Trek/Volkswagen teammates Jeremiah Bishop and Lea Davison claimed a pair of victories in Stage One of the American Mountain Classic. Bishop and Davison will take to the start line of Stage Two wearing the race leaders' jerseys.
The American Mountain Classic started with a 6-mile Prologue using the town trail in Brian Head. The 6-mile loop is a mix of fire road, single track and double track and will gave racers a taste of what it will be like racing at over 9,000 feet for the next three days!
In the men's race, a fast pace was set from the gun by German Ben Sonntag. Sonntag and race favorites Jeremiah Bishop and Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski separated from the chasing field. Ultimately, the win was decided in an all-out sprint to the line between Bishop and Horgan-Kobelski. Bishop claimed the victory and was awarded a $500 cash prize for the effort. Bishop's teammate Brian Smith also took a stand on the podium with a fifth place finish.
The women's field – stacked with the nation's top endurance racers – had to contend with the likes of cross-country stars Lea Davison and Heather Irmiger and professional triathlete Jenny Smith. This trio of racers was able to charge ahead of the field and cross the finish line for first through third places, respectively. Davison's win came 27 seconds ahead of Irmiger, with Smith only 48 seconds back. Davison also claimed a $500 cash prize for the day.
Amateur racers used the prologue to establish starting positions for tomorrow's stage.
Links to coverage of A.M.C. Stage One will be updated below, as available:
MTBRaceNews.com has Pro Men's and Women's Results
MTBRaceNews.com Greg Gibson's A.M.C. Stage One Report
Labels: American Mountain Classic, Race Headlines
