"I cannot believe it," Sauser said, shaking his head after finishing. "I came here to win. I knew I had to go fast in the corners before the finish. I even opened up a gap."

The elite men raced two laps on the marathon course for a total of 94km. The European weather continued to be ornery this spring with a mix of sun, rain, wind and colder than usual temperatures.

Lap one went well for Sauser, who was riding on his Specialized S-Works Stumpjumper Hardtail 29er at the front with two other favorites Alban Lakata and Kristian Hynek.

On lap two, just prior to a long climb, Sauser's chain came off. His rivals saw his technical problem and attacked. The pair earned a good gap on the determined Sauser, who eventually clawed his back up to them. On a muddy course, catching up was no easy task - it was especially slippery everywhere the course emerged from off-road sections back onto pavement, but Sauser was pleased with how his Specialized Renegade 1.95 tires hooked up.

Halfway through lap two, Sauser managed to ride solo into the lead with a small gap on top chaser Lakata. The Swiss rider led the Austrian into the finish area, but just 50m before the finish line, Sauser's chain came off for a second time and Lakata rode past for the victory. Sauser crossed the line in 3:38:06, 18 seconds after Lakata. Third place followed another 35 seconds later.

Sauser, who was generally happy with his bike setup, noted that he will make one change in the future. For a few weeks, he had been testing the SRAM XX1 drivetrain with a Rotor 36-tooth front chain ring. In training, he had opted not to use a chain guide, and the decision seemed to be a good one, but proved not to work as well in the extreme conditions at the European marathon championships. Too be 100 percent on the safe side, Sauser said he'll run the setup with a chain guide in the future.

Sauser headed home to Switzerland immediately after the race to begin recovering and to get ready for his next competition. On Wednesday, he will fly to Nice for the upcoming Transvesubienne race in France. There, he is looking forward to racing the Specialized Camber Pro for the first time. The Specialized mountain bike was selected as Bike of the Year in France for 2013.

The muddy, slick race conditions were extreme and the competition world class, but Courtney was up to the challenge as she battled for a hard-earned podium finish among some of the best young riders in the world.

Next up for the young Whole Athlete/Specialized riders are the World Cups in Abstadt, Germany and Nove Mesto, Czech Republic, and the NICA California State High School Championships at Stafford Lake.

Steve Boniface got off to a quick start and kept the pace high. Steve really put down a fast first lap setting the fastest lap time of the day for the CAT 1 racers. Steve rode 2 more consistent laps leading him to his first US Cup victory of the year. Steve rode his S Works Epic with S Works Fast Traks that helped keep him on two wheels on the loose course.

“It was a super fun and demanding course, with lots of opportunity to throw your race away on either the technical singletrack or the slippery fast fireroad’s” said ROB MCGEE. “The climb out of Skull Valley was the defining moment of the race and you either had the legs or you didn’t. The venue/town was amazing and I’m looking forward to going back with the whole team next year.” ROB MCGEE raced his Specialized S-Works Epic 29er with the SRAM XX1 drive train.

About the Whiskey 50

The Whiskey 50 course is brutally difficult, and 1.5 miles were added this year to alleviate rider congestion. It begins with a twisty six-mile road climb followed by further climbing up fireroads and singletrack. As riders crest the mountain pass, they are treated to a 10-mile descent into the small town of Skull Valley. After refueling at the aid station there, they began a 12-mile climb back up the valley, ending on a steep dirt climb called “Cramp Hill”. After enjoying a brief view from “The Overlook”, riders make their way through up-and-down singletrack before hitting the final pavement stretch back into town.

Brandon Gritters and Steve Boniface both raced in the Cat 1 30 – 34. Right off the start there was a group of 4 that separated themselves from the group, which included Brandon Gritters, Steve Boniface, Gareth Feldstein and Ryan Fedorow. The gap that the group had established held and eventually increased throughout the first lap. With about 5 miles left on the second lap Brandon felt it was time to attack and did so right at the top of the single-track climb up from the second aid station. Brandon created some separation from the other 3 and really pushed on the finishing climb. Brandon Gritters came in with a finishing time of 2:55 and repeating for the second year at the Sea Otter Classic.

Steve Boniface held on for a 4th place finish. Rob Mcgee after having some issues half way through the first lap, recovered well and put in a good second lap good enough for a 5th place finish.

Up next some of the team will be heading to the Whiskey 50 in Prescott, AZ and others will be racing the US Cup Sycamore Canyon Classic.

In his debut U23 season, Casey Williams took his first professional win in the searing heat of the Sycamore Canyon US Cup, Shane Skelton won the Cat 1 Junior 17/18 race, and Cole Avery continued his perfect 2013 Spring with his fifth consecutive win and the Under-15 race victory.

Meanwhile in the NorCal High School Series Finals, Lucas Newcomb and Jacob Albrecht went 1-2 in the highly competitive Varsity race, with Sean Bennett rounding out the podium in 5th. Kate Courtney earned her seventh consecutive victory of 2013 with the Varsity Girls win, while Steffen Andersen and Tyler O'Neal both took respective victories and overall series titles in the Junior Varsity and Sophomore Divisions.

Thus far in 2013, Whole Athlete/Specialized riders have earned 31 wins.

Next up for the young Whole Athlete/Specialized riders are the World Cups in Abstadt, Germany and Nove Mesto, Czech Republic, and the NICA California State High School Championships - all happening next month. Stay tuned for more exciting news!

Not to be outdone by his older teammates, Cole Avery earned his fourth consecutive win of 2013, adding the Under-15 Sea Otter cross country victory to his growing palmares.

The Junior Men's 17/18 field was one of the biggest and most competitive ever, and Whole Athlete/Specialized riders came ready to race. Sean Bennett battled hard for a close second place finish while Lucas Newcomb rounded out the podium in third.

The unsung heros behind the scenes, dedicated staff and superbly supportive sponsors, underscore the true team effort of the program. Thank you!

Top-10 Team Results

Kate Courtney - 1st Junior Women XC

Kate Courtney - 1st Junior Women Road Race

Cole Avery - 1st Junior 13-14 XC

Sean Bennett - 2nd Junior Men 17/18 XC

Lucas Newcomb - 3rd Junior Men 17/18 XC

Marcus Segedin - 5th Junior Men 17/18 XC

Steffen Andersen - 6th Junior Men 15/16 XC

Next up for the young Whole Athlete/Specialized riders are the World Cups in Abstadt, Germany and Nove Mesto, Czech Republic, and the NICA California State High School Championships - all happening next month. Stay tuned for more exciting news!

Riding a single lap on Sea Otter's 19-mile traditional cross country course, the pro men's race was especially short time-wise.

"It's a super fun course to ride, but I would have loved to do a second loop," said multi-time Cape Epic winner and former marathon world champion Sauser. "It was very short, just one hour and 15 minutes on a very fast course." Both Sauser and Wells raced their Specialized S-Works Stumpjumper 29er hardtails.

