Adam Snyder » Transylvania Mountain Bike Epic Stage 1

May 29, 2011

Video and highlights from the stage one prologue at the 2011 Transylvania Epic Mountain Bike Stage Race. The first day's 12 mile individual TT was dominated by defending Transylvania Epic champ Jeremiah Bishop of the Cannondale Factory squad. Best of the rest went to first time MTB stage racer/ Cyclocross stud Justin Lindine.

Report:

The second annual Trans-Sylvania Epic mountain bike stage race kicked off Sunday with a 12.5-mile prologue in hot and humid conditions, a stark reminder that when a heat wave hits eastern Pennsylvania it’s serious business. Racers agreed that this year’s day one course was even better than last year, maximizing the use of serpentine singletrack found in the area. The major obstacle of the day was not the exposed, two-mile road climb off the start but the one-mile singletrack climb at about mile 5.5. The forest mostly protected it but it’s steepness and sweltering humidity took a tool that effected many racers for the last half of the stage.
Drama started early when (Trek/SRAM/Easton/Giro/Pearl) rider Ross Schnell showed up to State College yesterday sans race bike. A case of lost luggage left him with just a race kit and jersey. Luckily a fellow racer loaned him shoes and race promoter Mike Kuhn handed over his personal bike so Schnell could ride the day. In another near miss, Team CF’s Chris Beck almost missed his start. In his usual “rockstar” fashion Beck raced through though the start ramp and pulled onto the course without missing a beat and loosing only one second, according to TSE timing.
Cannondale’s Jeremiah Bishop dominated the day with a winning time of 47:56 but the big story was notable Boston, MA cyclocross racer Justin Lindine (BikeReg.com/Joe’s garage/Scott) who took second less than four minutes back.
Schnell, for all his effort to get on course in the first place ended up getting lost and currently sits in last a 1:25:42. For the women Karen Potter (MTBRaceNews) took the surprising win over defending champion Selene Yeager (Team CF), less than a minute back.
Tomorrows stage one, the second longest of the week is a 69km day in Cooper’s Gap in Rothrock State Forest. With temperatures hitting the 90’s heat and humidity could play a role.

submitted by Mike Cushionberry