 2008 Report
Did Weir Defend?
Words by Dain Zaffke.
This year’s Downieville Classic saw some big changes. The event became the inaugural All-Mountain World Championships, the XC course gained two more miles of ripping singletrack and, for the first time in years, Team WTB didn’t dominate everything.
The weekend started with a completely sold-out field of 800 riders departing Sierra City, California for the point-to-point XC race. Chris Sheppard (Santa Cruz/WTB) and Ross Schnell (Trek) were the first two riders to crest the 3,000-foot climb. At the Downieville Classic, however, the race is won and lost on the rugged descent in to downtown Downieville. The first victim of the rough landscape was Sheppard, who sliced a rear tire while trailing Jason Moeschler (Team WTB/Santa Cruz) through the infamous “Babyheads” section.
“I passed Sheppard just before we dropped in to Babyheads,” said Moeschler. “I showed him all of my best lines through the rocks and I guess he flatted.” Moeschler expected to catch Schnell in a similar fashion, but the Trek rider hit the finish line first, with a 2:30-minute gap over Moeschler. Mark Weir (Team WTB/Santa Cruz) crossed the line a minute later in third. WTB teammates Moeschler and Weir spent Saturday evening strategizing how to capture the All-Mountain title.
“Schnell proved his strength in the XC,” Weir stated. “I’m normally really careful and conservative in my race run. This year I knew I couldn’t afford to be conservative. It had to be all or nothing.”
Weir, the seven-time Downieville DH champ, left the starting gate first with a clear track ahead of him. He hit every split in record time and was ten seconds ahead of last year’s winning pace just two miles into the course. “I’ve never felt so good in my life,” Weir explained. “I kept looking at my times and just got more and more excited. I was on track for a sub 43-minute run.” Last year Weir’s winning time was 46:14.
Disaster struck on the upper section of the First Divide trail—Weir’s rear tire was going soft. “I rode, fully-pinned, for a couple miles with about 4-p.s.i., but eventually I had to take the tire off,” he said. Weir charged past crowds of spectators on a bare rim, still on track to beat last year’s time. When he hit the pavement—for the final run in to town—the rim finally gave out and he was forced to walk. Because Weir’s bike was incomplete at the finish, he was disqualified.
“I haven’t flatted all year,” he said. “And today was my smoothest race run ever. I guess
that’s racing, it’s a crap shoot.”
Schnell won the downhill with a time of 44:35. Moeschler finished less than a minute later in second place and Nathan Riddle (Team Fluidride) finished third. Legendary racer Myles Rockwell (Giant/SRAM) came in fourth and four-time world champion Brian Lopes (Ibis) finished fifth.
In the overall All-Mountain Pro standings, six of the top ten riders were on WTB WeirWolf LT tires, but the title of All-Mountain World Champion went to Schnell. Moeschler claimed the second spot and Sheppard settled for third.
1. Ross Schnell "1:56:58.1" "44:35.1 "2:41:33"
2. Jason Moeschler "1:59:35.6" "45:27.4 2:45:02"
3. Chris Sheppard "2:02:15.0" "48:53.7 2:51:08"
4. Mike Vine "2:03:10.0" "50:03.9 2:53:13"
5. Sean Donovan "2:05:32.9" "49:52.0 2:55:04"
6. Nathan Riddle "2:10:34.0" "45:38.1 2:56:12"
7. Harlan Price "2:07:58.5" "49:01.4 2:56:59"
8. Dain Zaffke "2:11:19.7" "49:08.9 3:00:27 "
9. Dana Weber "2:12:31.8" "49:40.1 3:02:11"
10. Mark Jordan "2:13:55.1" "48:56.2 3:02:51"
On the women’s side, Rachel Lloyd (Team ProMan/WTB) swept both stages and easily claimed the All-Mountain World Champion title. Susan Haywood (Trek/VW) took the second overall. Of the women’s pro field, five of the top ten were riding WTB tires.
1. Rachel Lloyd "2:20:52.1" "51:05.6 3:11:57"
2. Susan Haywood "2:22:41.8 "53:37.1 3:16:18"
3. Sarah Maile "2:41:15.1" "1:00:36.0 3:41:41"
4. Jamie Stamps "59:30.6 3:44:17"
5. Maureen Kunz "2:47:16.3" "1:00:09.5 3:47:25"
6. Tiffany Allmandinger "2:51:06.6" "58:08.9 3:49:14"
7. Abby Hippely "2:55:59 "56:39.3 3:52:38"
8. Jackie Baker "2:52:15.5" "1:00:45.1 "3:53:00"
9. Niki Gudex "2:59:21.6" "1:01:34.3 "4:00:55"
10. Corina Bigham "3:02:46.6" "1:00:58.3 "4:03:44
Full results can be found at downievilleclassic.com/ more information and photos can be found at wtb.com/