Eventual winner Miguel Martinez broke away after just four miles and stayed away for the duration. "He was only 15 seconds in front of us for most of the race," said Sauser. "It's not that we ever soft-pedalled, but we were never fully committed to chasing him. I always thought we'd get him on the Skyline Road climb near the end, but then we started attacking each other."

Among the chasers, Geoff Kabush attacked and Wells went with him. Sauser couldn't quite hang with the two and ended up together with Lukas Flueckiger and Max Plaxton for the duration.

Specialized Racing's Kohei Yamamoto finished in 13th place at 2:09.

Conrad Stoltz and Olympic champion Jaroslav Kulhavy crossed the line together on their Specialized S-Works Epic 29ers in 24th and 25th places respectively.

Kulhavy called the race a good training effort, but said he didn't have his usual legs after winning the Cape Epic with Sauser last month.

Stoltz, on the other hand, was thrilled with his finish among the 100-strong men's field and when asked after the race how it felt to beat his teammate the Olympic champ, he joked, "Maybe I'll put the picture of our finish up in my kid's bedroom one day?"

The South African triathlete, who is recovering from a hand injury, added, "I was happy with my race. It was good to race the top athletes in mountain biking. It's good for my triathlon and good for my Xterra. I'm proud to be here and be part of the Specialized team."

Women

Annika Langvad, racing for Davinci Specialized, finished in second place, just eight seconds behind winner Marianne Vos. Specialized Racing teammates Tereza Hurikova and Lea Davison were seventh and ninth respectively, at 4:22 and 5:04 behind the winner.

All three women raced their Specialized Fate 29er hardtails.

A better format for Sea Otter?

Many of the pros, especially the men, expressed a desire for a longer race, at a minimum something closer to World Cup length. Sauser offered his thoughts on how organizers might improve the race.

"I hope Sea Otter will change to a better format," he said. "a short track, a cross country and a marathon with an overall leader's jersey. Everyone is here - vendors and racers and spectators. They could make the racing more exciting and add to the value of the race." While many racers are at Sea Otter upon the request of their sponsors for the associated expo, Sauser noted that the European pros didn't just want to sign autographs, but would prefer more racing considering the amount of travel.

The short track lived up to its name - "short" - but it was also insanely fast from start to finish. A not-very-challenging course meant that by the end of the race, a large group of favorites remained together at the front to sprint for the win. More typical short tracks tend to string out the top riders into smaller groups.

Specialized Racing placed four of its cross country riders in the top 10. Todd Wells finished in fifth, one spot behind Kulhavy. Kohei Yamamoto was ninth, and Cape Epic winner Christoph Sauser showed his continuing form by rounding out the top 10.

First-year U23 rider Howard Grotts put in an impressive ride, finishing 16th overall in the 75-person elite men's field.

Finally, triathlete Conrad Stoltz put his all around fitness to good use in what is not a typical discipline for him. He logged an impressive 31st place.

All of Specialized's men were racing the Specialized S-Works Stumpjumper hardtail 29er, except for Kulhavy and Stoltz, who both competed on their beloved Specialized Epic 29ers. Kulhavy debuted a brand new 2014 RockShox SID fork with Specialized Brain. It features a 15mm Maxle Lite Axle and is especially stiff when necessary. Wells and Sauser will soon be riding the forks, along with the new Avid Blackbox brakes.

Women

Annika Langvad, Lea Davison and Tereza Hurikova represented Specialized in the women's short track. Racing for Davinci-Specialized, Langvad made the podium with an impressive third placed finish.

Specialized Racing's Davison got held up in the second corner and lost a few positions. She battled hard to move back up to the front, but was unable to do so in the very short, 20-minute race. Putting in a solid effort, she crossed the line in ninth place.

Davison's teammate Hurikova had a good start, but the overall speed proved too high, and she dropped back from the top riders at about the halfway point of the race. She ended up in 15th and after finishing said she is especially looking forward to Saturday's longer cross country race.

Specialized's women unanimously raced the Specialized Fate hardtail 29er.

Among all the riders, different tires were chosen. Kulhavy, Wells, Yamamoto and Sauser competed on Specialized S-Works Renegade 1.95 tires while Grotts, Langvad, Hurikova and Stoltz opted for the Specialized S-Works Fast Trak 2.0 tires (Note: Stoltz went with the 2.2 Control version of the Fast Traks). Davison split the difference, picking a Fast Trak 2.0 on the front and a Renegade 1.95 on the rear.

The Specialized Racing team will compete next in the Sea Otter Classic cross country race on Saturday.

The pace went from agreeable to furious to steady in the first lap. Mike finished the lap just behind the leaders in a solid group, with Craig following close behind and shaking off a minor crash. The field started to sort out into smaller groups trying hard to keep track of relative placement as they passed each other on the countless out-and-back arms of the course. (One look at the course map and you will be thinking “drunk guy with an etch-a-sketch.”) The inevitable time creep on subsequent laps seemed to affect Mike the least, as he was able to post consistent sub 1 hour laps with the leaders. Mike sprinted in just under 4 hours to finish 8th overall, which was good enough for an age group 4th place and a qualifying entry to the Leadville 100. Craig paid the price for a couple fast early laps but managed to finish in 4:16, coming in just behind pros Rebecca Rush and Dave Wiens (who were looking a little too chipper to have been riding 100%, but Craig liked the good company). After a bit of a nailbiter going through the age group allocations, Craig’s placing was good enough to land him with a LT100 qualifying spot.

So the trip to Austin accomplished the goals of securing the first two Blackstar qualifying spots for Leadville and testing out a new race that we will surely visit again. With a top quality race organization, a diverse and fun course, a friendly laid-back “Big Tex” atmosphere, and great company (thanks Jenna), the Austin Rattler was a success and well worth the trek.

The race start was at 5:30am at Blackstar Canyon. Right from the start the pace was really fast and there was quickly a group of about 20 guys really pushing going out blackstar to the first climb. All 7 Blackstar riders were in the lead group when we started climbing. Tinker put the hammer down on the first climb and started to gap the group. Brandon Gritters was really feeling strong today and he was followed by Trent Ford and Rob McGee. By the time the first group got to the top of the first climb and started across Main Divide there were small gaps already formed. About an hour in, on one of the double track descents, Steve Boniface had a really hard crash. Jon McGee stayed with Steve Boniface and helped him make it down to the first Aid Station, about another 30 mins.

At the bottom of the Motorway descent Brandon Gritters was still leading followed by Trent Ford and Rob McGee. That is the start of the next big climb to Santiago Peak. This climb is long and there is really no recovery for over an hour plus. This is where the gaps usually really start to increase as the climb takes it toll on the riders. We had two Team riders doing the Vision Quest race. Mike Staffieri and Craig Mordock both came through the first aid station with Mike inside the top 10 and Craig in about 15th.

Once you hit Santiago Peak there is a awesome single track descent all the way down to the valley. It has to be one of the best single track descents in Southern California. At the bottom of the single track, that is where the two races split. Counting Coups racers turn right and head down a 4 mile fire road to the finish and Vision Quest racers turn left and head up Trabuco Canyon and arguably one of the most difficult 10 mile finish of any race.

