Scott Enduro Cup highlights Smith Optics Ride Sun Valley Bike Fest

The second stop of the Scott Enduro Cup presented by GoPro captivated the attention of the biking community as the flagship race of the Smith Optics Ride Sun Valley Bike Festival June 27-29. The two day competition is one of the longest enduro races in North America covering 24 miles and 9,000 descending vertical feet across Sun Valley Resort’s Bald Mountain in the heart of the Sawtooth National Forest. It’s also an official stop on North American Enduro Tour. After five timed stages, the fastest combined times on the leader boards for men and women were claimed by Aaron Bradford (1:00:49) and Margaret Gregory (1:08:59).

“It was a really fun weekend and definitely one of the more well put on events. The timing was really good,” said Gregory. “It was a tough yet balanced race with a lot of pedaling and technical sections.”

Over two days, racers tackled 10 stages. The course demanded the riders to have the fitness to power through pedaling sections and the focus to rip full-throttle through menacing rocks, narrow switchbacks, and steep technical descents. The trails proved to be challenging for both seasoned athletes as well as the weekend warrior. A combined time of five timed stages determined the overall champions.

Open Men

Bradford won the Open Men’s division with a combined time of 1:00:49 barely 12 seconds ahead of second place biker Kyle Warner (1:01:01). Sun Valley local Adam Greene nailed the hammer-down descents to land third place (1:02:07). Two young up-and-comers, Mason Bond (1:02:17) and Cody Kelley (1:02:33), were hot on the heels of the seasoned pros to secure fourth and fifth place.

“There was a lot of good competition out there this weekend, super stacked racing, and real physical,” said Warner.

Top five:

1. Aaron Bradford (1:00:49)
2. Kyle Warner (1:01:01)
3. Adam Greene (1:02:07)
4. Mason Bond (1:02:17)
5. Cody Kelley (1:02:33)

Open Women

Next, in the Open Women’s category, Margaret Gregory (1:08:59) dominated the field nearly three minutes ahead of the competition. Mallory Burda (1:11:46) executed the steep sections of the course with impeccable downhill technique to step up into second place. Close behind was Beth Roberts with a time of 1:12:03.

Top five:

1. Margaret Gregory (1:08:59)
2. Mallory Burda (1:11:46)
3. Beth Roberts (1:12:55)
4. Ileana Anderson (1:13:48)
5. Madi McQueen (1:15:42)

Amateur and Juniors

Next, the action shifted to the amateur and junior divisions who exuded tenacity and enthusiasm. Podium finishers ranged from first-time racers to Enduro Cup veterans. Spectators and athletes viewed live timing results throughout the race on ItsYourRace.com and the ItsYourRace App. The realtime results were made possible by the official media and timing sponsor, COX Communications. A complete list of results is posted online at endurocupmtb.com.

Prizes

The Open category podium winners received $2,500 total in prize money divided evenly between men and women. The first place riders in the Amateur categories received gear from sponsors. Riders and spectators also had the chance to enter nightly raffles which raised over $1,800 for the Wood River Bicycle Coalition. Raffle prizes were provided by Scott Sports, GoPro, ENVE Composites, Borealis Fat Bikes, Yakima, Club Ride Apparel, Vittoria, SRAM, GEAX, and Ride Sun Valley.

Next up

The final race stop will take place at Canyons Resort in Park City, Utah on July 19. Enduro races challenge riders’ physical endurance and technical downhill skills making it an excellent discipline for riders of all ability levels. Registration is still open for the next event at EnduroCupMTB.com. The Enduro Cup at Canyons Resort is a part of the North American Enduro Tour, the premier enduro race series on the continent.

Save 30%

Additionally, the event’s presenting sponsor, GoPro, is extending a 30% off discount to all 2014 racers on the purchase of up to two items. Athletes will receive a unique promotional code after they register to take advantage of this incredible offer. Enduro Cup invites all racers to capture their race experiences with a GoPro and share it online using #EnduroGoPro to enter to win product prizes. One GoPro edit from each event will be selected as the winner. Edits must be posted on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram no later than 10 days after the race and must include #EnduroGoPro to be a valid entry.

For more information or to register visit endurocupmtb.com or follow on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Enduro Cup is an MSI production.