Team GT Bicycle racers Eric Carter and Kevin Aiello attended the 2009 U.S. National Championships this past weekend at Sol Vista Bike Park located near Winter Park, Colorado. This event is unique in that the winner of each race is crowned as the National Champion based off their performance for this race alone, not cumulative points from other races. The event is open to American racers only and is one of the most important races of the year for many riders. Previously held at Mt. Snow, Vermont for the past two years, it was time for a change and the new bike park at Sol Vista resort was the perfect choice. The trail crew at Sol Vista did a great job preparing the trails and race courses for this big event and with an impressive turnout of racers and spectators alike it ended up being a great weekend.
Team GT's Kevin Aiello competed in both downhill and 4X events in the Cat 1 15-18 class and was a crowd favorite in both events which took place on Saturday. The downhill course was fast, rocky, technical and very challenging. Kevin had put his time in during practice on Thursday and Friday and felt comfortable with the course. Saturday afternoon arrived and aboard his GT Fury carbon fiber downhill bike, he headed to the top of the mountain to take on some of best racers in the country in his class. He had a clean run down the course and with race times being very close, he finished with a very solid 3rd place which put him on the podium! Following the downhill race was the 4X race, which is a gated start event, consisting of 4 riders racing down the course simultaneously. Aboard his GT Zaskar hardtail race machine, Kevin battled with his competitors and finished up with a respectable 4th place finish.
Team GT's Eric Carter competed in the Super D event on Sunday morning which is a unique event that combines elements of cross-country and downhill racing. Popular for racers from both disciplines, Super D requires a lot of skill and fitness to end up with a good result. Eric headed up the mountain and was ready to have some fun with his fellow competitors. Despite starting towards the back row EC managed to thread his way down the course, passing many riders in the process and finished up with a very respectable 5th place earning him a spot on the podium!
It turned out to be a successful weekend for Team GT and everyone had fun along the way. The team will now travel to Quebec, Canada for two rounds of World Cup races and then on to Whistler, British Colombia for the Crankworx festival.
GT Bicycles is proud to be supported by:
SRAM, Kenda Tires, Champion System, Mavic Wheels, UFO Clothing, SDG Saddles, Funn and e.thirteen.
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