At the finish Brandon Gritters came in with a new Counting Coups course record of 3:37. He was followed by Trent Ford 3:47 and Rob McGee 3:54. Blackstar swept that podium! Jon McGee came in at 4:24 after stopping to help Steve who ended up DNF’ing due to the crash.

Mike Staffieri had his best day ever at Vision Quest and came in finishing 8th overall in one of the fastest top tens in Vision quest history. Mike finished with a time of 5:34. Craig Mordock also came across the line with a new personal best of 6:10.

Time to recover and get ready for Sea Otter

Teammate Lucas Newcomb also rode well with a solid 5th place finish in the Junior Men, even after an early race crash required him to overtake the majority of the field by the finish. Both Courtney and Newcomb will be heading to Europe next month to race the first two rounds of the World Cup in Abstadt, Germany and Nove Mesto, Czech Republic.

In the meantime, the next stop for the Whole Athlete/Specialized Team is the Sea Otter Classic on April 18-21. Stay tuned for more exciting news!

We had 5 riders racing this weekend. Brandon Gritters, Steve Boniface, Linda McGee, Trent Ford and Rob Mcgee. Jon was out with the Flu but came out to support the guys racing.

Off first was the Cat 1 Mens 30 – 34. Steve and Brandon got good starts and quickly separated themselves from the group along with Gareth Feldstein. The 3 of them really pushed the pace and had a good gap heading into the first single track section. Brandon unfortunately clipped his bar on a rock and went down and getting a pretty good cut on his cheek. He got back up and jumped back in behind Steve. By the last lap Gareth Feldstein had opened up a pretty good lead and Steve and Brandon were trying to chase. They both pushed hard and ended up finishing 2nd and 3rd.

Trent Ford had some tough competition in the Cat 1 Mens 35 – 39 race. Multi National Champion Ty Kady and Eric Bostrom have both been really fast this season. Right off the start the pace was fast. Trent was running in 3rd heading up the first climb. By the second lap Ty and Bostrom had opened up a pretty good lead and Trent was pushing to try and open the gap up to the riders behind him. Marco got around Trent on the end of the 3rd lap. On the last lap Trent pushed and ended up finishing on the podium with a 5th place finish.

The Cat 1 Mens 40 – 44 race looked to be another really tight race. Right off the start it was clear who the players would be. There was a lead group of 5 that broke away. Rob was looking strong and was in the group with Dario and 3 others. Everyone was marking each other and waiting for someone to attack. By the last lap the group had been decreased to 4 riders. When the group hit the steep pavement climb Nathan attacked. Rob followed and Oliver and Dario didn’t quite bridge the gap to go with them. Rob on the last lap took advantage of the technical Downhills and established a gap that would hold till the finish to take the first win of the season.

Linda McGee coming off a great finish at Bonelli was ready for Fontana. There was a slightly larger field today. The course proved to be tough for most of the riders. Linda was looking great and was running just outside the top 5. On the last lap she had a small crash but that ended up cutting the inside of her nose. It started to bleed really bad but she pushed on and finished with her bike covered in blood. She finished 6th overall.

The team will know be preparing for next weekend Vision Quest and Counting Coups and then Sea Otter the week after that.

Wells followed up his Fontana Pro XCT cross country victory on Saturday with the short track win on Sunday onboard his Specialized S-Works Stumpjumper 29er hardtail with Rockshox SID fork and a SRAM XX1 drivetrain.

"The short track at Fontana is generally a good race with fast open fire road sections and singletrack and a climb," said Wells, "but this year, it was a little different in that they took out the singletrack and the climb."

"It was the closest thing we get to racing a crit on the dirt. It was flat with two 180-degree turns and some twisty sections." Wells found that his Specialized tires were perfect for the conditions. He used a Specialized Fast Trak up front at 25.5 psi and an S-Works Renegade in the rear at 27.5 psi.

Wells was part of the initial four-man lead group, which also included Jeremiah Bishop, Ryan Trebon and Keegan Swenson.

"A third of the way through the race, we dropped Keegan," said Wells. "Then, the three of us rolled through. It was less of a selection race and more of a tactical race. Going into the final lap, I attacked and was able to hold on. It was too difficult to come around, and I knew that."

The start/finish was on a section of crushed gravel, something which influenced Wells' tactics. "You couldn't stand up and sprint through it - you had to power through it... more like a cyclo-cross race. I had a clean line going into the finish," said Wells, who enjoyed racing in perfect conditions - in the 70s, dry and overcast.

Wells also used Specialized Roval Control SL wheels, a Specialized Phenom 143 saddle, a Specialized Prevail helmet and S-Works MTB shoes en route to victory.

Davison followed up her cross country win on Saturday with both a super D and a short track victory, giving her a sweep of all three weekend's events.

Speaking of the short track, Davison said, "Today was fantastic. It was better tactically than Bonelli was - where I had the worst start in history. I started fast with Chloe Woodruff, then I attacked and broke it up, and it was just Chloe and I together at the front."

The two would battle until the very end. Davison knew she had to ride smart and played her cards accordingly heading toward the finish.

"It was a short lap - fast and high speed. I was leading going into the lap, which was good because it was hard to pass on this course," said Davison. "I was also still leading going into the final straight, which was loose and rocky. I thought that Chloe couldn't come around, but she did. It was hard to tell who won, but they said I won."

Davison raced her Specialized S-Works Fate 29er with Rockshox SID fork and SRAM XX1 drivetrain in the short track. She used Specialized Fast Trak tires on the front (21 psi) and the rear (22 psi), mounted on Roval Control SL wheels. She also rode a Specialized Phenom 143 saddle and wore a Prevail helmet and S-Works mountain bike shoes.

In the super D, Davison piloted a different bike - her Specialized Epic 29er full suspension - to the win. "The super D was legit. There was some pedalling in it. I ran the Epic with the Specialized Command dropper post, and it was perfect," she said.

Wells and Davison will both race at the next US Pro XCT at the Sea Otter Classic in mid-April.

Lucas Newcomb and Shane Skelton led the charge, going 1-2 in the Junior 17/18 race while Kate Courtney took a convincing win the the Junior Women's race. The U23s faced off against the country's top Pros, with Zach Valdez in 8th, Casey Williams 10th, and Jacob Albrecht 18th, finishing as the top three under-23 riders amid a national-class field. The following day, Valdez and Albrecht earned two more Pro top-10s with 6th and 9th in the short track. Cole Avery and Dylan Fryer finished out the team's successful weekend with 1st and 2nd respectively in the Cat 2 and Cat 3 under-15 races.

Fontana ProXCT - Top-10 Team Results

Junior 17/18 Men

Lucas Newcomb 1st

Shane Skelton 2nd

Sean Bennett 6th

Marcus Segedin 10th

Junior 15-18 Women

Kate Courtney 1st

Junior 15/16

Steffen Andersen 4th

Junior Under 15 Cat 2

Cole Avery 1st

Junior Under 15 Cat 3

Dylan Fryer 2nd

Pro Men XC

Zach Valdez 8th (1st U23)

Casey Williams 10th (2nd U23)

Jacob Albrecht 18th (3rd U23)

Pro Men Short Track

Zach Valdez 6th

Jacob Albrecht 10th

Next stop for the Whole Athlete/Specialized Team is the Sea Otter ProXCT on April 18-21. Stay tuned for more exciting news!

