VERNON, New Jersey (transcendmagazine.com) -- Sam Hill (AUS - Monster Energy - Specialized) took home yet another win this weekend at the US Open of MTB at Diablo Freeride park at Mountain Creek. Hill edged out defending world champion Gee Atherton (GBR) of Anima Commencal and Monster Energy Specialized teammate Brendan Fairclough (GBR) for the victory. Canada's Miranda Miller (Mad March Racing) took home her career first big event win, pocketing the $5000. She beat out Kathy Pruitt (USA) of Jamis Cycles and Fionn Griffiths (GBR) of Norco by a tiny margin.
The usually sunny US Open was interrupted by a massive thundershower midway through the junior men, and it turned the course into a sloppy, slippery mess. However, all pro men and women would share the same conditions so the so called rain game would not come into play.
Hill ran cut down specialized prototype mud spikes on the course, which clearly helped him on the lower grassy turns. He talked about his run afterwards. "My run was pretty good It was slick up there like a whole different track to what we were practicingpractice. I had a couple of great lines I felt worked good up there and I had one i had to change when i nearly went over the handle bars. I got down in one piece and it was kind of hit and miss on a track like this in these conditions."
Canadian Miranda Miller was besides herself with her win, and was clearly at a loss for how to react. "It was pretty good, slippery. I was surprised. I only had one little bobbles but altogether good. You had to go a little conservative in the rocks, but once you had a feel for things you knew. It was a lot slipperier than I thought. Even the dirt was slippery!"
Last year's winner, Steve Smith (MS Evil Bikes), went down hard low down on the course and slammed his head into the ground pretty good. "My run went amazing until I landed on my head really hard. I'm okay though. Yes mother, I'm ok."
Steve Smith gives us a pre rain run of the course on race morning.
US Open of MTB Helmet Cam - Steve Smith from Fraser Britton on Vimeo.
Results
Men
1 Sam HILL Monster En Pro Men 2:30.11
2 Gee ATHERTON Animal Com Pro Men 2:32.72
3 Brendan FAIRCLOUGH Monster En Pro Men 2:35.21
4 Jared RANDO Giant Bicy Pro Men 2:36.62
5 Curtis KEENE Specialize Pro Men 2:36.70
6 Bryn ATKINSON Intense C Pro Men 2:38.52
7 Geritt BEYTAGH Morewood B Pro Men 2:38.56
8 Steve SMITH Ms Evil Pro Men 2:38.59
9 Kyle STRAIT Specialize Pro Men 2:38.62
10 Evan TURPEN Santa Cruz Pro Men 2:39.68
Women
1 Miranda MILLER Santa Cruz Pro Women 3:05.47
2 Kathy PRUITT Jamis Bike Pro Women 3:05.56
3 Fionn GRIFFITHS Norco Worl Pro Women 3:05.96
4 Melissa BUHL Khs Bicycl Pro Women 3:07.73
5 Micayla GATTO Commencal Pro Women 3:15.67
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