Cameron Chambers gewinnt die amerikanischen 24 Stundenmeisterschaften auf einem 29er

[realbiker]

The young gun from Great Bend, Kansas faced off with the biggest names in 24-hour racing at the NORBA 24 Hour Solo championships over the weekend, and Cameron is the one who walked away with the victory.

 

The Subaru-Gary Fisher endurance specialist came into the race with a well-reasoned game based on his knowledge of the course from last year. He was going to ride consistent lap times and gamble that he could make up any time that he lost early in the race to the speed freaks. The strategy worked, and the 24-hour-racing rising star earned his first Stars and Stripes jerseys.

 

This weekend's race started off furiously. "There was a ton of energy there," says Cameron's teammate Nat Ross. "The start was awesome, the crowd was bigger then last year and it was the fiercest lineup I've ever seen at a 24-hour race."

 

Cameron agrees, "Everybody was there. Chris, Tinker, Nat, Hendershot and Sloan, you just knew at the start of the race that it was going to be blazing fast. As soon as we headed out it was clear that Chris wanted to open up a gap on everyone. He kept attacking and Nat kept chasing us up. But I had a pretty set game plan coming into this race. I made a calculated choice to throttle back and settle into my pace. I don't know if I could count on that strategy to win me races every time, but with the temperature what it was it turned out to be the game winner for me."

 

Reigning World Champion Chris Eatough has set the standard for how 24-hour racing has worked for the last few years. His strategy is to go out at a World Cup pace and try to shed the competition early, then settle into his pace and defend the lead. This weekend that strategy backfired for him and anyone who chose to follow his attacks. Many of the early contenders ended up dropping out with heat-related ailments.

 

When the sun went down the temperature dropped and Cameron had settled into a steady pace. "My team didn't tell me right away that I had passed Chris. They wanted me to do another lap to make sure that I had a gap. When they told me I just lit up, it changes the way that you look at the race when you are winning. The rest of the race was really hard but I got some energy from being the leader."

 

"This course is perfect for the bike," says Cameron referring to his Fisher Two-Niner. "It was super flowy and fast and I was able to relax and still go pretty fast. I think it was a real advantage being one of the only top guys on big wheels."

 

24-hour racing has gotten incredibly competitive in the last few years. The guys at the top of the solo class are getting more support from their sponsors, the stakes are higher and the racing is more intense. Pit stops and an experienced crew have become of critical importance. The race doesn't slow down for the racer when they pit, they need to be in and out as fast as possible. Cameron's dedicated crew is as focused and well trained as he is and they were a critical part of his success.

 

Cameron will recover for a week before heading to Ohio for the Mohican 100. Then at the end of June he will compete in the 24 Hours of Big Bear, the successor to Snowshoe promoted by Granny Gear.

 

Quelle: http://www.fisherbikes.com

 

http://fisherbikes.com/images/happenings/full_size/cameron_jun2005.jpg

[Adi]

Hi Luki, hast du vielleicht Bilder wo man das 29 Bike ein bißchen besser sieht :s:

LG Adi