Davison brought home the first win of the day on her Specialized S-Works Fate with its SRAM XX1 drivetrain. She made her intentions clear from the gun in the elite women's race.

"It was a different approach for me today. I went hard straight from the start," said Davison. "I got a gap right at the beginning of the first lap. I kept it super smooth throughout the race and defended the lead."

"I saw how long I could last out there going so hard, and I didn't blow up," said Davison. "I won the race, so that was great. I'm really excited."

Davison chose Specialized S-Works Fast Trak tires for the front (21 psi) and rear (22 psi). "I picked them and set them up at that pressure to have a little extra give. They worked well," she said.

"The course was a real mountain biking course. It was very climby, very hot and very exposed out there. It was very technical on the descents," said Davison, who noted that the dry, dusty conditions made the course slick.

Davison defeated Chloe Woodruff in second and Evelyn Dong in third. Davison and Dong go way back - the two were ski racing teammates while attending Middlebury College.

"I knew Evelyn would be fast because she has all the same Nordic skiing fitness from this winter, too!" said Davison.

The Vermont native raced carbon Specialized Roval Control SL wheels, a Specialized Phenom 143 saddle with carbon rails and a Specialized Prevail helmet. She used a 32-tooth front chainring on her SRAM drivetrain.

Todd Wells continued Specialized Racing's winning ways in the afternoon in the elite men's race. Onboard his Specialized Stumpjumper 29er hardtail with a SRAM XX1 drivetrain including a 34-tooth chainring for the day, he put in an impressive performance, especially considering that he was not feeling 100 percent.

"I had some good form coming into this race, but then I caught a little cold, so I wasn't even sure I was going to race," said US short track national champion Wells after his victory. "I didn't feel great, but luckily, I was feeling pretty good."

Wells was at the front with rival Jeremiah Bishop until Bishop got away from him.

"Fontana is usually pretty slippery. It's desert here and they haven't gotten much rain lately. We were sliding around a bit. I was chasing Bishop and figured I'd keep it close because when we were riding together, he'd slipped out once or twice. You never know what can happen in a mountain bike race."

That approach paid off when Bishop broke his chain and Wells was close enough to be able to take advantage of the opportunity and go for the victory.

"Luckily, I had kept on pushing and was able to come away with it," said Wells. "Bishop had his mechanical problem out there on the last lap and that gave me the win. That's all part of mountain biking."

Speaking of his Specialized Racing team, Wells said, "Being on the best team in the world with the best equipment and the best support, you don't always necessarily have to be the best rider."

Wells chose the same kind of tires as Davison, but inflated his Specialized Fast Traks to 27.5 in the rear and 25.5 in the front.

"Here, it's not very rocky, so we always run the lightest tires," said Wells. "There is a lot of acceleration and 1200 feet of climbing per lap. Having light wheels and light Fast Trak tires roll fast and provide a lot of traction out here in this loose, dusty terrain."

Wells also raced carbon Specialized Roval Control SL wheels, a Specialized Phenom 143 saddle with carbon rails and a Specialized Prevail helmet.

Both Davison and Wells will compete in the next round of the Pro XCT at Sea Otter in Monterey, California in mid-April.

Lucas Newcomb had the Varsity Boys race in hand, but a wayward lapped rider inadvertently took him down, forcing Lucas to settle for 2nd. Jacob Albrecht also battled back from an early race crash to a solid fourth place finish, while Ben Spurr landed on the podium for the third consecutive race, finishing in fifth. Steffen Andersen also showed his consistency with a strong second place in Junior Varsity.

Next stop for the Whole Athlete/Specialized Team is the Fontana ProXCT on March 30-31. Stay tuned for more exciting news!

"Riding for Burry those eight days, it was so important to give back," said former marathon and cross country world champion Sauser, who won two previous editions of the race as Stander's teammate. "When I was out there suffering, I'd tell myself, 'Be happy you're here' compared to Burry who lost his one and only life. It put things in perspective."

Olympic cross country champion Kulhavy was racing his first-ever Cape Epic. "It's one of my biggest victories. It's one of the biggest stage races in the world. It's amazing! I'm glad for us and for Burry's family."

Sauser and Kulhavy, who had paired up as the Burry Stander-Songo team, won four stages out of eight total. They kicked off the race by winning the prologue. Then three days of bad luck followed, and the duo fell from the top of the standings to as low as third place. Lady Luck returned on stage 4, which Sauser and Kulhavy won. They also celebrated victory in stages 5 and 6.

They began the final stage with a 6:21-minute advantage.

Before the start, Sauser explained the team's strategy. "We want to play safe and stay focused. We don't want to go crazy. We just want to be in yellow after the line."

Kulhavy said, "It was an important day for us today because it was the last day. We needed to have no mistakes today. We needed to ride very carefully."

They did just that and rode into fourth place on the stage, clinching overall victory. Over eight days and 706km with 15,950m of climbing, they raced 29 hours, 40 minutes and 45 seconds, with a margin of seven minutes and 10 seconds over the next best team.

Specialized Racing Team Manager Benno Willeit was delighted with the achievements of all of his riders, including Max Knox and Kohei Yamamoto, who had to withdraw just prior to the final stage, due to injuries after helping out Sauser and Kulhavy all week.

"I am ready for my heart rate to come back down again. It's been high all week, and I don't want to have a heart attack," said Willeit. "All week, we were busy and working. Now at the finish, we can realize what we did. We rode for Burry."

The victory was special in that it marked Sauser's 30th career stage victory in the Cape Epic. Both he and Kulhavy are hoping to continue their winning ways for one more day as they compete in memory of their late teammate Burry Stander, with whom Sauser won the Cape Epic two previous years.

"We made a difference with our strength, which we could play out on the climbs today," said Sauser. "We rode the Bulls 1 team off our wheels after the end of the flattish section, when there were still a few long climbs to go, some very steep at points. That's where we broke away for good and then we gained about two to two and a half minutes in the end."

After sustaining an injury in a crash yesterday, their Burry Stander-Songo teammate Kohei Yamamoto had to abandon the race today. Max Knox continued to ride on his own.

"It's a pity that the two others are officially out of the race," said Sauser. "Finishing in Lourensford is a really cool feeling. Max could still ride it without Kohei. For us, once we'd lost our back-up team, we played it safe. We didn't take any chances and we rode very safe."

Knox, who aggravated his leg injury in a different crash yesterday, was motivated to stay as close as he could to Sauser and Kulhavy just in case they needed his help.

"I knew that today was the last big test for the guys," said Knox. "I looked at the route profile closely and the first few kilometers were really uphill. Then there was a big 10km downhill. I knew I needed to be as close to them as possible on top of the hill in case they had any problems on the downhill."

