|
1st Place OVERALL
Pro/Expert Men Senior 19-26
Chris Eatough - TREK / VW / JBL |
Date: September 30, 2001 Event: Spring Mountain Name: Chris Eatough City: Baldwin State/Province: MD Country: USA Age: 26 CLASS +/or Age group: Men Senior 19-26 Category: Pro Team: Trek/VW XC Race Bike: Trek Fuel Tires: Bontrager Conditions: Overcast, 60 degrees, mostly dry Email: ceatough@home.com |
Two time 24hr Solo World Champion Chris Eatough |
Did you do everything you could to prepare for today's race?
I was exhausted early in the week, but did some highly focused resting, and felt better by Friday.
Did you have any problems getting into the singletrack?
I was slow clipping in at the start, and got boxed in at the back of the group. I worked my way up to about 6th by the singletrack, but I prefer being in the top 2.
How did you like the climbs?
The main climb was great. It was fairly long, but just technical enough to make it interesting.
Were you strong from start to finish?
Yes, I felt very good today. After 24 Hours Solo last weekend, I thought I would have to race slowly, but right away it felt like I could ride fast with very little effort.
Were you happy with the way the race was run?
Yes, the race was well run. Thanks to the volunteers who waited around on top of the hill all day to hand us water!
When did you put the hammer down?
Just after the start 1/2 lap. I was leading, but Brandon and some others were staying on my wheel. I sensed Brandon was stumbling off line on the rooty creek crossing, so I notched up a speed to establish the gap.
Did you have any unusual problems?
No
Did you have any interesting experiences during your race (exchanges with competitors/spectators)?
I lapped my father, Mike, out on the course. This is always fun. If he knows I'm coming, he goes all out for a while to try to hold me off!
Did you feel any extra excitement since this is the final Super Series race?
Yes, and the men's pro field was stronger and deeper for this race.
If you had just ONE thing that you could change to make next year's series better....... what would that be?
Change the existing categories with regards to expert and pro. The pro field is too small, so we need to encourage the experts to move up. I suggest renaming the "pro" class as either "elite", or even "cash class". Make it clear that this is the top level, and the most prestigious. Payouts should be deep in this class (maybe 10 deep for a class of 40). The old expert class would win prizes from the table, not money. This should be consistent throughout the series.
Anything you would like to add?
It's amazing to think that this was a first year series. It was very successful, and the organizers did lots of things very well. Thanks for all the hard work!