NORBA hosted a double header Saturday. First the Short Track Cross-Country (STXC) circled the base of the ski area, then the action shifted to the Dual Slalom (DS) course. The racing didn't stop at dusk either...the naked crit began with the fireworks, but let us not get ahead of ourselves.

The women jumped on the quarter-mile STXC course leaving the spectators chasing them in circles. Ann Trombley (USA, KZ/Residence CLU) grabbed the lead first and held it until Chrissy Redden, (yesterday's XC winner), became impatient. Redden (CAN, Gary Fisher/Saab) decided to take the helm and gave herself a bit of a gap. Eventually Alison Dunlap (USA, Team GT) reeled in Redden, and the game of leapfrog began.

The women made it a close race with the lead changing several times, sending the surrounding crowd into a frenzy.

Going into the last lap, the lead pack was nine strong, but Dunlap had a plan of her own. "I knew that to win the race you had to be first up the climb, so I charged up the hill...if you have the legs, no one can beat you." And nobody did. Dunlap displaced the others and took 1st in one of the closest STXC races ever

Alison Sydor (CAN, Volvo-Cannondale) took 2nd by a few bike lengths and Chrissy Redden hung on for 3rd. The finish was so tight I wasn't sure who had won until the announcer piped up.

The men's race also came down to the wire with the lead changing with each lap for most of the race.

In the third lap, Steve Larsen (USA, LL Bean/Mongoose) made an impressive charge to the front, coming from the back of the lead pack. He hung tight for nearly a lap before giving up the lead. The torch was passed several times before a true winner was crowned.

When things shook out, Cadel Evans (AUS, Volvo-Cannondale) was the definitive champion. Perhaps he was hungry; he suffered two broken collarbones this year and hadn't won a race in 2000 — before today.

Pavel Tcherkassov (RUS, Gary Fisher-Saab) took 2nd with a strong effort. "I just needed to stay in front, be safe and fight for a position. It's a very tactical kind of race. The guys are strong and it's very intense," he said with relief.

In 3rd was Paul Rowney (AUS, AIS/Giant).

The STXC draws quite a crowd and some of them were pounding the banners as the racers flew past. Small children made an attempt to chase the riders around the course while the adults picked a spot and stood cheering like mad as their favorite riders cruised by.

— Lucas Kane, for MountainZone.com