"Near the top, they were attacking and riding everyone off. That made it super hard. I went down the downhill quickly, and I was with a nice group and then I rolled through until about 70km. Then I was told that the guys were leading by one minute, and I was seven minutes behind them. Once I knew for sure they were at the finish, my job was done for the day, so then I took it easy on my leg and rode it in nice and easy. I think I was maybe in the first 15 positions, but my goal was not to hurt my leg too much."

Yamamoto did not break any bones in his crash, but realized this morning that he could not complete the day's stage. "To keep Max in the race, Kohei had to start as well," explained Specialized Racing Team Manager Benno Willeit. "This way Max could ride the stage and be there for Susi and Jaro for back up. With Kohei not finishing the race, the team will be disqualified, and Max as an 'Outcast' rider tomorrow would not be allowed to help Susi and Jaro at all. So that means they will not have a back-up team at all for the final stage."

Sunday will bring the final of eight days in a row of racing. With the lead rival team Bulls 1 still within striking distance, Sauser and Kulhavy realize that it will not be a parade ride to the finish.

"We know tomorrow will be 110 percent from the gun. It's going to be like a cross country stage but more than two hours," said Sauser. "But it will be good for us. We will stay focused and switched on."

"I will do my first warm-up before the start. It's a mental thing - the warm-up - so that you are there mentally and physically at the start. That will be very important tomorrow."

"Luckily I know most of the trails, especially at the beginning. Knowing the whole course will help things feel a bit shorter."

After winning stage 6, Sauser and Kulhavy lead the overall with a time of 27:13:26, giving them a 6:21 advantage over their rivals.

Knox could theoretically start the final stage on Sunday but will not.

"Kohei and Max will not do the stage, they have been working hard and have done their job more than well," said Willeit. "They have been riding awesome, but with trying to stay with Team 1, they rode them self to pieces. Heroes is what to call them, and we feel sorry for them not being able to finish the race strong like last year together in third place at the last stage."

"We came here to win the overall," said former marathon and cross country world champion Sauser. "After yesterday, we got back into the lead, even with the 10-minute time credit given to our rivals, and we improved our lead again today."

Sauser and Olympic cross country champion Kulhavy proved their strength again with their third stage victory of this Cape Epic. Racing with Nino Schurter and Florian Vogel for much of the day, they established a gap over their main rivals, Karl Platt and Urs Huber of Team Bulls.

"The Bulls really wanted to close it. When we came out of feed station #2, they had just gotten in," said Sauser. "But there was such a big gap going into the flats, and then they broke on the climbs."

Eventually Sauser and Kulhavy, who are racing their Specialized Epic 29ers, also powered away from Schurter and Vogel. They crossed the line as the stage winners in 3:03:04, gaining another 2:31 on Team Bulls.

"Jaro was so strong again on the flats today that I was just holding onto his wheel. It felt like he had another gear," said Sauser.

When Sauser raced to win the Cape Epic last year with the late Burry Stander, he and Stander had a policy of "no gifts" to other teams. They contested for the win in every stage. Sauser and Kulhavy have adopted the same attitude again this year, given how easy it is to lose major time in the Cape Epic, something the pair experienced firsthand during three stages earlier this week. Sauser and Kulhavy now lead the GC by 3:43.

Stage 5 went as planned for Sauser and Kulhavy according to Specialized Racing Team Manager Benno Willeit, who said, "The bikes and equipment are holding up perfectly. We had no mechanical issues or flat tires today." Both racers are using SRAM XX1 drivetrains and Specialized Renegade 1.95 tires with Control casing.

The other Burry Stander-Songo team of Kohei Yamamoto and Max Knox had a challenging day. Both riders crashed.

First, Knox went down while riding in the bunch. With the dust and the other racers, visibility was low, and in a corner, he slid out and hit the ground hard. Knox fell again on a knee he had injured during the Grape Escape two weeks ago, but he got up and finished the race.

Soon after Knox, Yamamoto misjudged a corner, going into it too fast. He crashed and injured his hand, but got up and finished the race. Yamamoto headed to the hospital after the stage for x-rays, and he is hoping he can get back on a bike tomorrow.

Knox and Yamamoto finished ninth on the stage and are in 10th overall.

On Saturday, Stage 6 will take racers from Wellington to Stellenbosch over 99km and 2950m of climbing. It's the penultimate stage for the 10th Cape Epic, which will finish on Sunday.

It had been a rough past few days with a broken wheel, a snapped chain and a missed turn costing the two favorites plenty of time and the race lead they'd had after winning the prologue on Sunday.

"At the start today, my motivation was down quite a bit because nine minutes is a lot, and I know how it feels when you are in the leader's jersey," said three-time Cape Epic winner Sauser. "Then you only have to stay on it, right on the other guy's wheel. That's what the Bulls team did yesterday for a very long time. It was such an effort to get two or three minutes into them then."

By today's fourth stage, Sauser was feeling the effects of so many hours of grueling racing.

"It was all flat at the beginning today and everything was hurting," said Sauser. "Then we were onto the first major climb to the KOM, and I thought, 'Well, I have to go to the front for the descent.' They didn't want to let me pass, and that motivated me. Jaro kept on my wheel and we went over the pass into the downhill. I don't think we had more than 10 or 15 seconds."

But it was enough to break the spirit of the chasers, and Sauser and Kulhavy noticed that only the Bulls 1 team was close.

"The Bulls 1 team was by themselves chasing," observed Sauser. "They didn't even want to wait for the Bulls 2 team."

A bunch of riders eventually did rejoin the Bulls 1 team and formed the top chase group. Sauser and Kulhavy had a decision to make about whether to keep applying the pressure or sit up, wait and try again later.

Sauser said, "I saw on the profile that there would be a long section of flat, and I said to Jaro, 'Let's keep pushing normally and if they catch us, it's fine.' The final will still be hard enough either way."

Their lead extended to three minutes, then four, then five. No one could catch the Specialized racers and Sauser and Kulhavy won the stage.

"It was a nice race. I think we had a lot of luck today. I felt really good and I think Christoph did as well," said Olympic cross country champion Kulhavy. "It was good for our motivation and good for the next few days."

But it wasn't just the Bulls 1 team that didn't come. No one was coming when expected. The chase group had taken a wrong turn and gotten on the marked route for another stage.

Eventually the lost racers got back on the course and finished up. The former race leaders, the Bulls 1 team, lost significant time, 21 minutes and 54 seconds, to the Burry Stander - Songo team.

However, race officials decided that getting lost had cost the chasers at least 10 minutes and credited them much of the time back. The net effect was that instead of about 13 minutes of lead in the GC, Sauser and Kulhavy are leading by one minute and 12 seconds."

"Somehow the UCI and Cape Epic Organisation worked out by taking this wrong way, three teams lost 10 minutes, instead of the actual 22 minutes that they were behind Susi and Jaro today," said Specialized Racing Team Manager Benno Willeit. "So we are still in the leaders' jerseys, but not by as much time as we thought."

Sauser and Kulhavy had gotten off course on stage 3 yesterday after missing a turn and lost the stage win as a result, but they did not get a time credit.

