Anders and Lindine Win Soldier Hollow I-Cup: Report, Results, Photo Gallery

By Justin Lindine and Nate Gibby

Heber, Utah—The third round of the Intermountain Cup X-Country race series took place on May 7, 2016 at Soldier Hollow in Heber, UT. Rachel Anders of the Summit/ Competitive Cyclist team took the win in the elite women’s race, while Justin Lindine racing for Hyperthreads/Apex Technology, took the win in the elite men’s division.

Soldier Hollow was home to the 2002 Olympic Cross Country Ski competitions and now offers up some excellent singletrack for summer mountain biking. This year’s I-Cup course featured a 6.5-mile lap for most categories, with a mix of short-steep climbs, longer gradual double-track climbing and fast sweeping descents. With rain the night before race-day followed by strong winds, the normally smooth and fast trails were in perfect condition for blistering fast lap times.

Complete Photo Gallery by selective-vision.com

Two hundred and thirty-one racers, including the largest group of high school and junior high school racers in I-Cup history, toed the start line on Saturday as intermittent dark clouds loomed ominously over the mountains in the distance, and all fingers were crossed that the forecasted rain would hold off. As the 12:15 start time neared for the elite men’s and women’s fields, as well as many of the expert and sport categories, the sun actually made its most prominent appearance of the day and temperatures quickly felt almost summer-time warm. However, as the racing heated up, the weather created action of its own as the temperature once again dropped and strong winds forced those in the venue area to lower or secure pop-up tents and race fencing to avoid them being blown over.

In the elite women’s race, a lead group quickly formed on the decisive opening climbs of the course. Consisting of Nicole Tittensor, Axtell, UT (Jans Park City/Scott

Bikes/Reynolds Cycling), who took the hole-shot and lead most of the first lap followed closely by Sarah Kaufmann, Sandy, UT (Stan’s No Tubes). The duo powered away, but were joined shortly by 18-year-old Rachel Anders, Sandy, UT, setting up a battle for the podium positions. In the final of three laps, Tittensor and Anders were able to get a gap over Kaufmann on the early doubletrack climb. “I kept hoping they would come back to me, but they charged it,” Kaufmann said. Later in the lap, Anders put in yet another strong climbing surge and gained a small advantage over Tittensor. From there on out Anders strived to maintain the gap. “I just tried to hold the gap down the descent,” she said. Riding a smooth final descent, she was able to do just that coming across the line 25 seconds ahead of the chasing Tittensor. Kaufmann came home in third 1:50 back. Competitors were quick to compliment the performance of the young Anders as well as the overall level of competition. “It was super fun, dynamic racing and cool to see such a talented junior coming into her own,” Kaufmann said. Tittensor echoed Kaufmann’s sentiment saying, “She [Anders] played a great chess match…every girl out there was stronger than ever, I’m glad we have each other to race with.”

In the elite men’s race, Justin Lindine, Ogden, UT surged early in the opening of four laps creating a small gap on a chasing group behind that would eventually whittle itself down to just two

members — Drew Free, Draper, UT (Kuhl/Pivot Cycles), and Anders Johnson, Huntsville, UT (Whole Athlete). Lindine was able to gradually extend his lead over the course of the race. “I gained time a bit each lap, mostly on the descent I think,” Lindine said. Ultimately he crossed the line with a 2:13 lead over Johnson, who after a race-long battle with Free managed to use a similar formula to Anders in the women’s race by getting a small gap towards the top of the course, and holding it on the descent.

The grey skies continued to loom as the backdrop for the podium presentations, but as things wrapped up at the base area of Soldier Hollow, the inclement weather held off enabling everyone who made the trip out to the beautiful Heber Valley to enjoy near-perfect mountain biking weather and another great day of racing compliments of the I-Cup series.

The I-Cup will make its next scheduled stop in Draper, UT, for the Stan Crane Memorial XC Race on May 30^th, 2016.

Soldier Hollow I-Cup May 7, 2016 Results