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Monday, June 04, 2007
Powell wins NMBS in Angel Fire
Angel Fire, New Mexico (May 26, 2007) Round four of the NORBA Mountain Bike Series took place over the Memorial Day weekend in conjunction with the Mountain State Cup (MSC) “Chile Challenge” at the scenic ski resort of Angel Fire, a short two hour drive north of Albuquerque, New Mexico. This resort was the host of the 2005 UCI World Cup and the mountain is viewed by many as the premier North American venue for gravity mountain bike racing.
Team Avent-Bombshell pro rider Chris Powell arrived eager and ready to improve on his third place result from Fontana early this season and he did not disappoint! Chris took his first NORBA win of his brilliant young career on Saturday night and the wire to wire victory puts Chris in prime position to lead the NORBA Mountain Cross series.
The evening started well for Chris, as he was the fifth fastest in early qualifying to insure lane choice all the way through to the finals. The former World Cup course favored Chris’ style which included fast sections, slow-tight turns, tight rhythm and big jumps at the bottom which made for a well rounded course. “This track suited my style completely, I knew once I saw the track I would have an opportunity to shine,” said Chris.
In the final, Chris exploded out of the random start gate and pressed his luck with an aggressive approach to the first turn. “I really wanted this one bad and was determined to push everyone's limits into the first turn to see who would brake last. From there it was just riding protective my lines in the turns and really trying to pull away on the jumps and technical sections,” he said.
“Crossing the line for my first professional national win was such a huge relief and to finally stand in the center of the podium after my second race back from a major injury was awesome,” Chris commented.
The next event on Chris’ calendar will be this weekend on his Avent Factor BMX bike at the DC Sprint Trail race held on Olympic BMX hopeful Randy Stumphauser’s property in Sanger, California. The next race on the mountain bike gravity calendar for Chris will be the next round of the NORBA Mountain Bike Series in Park City, UT on June 17-18. Look for Chris to continue his assault on the NORBA MountainCross scene in hopes of winning his first National title.
For more information on Bombshell and Avent products, please visit our website at www.bombshellparts.com and www.aventcycles.com. You can also check out Chris’s website and a personal recap of the race at www.chrispowell.us
Results from NMBS event # 4 from Angel Fire, NM
1. Chris Powell (USA) Avent-Bombshell
2. Eric Carter (USA) Mongoose
3. Ross Milan (USA) Yeti-Fox Racing
4. Dale Holmes (GBR) KHS Bicycles
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