Nonetheless, both riders were happy to be back in the lead and they are looking forward to defending their yellow jerseys for the final three stages.

"The tactic for the next few days is to take no risks. We have to be really, really careful and we'll need a lot of luck again," said Kulhavy. "Susi and I are the strongest I think. A win would be important for us."

Sauser said, "We definitely didn't steal this jersey if you look at how much time we lost over the past three days with all those problems. Our morale is really good now. We also have good back-up in the form of team support, which is very, very important over the next three days."

Sauser is looking forward to the race route overlapping with terrain that is near his home away from home in Stellenbosch.

"I love it - we're coming into home soil and I know the trails. I could even go home for a nap on Saturday afternoon at my own apartment in Stellenbosch."

Burry Stander - Songo's other squad of Max Knox and Kohei Yamamoto produced a stellar ride during stage 4.

"This morning, we knew as a team that we would put in a big effort. Slowly but surely, the boys up front drove the pace hard. Kohei was helping them, too, and I was just surviving," said Knox. "The bunch got smaller and smaller up front, and eventually they were on their own up front, and I knew it would just be a war for us to hang on."

Later, a bit further back in the race with 40km to go, Knox and Yamamoto suddenly started making up a bunch of places. With 15km to go, they were in second and third with Marco Fontana and Manuel Fumic.

"I said, 'Kohei, here's our chance' and we went for it. We were racing purely out of happiness rather than digging deep. We pushed to the limit and on the last corner of the singletrack, Kohei cut his tire and got a flat. Normally, I'd have been crushed, but I was so happy that our guys were up front and winning overall. If we come in second or third, it's not a problem. We put the tube in and then finished it off."

Knox and Yamamoto finished in fifth place in stage 4 and now sit in 10th place overall.

Racers will contest stage 5 of the Cape Epic on Friday. It will run over 75km and start and finish in Wellington.

Racing as the Burry Stander - Songo team on their Specialized Epic 29ers outfitted with SRAM XX1 drivetrains, Stander and Kulhavy perfectly executed their intended strategy for most of stage 3.

"Right at the beginning, the Bulls set the pace and made the race hard. We didn't have to do anything. We just sat on," said former marathon world champion Sauser. "Then about mid-way into the race, we were probably with about seven or eight teams in the lead."

Sauser knew it was time to make a move. "I went to the front on a more technical climb and eliminated everyone except for the Bulls 1 team. From there, we kept riding really hard until the second water point. We refilled and then we attacked again on the first hill thereafter. We just rode off the front and went really hard for about 10 minutes."

The effort paid off as Sauser and Kulhavy distanced their rivals in an effort to chase back toward the overall race lead. Going into stage 3, they were sitting in third in the GC by 8:04.

"We made up time and time and things went smoothly until 2km before the finish," said Sauser. "There was a 90-degree lefthander, and the arrow pointed to the left, so we prepared ourselves for taking that corner as fast as possible."

"What we did not see was another arrow in the middle of the corner, on the right side, that pointed over the field. We kept on going left, down a gravel road to a T-junction and obviously there were no more markers."

It took some time for the stage leaders to realize they'd gone amiss. "We looked for markers. We went left, we went right. We thought that maybe somebody had taken the markers off. When the motor bike saw that we went wrong, it guided us back to the route."

But the damage was done, and the Burry Stander - Songo team had lost the stage and all the time they'd gained on the overall race leaders.

"When we got back, we saw the Bulls team going past in the field," said a disappointed Sauser. He and Kulhavy finished second on the day, just 46 seconds after the stage winners, and moved up from third to second overall, although their gap to the leaders increased to 8:50.

The second Burry Stander - Songo team of Max Knox and Kohei Yamamoto finished stage 3 in fifth position at 8:56. They are in 12th overall at 1:07:18.

Stage 4 on Thursday will take racers over 106km from Saronsberg in Tulbagh to Wellington.

"There are still four stages left, and I'm not giving up," said Kulhavy. "We still have a chance but I'm not sure if I can give tomorrow's stage so much energy. We'll have to wait and see."

Cole Avery took his second consecutive win of the season in the Under-15 XC race, while Shane Skelton followed his 2nd place finish in the cross country on Sat with a convincing overall win in the Cat 1 short track on Sunday.

Bonelli ProXCT Top-10 Team Results:

Shane Skelton - 1st Cat 1 Short Track

Cole Avery - 1st Under-15 XC

Dario Fredrick - 1st Cat 1 40-44 XC

Shane Skelton - 2nd Cat 1 17/18 XC

Sean Bennett - 4th Cat 1 17/18 XC

Steffen Andersen - 5th Cat 1 15/16 XC

Tyler O'Neal - 6th Cat 1 15/16 XC

Matt McCourtney - 9th Cat 1 35-39 XC

Marcus Segedin - 10th Cat 1 17/18 XC

Next stop for the Whole Athlete/Specialized Team is the Fontana ProXCT on March 30-31. Stay tuned for more exciting news!

Stage 2 of the Cape Epic mountain bike race tested the Specialized Racing team's riders with some more bad luck, but technical problems and a crash didn't stop the four Burry Stander - Songo riders from maintaining a positive outlook for the remaining five stages of the South African event. Tuesday's 146km stage was the longest of the eight-day race and featured 2350m of climbing.

Christoph Sauser and Jaroslav Kulhavy, onboard their 9.8kg Specialized Epic 29er bikes, animated the day's 146km stage by launching an attack in an effort to regain the yellow leaders' jerseys which they had lost the previous day.

"Jaro and I worked today," said Sauser of their effort on the longest stage. "We broke away, and the Bulls teams was just hanging on. We were going so well. I was so excited for the last two climbs and the descent back down to the finish line."

Then disaster struck.

"Jaro lost his chain. I don't know how it broke because it was on a downhill," said Sauser. "So we stopped and Jaro ran back and got his chain while I got the chain link ready. Jaro used the tool to unpin the broken link, but unfortunately, he broke the pin on the chain tool."

Stunned by the surprise of breaking their tool and worried about possibly losing their chance at an overall race victory, Sauser said, "We didn't know what to do. I thought maybe we could use the chain link somehow as a pin. It was very difficult and after many attempts, we managed to use the chain link together with the broken tool and some lube to get it together. Then it was off we went. It took us many minutes to make the repair with several teams passing us."

"It was hectic, with the helicopter just hovering there next to you. It was super noisy and you have to get your head around how to fix it while it's always in your head that the Epic win might be gone. We were so far ahead - it's so hard and frustrating to be back on the chase again like yesterday."

Despite the technical problems, Kulhavy and Sauser still managed to finish in third place for the day, although they lost 8:44 to the top team. They also slipped one place in the general classification, to third overall and now sit 8:04 behind the race leaders.

A disappointed Kulhavy remained focused and optimistic despite two days of setbacks in his first ever Cape Epic appearance.

"I think we are the strongest riders in the race, but we had technical problems again today. I broke my chain, and then I broke my tool, and we lost a lot of time," he said. "It's a very bad situation for us. But I'm looking forward and hope the next few days will be good. We will try to attack again."

