Sea Otter Classic Mountain Bike Race, Mountain Biking, MountainZone.com, 2002

Mountain Cross is the hot new downhill event this season. This type of racing will be appearing on both the NORBA and World Cup tours this season, so the Sea Otter was a good place to further test the event, and refine the way in which tracks are made.

Mountain Cross made its U.S. debut here at Sea Otter last year, bringing out large crowds to see riders go at it on a high-flying track. It's more exciting than either dual or BMX with riders going big...or going home. Only the top two finishers of each heat advanced to the next round, so riders went all out to be one of those two. Sometimes it caused crashes, but sometimes it made for even more exciting passes.

As she did in both dual slalom and downhill, Anne-Caroline Chausson (FRA, Volvo-Cannondale) completely ruled the Mountain Cross, handily winning each heat as the women worked their way up from a round of 16 to an eventual final run. By the time that final run went off, Chausson was joined by another champion dualist in Katrina Miller (AUS, Jamis), along with World Cup dual winner Sabrina Jonnier (FRA, Intense Cycles) and Tai-Lee Muxlow (AUS, Dirtworks USA).

The women's final started with a surprise, as Miller got the holeshot and led the other three on the top pedaling section of the course. Chausson had gotten a bad start and couldn't get her foot clipped in, slowing her down if only momentarily. Soon she was clipped in, and roared past Miller before the really big stuff and never looked back, except to confirm that she had won. So dominant was her win that the announcers suggested she give it a go on the men's track. She politely declined.

The men had quite a few more competitors to work through on their way to the final, as 64 riders contested the first rounds. Eventually those numbers were cut in half, and then half again as some of the world's top dual and downhill riders faced off in a thriller of a final run.

World Champion Brian Lopes (USA, Fox/GT) was competing for the first time in his new rainbow jersey, and made good use of it. He lined up for the men's final against another former World Champion in Wade Bootes (AUS, Trek-Volkswagen), as well as the ever-flamboyant Cedric Gracia (FRA, Volvo-Cannondale) and track designer Eric Carter (USA, Mongoose).

While Carter has spearheaded the development of the Mountain Cross, he couldn't master his own monster today, finishing 3rd. But the action that developed was epic. Lopes took an amazing holeshot and led the field the entire way, clear of any problems that might develop behind him.

And plenty of problems did develop. As BL went off the front, Gracia flew over a jump half way down the course in third position, crashing on landing. Bootes was airborne behind him at the time and got caught up in the crash, leaving Carter to chase Lopes. But Gracia got back on his bike and chased Carter, forcing EC to play defense. Carter washed out and crashed as he tried to block Gracia, allowing Bootes to pass them both and take 2nd place. If all men's finals are as exciting as this one was, then Mountain Cross has a bright future.

— Ari Cheren, MountainZone.com Correspondent