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Bradyn Lange and Anna Yamauchi earned solo victories within the professional divisions at Lake Sonoma MTB on Saturday, the third of 5 occasions within the Grasshopper Journey Sequence in northern California.
The Healdsburg space in northern Sonoma County acquired surprising rain showers throughout the occasion, making the lengthy route, with 23 miles and 4,500 ft of vertical achieve, slippery on the abundance of single-track sections, three-time Olympic MTB rider Katerina Nash calling it “slide it to trip it”.
Lange gained separation in entrance of all contenders on the primary move of the 7-mile outer loop, and solely one of many e-Bike racers close by. He stayed on the gasoline for the solo victory, ending in 1:49:49. Justin Peck, who received a pair of collegiate titles in brief observe MTB cross-country final season, completed 3:16 again in second. Peter Stetina was third at 4:05 again, and a fast-closing Sandy Floren, one other 41 seconds behind Stetina was fourth.
“The technique was to see how laborious I may push myself. Primarily I used to be making an attempt to prep for Sea Otter in a few weeks. I took off midway up the primary climb,” Lange advised organisers on the end.
“All of the downhills and flat components, it is like there is a pace restrict on numerous these trails, like sprinting out of every nook. There’s solely a lot energy you are able to do all through the course, so I did not blow up.”
Stetina was comfortable to be on the rostrum and stated, “You’ll be able to’t beat native mountain bike racing”.
“After The Mid South was cancelled with fires final weekend, I wanted one thing to do in March. Fortunately, Mig [Crawford, race director] had spots nonetheless open, so a fast pivot. My aim is simply pummel myself bodily and hold it upright. You’ll be able to by no means go as quick in coaching as you do in a race.”
Whereas Lange will participate within the new Sea Otter Traditional Gravel race subsequent month as a part of the sector for the Life Time Grand Prix, Yamauchi must trip her means again into the sequence as a wildcard entrant. She completed in 2:15:22, good for seventeenth total within the mass-start occasion. She had 7:13 to spare over professional girls’s runner-up Nash and one other 26 minutes to Kelly Brennan in third.
“I pinned it to the singletrack. I knew there can be chaos [in the mass start] and rode my race, numerous yo-yoing on the market. It was both straight up or straight down,” the 25-year-old winner stated on the end. “My chain was somewhat muddy at occasions however no points on the market.”
Nash, two years from being double Yamauchi’s senior, stated the course was already muddy a the beginning, so the intermittent rain on the second half created slippery spots within the deep ruts as 300 riders repeated the loop.
“It was good, the primary race of the season. This one’s not straightforward, numerous good climbing. I loved the downhills and it was enjoyable to get somewhat bit slick and slide it to trip it fashion.”
Taj Krieger went into the third Hopper because the sequence chief, and with a seventh-place end Saturday he held a margin over Stetina and Ben Frederick, who are actually tied in second place with 111 factors and trailing Krieger by 24 factors. Kate Courtney, who didn’t race Lake Sonoma, continued within the girls’s total after profitable the opening two rounds, with Yamauchi leaping to second total, simply 9 factors again.
The 2025 Grasshopper Journey Sequence strikes to Ukiah-Mendo Gravel Epic on April 27, the 76-mile mixed-terrain occasion serving because the NCNCA Gravel District Championship occasion.
Outcomes
| Pos. | Identify | End result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bradyn Lange | 01:49:49 |
| 2 | Justin Peck | 00:03:16 |
| 3 | Peter Stetina | 00:04:05 |
| 4 | Sandy Floren | 00:04:43 |
| 5 | Geoff Kabush | 00:08:20 |
| Pos. | Identify | End result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Anna Yamauchi | 02:25:22 |
| 2 | Katrina Nash | 00:07:13 |
| 3 | Kelly Brennan | 00:33:34 |
| 4 | Julie Duvert | 00:41:05 |