"We want to get the yellow jersey again. It will be very hard because the Bulls are eight minutes in front of us. I don't know what will come tomorrow, but we have to stay positive and we will try up until the last stage."

Team Manager Benno Willeit shared his insight on his rider's technical issues. "The thing with the chain today was bad luck. With not having to shift on the front due to running the SRAM XX1 setup, you should not have problems at all with the drivetrain but of course, if you hit a rock or something on the course, stuff like this can happen. Normally the broken chain is a quick fix. They have the tool and a spare link on the bike, but in the hectic environment, they broke the tool and lost lots of time to get the chain working again."

The other Burry Stander - Songo team of Max Knox and Kohei Yamamoto also encountered some trouble on stage 2. They were putting in a strong ride, with all going well until about 15km to go. Knox's attention lapsed for a moment, and he rode into a tree, crashed and hit the ground hard.

Knox landed on his head, but his helmet saved him from being knocked out.

"He got up just fine and rode like hell to the finish," said Willeit. "Kohei was very surprised and just had to hang on to Max."

The South African - Japanese duo finished 10th on the stage and sit in 13th overall.

For today's stage, Yamamoto changed the travel on his front fork from 90mm, typical for his World Cup setup, to 100mm. The extra 10mm helped him be more comfortable on the long stage.

The riders also increased the pressures in their tires and suspension because of the hot conditions. Tire pressure was set 2-3psi higher than usual while the suspension got an extra 10psi.

Specialized's Brain technology has been paying dividends for the racers. With so much going on throughout each stage, they do not have to think about manually locking and unlocking their suspension.

The gruelling Cape Epic is taking a toll on riders and equipment. "The bikes are still looking great, but you can see and tell on the equipment how rough the stages are," said Willeit. "It is definitely the hardest stage race in the world with water crossings, dust, sand and the heat making it into a tough challenge."

The Specialized Racing team support staff has been focusing on keeping the racers hydrated in the heat. The riders carry two bottles with them at all times and can refill them three times, once at each water point. Only Sauser opts to race with just one bottle.

On Wednesday, racers will compete in a 92km stage 3 starting and finishing in Saronsberg in Tulbagh.

Christoph Sauser and Jaroslav Kulhavy, racing together as the Burry Stander - Songo team, overcame some tough luck during stage 1 of the Cape Epic mountain bike race on Monday in South Africa. Showing grit and determination while racing their Specialized Epic 29ers, the pair finished fourth on the day and currently sit in second overall.

Sauser had an unfortunate encounter with a rock early in the race. "We were on the first descent. It was very rocky, with lots of sharp rocks. I hit a rock a bit sideways, and I cracked my rim," said Sauser. "That gave me a flat tire."

The two riders, who were the overall race leaders after the prologue, had to stop and wait for their teammates Max Knox and Kohei Yamamoto to catch up. The two teams exchanged a wheel so Sauser and Kulhavy could get back underway.

All four of the Specialized riders are using SRAM XX1 drivetrains. Kulhavy has chosen a 36-tooth front ring while the others are on 34-tooth rings, although Sauser remains partial to his Rotor Ring, which is run with a cSixx DMD chain guide to keep everything going smoothly.

"Then we were off again, but we'd lost quite a bit of time, almost four to four-and-a-half minutes, so we were chasing and trying to do damage control," said Sauser.

Closing the gap to the day's leaders was no easy task, as stage 1 proved to be an incredibly tough day. Sauser, a Cape Epic veteran, said, "It was one of the hardest Cape Epic stages ever. It was so sandy. It was only 92 or 93km long, but we were out there for over 4.5 hours. There wasn't even that much climbing, but at times it was like riding or walking through a beach."

Riding in memory of their late teammate Burry Stander, Sauser and Kulhavy never gave up, and later in the race, they made back a good portion of the time they'd lost.

"Luckily from the last feed zone, we really caught up again and chased back about three minutes and ended up second overall," said Sauser.

They finished in fourth place for the stage, just 2:49 behind the day's winners. Their efforts paid off in that they lost just one spot in the general classification and now sit second overall, 1:42 behind the race leaders.

Kulhavy pointed out that the team is still well positioned to contend for overall victory, with six more stages remaining.

"It was my first real Cape Epic stage," said Olympic cross country champion Kulhavy, who is doing the Cape Epic for the first time in his career. "We had a bad day because Susi broke his rim and we lost a lot of time, but I think we're still in a good position for overall victory."

Knox and Yamamoto, who gave up a wheel to help Sauser and Kulhavy get back underway, still managed to finish in an impressive 18th place, 43:03 behind the day's stage winners. They now sit in 17th overall at 44:41.

The four teammates have been playing it conservative with their equipment, not using any new set-ups for the epic race. They are racing on tried and true Specialized Renegade 1.95 tires with Control casing. To be on the safe side, they've been running a relatively high pressure, 26 to 27 psi, front and rear.

Stage 2 of the Cape Epic mountain bike race will take racers over 146km from Citrusdal to Tulbagh on Tuesday. They will climb 2350m en route.

Christoph Sauser and Jaroslav Kulhavy, riding together as the Burry Stander - Songo team, won the opening prologue at the Absa Cape Epic mountain bike stage race in South Africa on Sunday. The two Specialized Racing teammates were extra motivated for success by the memory of their late teammate Stander, who was killed in a training accident in January.

Sauser and Kulhavy won by an impressive 1:07 in the relatively short 22km prologue, which took them 55:10 to complete. Their win also put them in the overall race lead.

"It was amazing to win here by more than a minute on a shorter course with such a talented field and so many cross country riders," said Sauser, who twice won the Cape Epic with Stander and is hoping to defend the title with Kulhavy.

"The short, fast course was better suited for the cross country specialists than the marathon riders. I have to say, I was just drafting off Jaro at a very high speed. We had good teamwork," said Sauser, who was tucked in behind the Olympic cross country champion for most of the stage.

Kulhavy was pleased with their ride. "It was a nice race for me. I enjoyed it because my shape is good. It's an important victory for us and for the whole team," said Kulhavy. "I look forward to tomorrow. I think it will be better for us because the stage is longer."

Sauser and Kulhavy weren't the only Specialized riders racing in memory of Burry Stander. Also competing under the banner of the Burry Stander - Songo team, Max Knox and Kohei Yamamoto clocked a finish quick enough to earn them a top 10 spot, getting them off to a strong start for the coming seven days of competition.

"It was very special. This year means a lot to us," said Knox as he thought of Stander.

"I suffered today. Kohei is in fantastic shape. He's been training and has made this a big goal of his, so he really put me in the hurt box for 22km."

Coming off a leg injury, Knox was happy with how he and Kohei ranked among the marathon specialists. "We're within one minute of the podium, and anything can happen in the next seven days," said Knox. "There are 680km to go. I'm looking forward to it. We have the best support system and the best equipment, and I have 110% confidence that it will go well for us the next few days."

Yamamoto felt good and is similarly looking forward to Monday's stage 1. "There were no crashes or mechanicals. We had no trouble. It's a top 10 result, and we're just 2:45 off race leaders Christoph and Jaro."

The prologue kicked off with the "Stairway to Heaven" climb after racers left the start chute. They climbed to the top of Dorstberg, a mountain top with 360-degree views of Table Mountain, Robben Island and Cape Point. A rugged Renosterveld-lined trail took racers down into the quarry and adjacent Hoogekraal farm, where sweeping singletrack formed part of the Tygerberg Mountain Bike Club trail system. The route finished off through well bermed turns made for a fun roller coaster descent back toward the vineyards.

Monday's approximately 100km stage will start and finish in Citrusdal.

Specialized Racing's Todd Wells and Lea Davison both earned a spot on the podium at round 2 of the US Pro XCT in Bonelli Park, California. The two American Olympians finished in third place in their respective cross country races.

Davison was pleased with her result in her first race of the season. "It was good for me to get the first race out of the way. It's always a big question mark. I'm happy with where I'm at right now," she said.

The Vermont native raced her Specialized carbon Fate 29er, outfitted with a full SRAM XX1 drivetrain.

"It was the first time I raced the SRAM XX1 drivetrain, which was amazing," said Davison. "I'm completely sold. It was a little crazy not having a front derailleur, and I did catch myself reaching down to shift from my big ring to my little ring a few times before I realized it wasn't there."

Emily Batty and Annie Last set a fast pace from the start while Davison and Chloe Woodruff hung on. All four of the women were in for a bit of surprise when Xterra world champion Lesley Paterson bridged up to them on the third lap of five, after starting from the back row.

"We pro mountain bikers and the Xterra athletes don't often cross paths anymore, and I didn't know who she was, but then I saw some world champion's stripes on her kit, and I knew something was up," said Davison.

Paterson went immediately to the front, and Woodruff and Last dropped. That left Paterson, Batty and Davison as the lead trio.

On the last lap, Paterson gapped Davison and then also Batty, with the Specialized racer coming in for third place, at 1:43 following Paterson.

Davison described the course as "demanding" and "technical", but said her Specialized Fast Trak tires were perfect for the 70-degree, dusty, dry conditions. She raced with 20psi up front and 22psi in the rear.

Wells, who was on board his Specialized Stumpjumper 29er hardtail, was impressed with quality of the Bonelli Park course and found the race to be excellent preparation for the upcoming World Cup season. "The course in Bonelli is very similar to a World Cup, with short punchy climbs and very short, loose descents."

The short track national champ was part of the initial lead group in the elite men's race with eventual winner Jeremiah Bishop, Raphael Gagne and Sam Schultz. The four stayed together for the first two of six laps. Schultz dropped off on lap three leaving three racers at the front.

"On the fourth lap, Bishop attacked, and I had a complete explosion. I hit the wall pretty hard and doubted if I could even ride two more laps of the course," said Wells. "I managed to pull it back together by the end of lap five and hold for third."

"I was hoping for more, but gave all I had so I'm satisfied," he said following the nearly 1.5-hour cross country race.

Like Davison, Wells raced Specialized Fast Trak tires, front and rear, at 24-25 psi.

In the short track race closing the weekend of competition on Sunday at Bonelli Park, Wells finished fourth while Davison crossed the line in sixth.

Songo.info strives to improve the lives of children living in South African townships by providing them a safe place to play, grow and develop. The organisation has grown from humble beginnings. Everything started with Songo Fipaza's dream to help his community of Kayamandi.

"We had perfect team work in the race - we ended up top three," said Kulhavy. "I felt really good and the race was a good warm-up before the Cape Epic. It was a great atmosphere and a good experience for everyone who was there."

The start line looked like a who's who of World Cup racing. Many top riders are in South Africa for the Cape Epic mountain bike stage race, which starts this weekend, and they were eager for a short effort to test their legs after the travel to the southern hemisphere.

When asked whether Kulhavy considered the special charity race more of a fun event or more of a competitive race, he said, "This kind of event is half serious and half fun. For many of us riders, it was an important warm-up. It was a good, intense workout for me. For some, maybe it was a bit more of a fun event."

Watching from the sidelines, South African rider Max Knox said, "I thought today was wonderful. It has been one year since we were here, and there have been so many changes. The clubhouse that Susi [Christoph Sauser - ed.] opened is something special. Two hundred square meters, I think. It's got all the best facilities for the kids to have fun."

"It was great to watch the three Songo Specialized racers at the front, ripping the field apart. It was sad to watch from the sidelines, but it was a really fun day," said Knox.

Another Specialized racer, triathlete Conrad Stoltz, also started the race while Specialized South Africa provided on-the-ground race support.

Kulhavy, Sauser, Yamamoto and Knox head next to the Cape Epic mountain bike stage race starting March 17. Kulhavy and Sauser will team up and race in memory of teammate Burry Stander, who was killed in a training accident in January of 2013. Yamamoto and Knox will also pair up.

"It was a nice day and a good race," said Kulhavy of his team's success. "I hope it will be the same for us in the Cape Epic next week."

Top Five Finishers

1. Christoph Sauser

2. Jaroslav Kulhavy

3. Kohei Yamamoto

4. Florian Vogel

5. Marco Fontana

in NorCal and SoCal Races

Whole Athlete/Specialized juniors Kate Courtney and Lucas Newcomb were recently honored by their selection to represent the US at the 2013 Pan Am Continental Mountain Bike Championships in Tucuman, Argentina, from April 3-7. The Continental Championships will see riders from across the Americas - from North, Central, and South - competing for the Pam American title.

Meanwhile, in the fast and furious NICA high school leagues, Shane Skelton went two-for-two with another convincing Varsity win in SoCal, while Jacob Albrecht followed suit with his second consecutive win in NorCal Varsity South.

Steffen Andersen also took the win in NorCal Junior Varsity South, while Tyler O'Neal was second in the Sophomore Division. In NorCal Varsity North, Lucas Newcomb and Ben Spurr matched their strong finishes from the last race with 2nd and 4th.

Next stop for the Whole Athlete/Specialized Team is the Bonelli Park ProXCT in San Dimas, CA on March 16-17. Stay tuned for more exciting news!

Meanwhile in Dripping Springs, Texas, a handful of Whole Athletes were contesting the first stop of the ProXCT national series, landing both Lucas Newcomb and Shane Skelton on the Junior Men's podium in 2nd and 3rd after Zach Valdez earned an impressive 8th place and top U23 rider in the UCI Pro men's race.

Casey Williams rode from a 63rd place call up in the back of the Pro field to finish 20th in his first-ever ProXCT.

Lucas Newcomb and Shane Skelton had their hands full with the on-form Mexican National Champion Jose Ulloa in the Junior Cat 1 race. Despite both suffering crashes on the loose, technical course, Newcomb and Skelton fought back to contest the podium.

Next stop for the Whole Athlete/Specialized Team is the Bonelli Park ProXCT in San Dimas, CA on March 16-17. Stay tuned for more exciting news!