WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH, NORTH CAROLINA – Fischer Maris of Richmond, VA, and Donna Ventura of Long Branch, NJ, pedaled to victory in this weekend’s punishing two-hour elite race at the sixth US Open Fat Bike Beach Championship.
Formidable under even ideal conditions, this year’s weather added layers of grinding complexity with never-ending wind speeds of 20 to 25 miles-per-hour with gusts as high as 37 mph.
“The degree of difficulty was ten out of ten,” said Maris, usually a road racer or mountain biker. “The sand was so difficult and so slow. On a road bike, you can keep up because you’re drafting, but all that is eliminated. So you’re going to use everything you have on the beach. Whoever’s the fittest is going to win.”
“It was definitely brutal,” added Ventura. “I wasn’t sure what to expect, the race being a half-mile loop. Every lap seemed to be a little different. The wind was a challenge – the heat was challenging coming from 30 to 40 degrees in New Jersey. I tried to be careful and settle in so I didn’t waste all my energy fighting the wind. The race was tough – but a lot of fun; it was a good race.”
“We’re pleased to have a lot of racers from the Wilmington region, a large Raleigh contingent, representation from Asheville, and Ohio, Virginia, and New Jersey bikers,” said Dave Ellegood, race director and president of the Southern Off-Road Bicycle Association’s Cape Fear Chapter. “Many racers trained throughout the winter, so their fitness is good. We have multiple age groups, men and women. Our 50+ is the largest age group this year – that is cool to see.”
Podium Winners by division
Two-hour Elite Race – Men’s Division
- Fischer Maris, Richmond, VA
- Nima Ebrahimnejad, Wilmington, NC
- John Overton, Wilmington, NC
Two-hour Elite Race – Women’s Division
- Donna Ventura, Long Branch, NJ
- Philicia Dawn, Pilot Mountain, NC
Two-hour Elite Race Men’s Division (40-49)
- Jeremy Cavenaugh, Castle Hayne, NC
- Adam Kaufhold, Huntersville, NC
- Thomas Parinello, Locust Grove, VA
Two-hour Elite Race Men’s Division (50+)
- Dariusz Tyborowski, Zebulon, NC
- John Stanley, Leland, NC
- Noah Pierson, Wrightsville Beach, NC
Two-hour Elite Race – Unicycle
- James Turner, Wilmington, NC
One-hour Race Men’s Division
- Lonnie Brooks, Raleigh, NC
- Peter Perry, Wilmington, NC
- Ethan Pierson, Wilmington, NC
One-hour Race Women’s Division
- Jean Dylong, Asheville, NC
One-hour Race Men’s Division (40-49)
- Peter Perry, Wilmington, NC
- Brad Gardner, Wilmington, NC
- Antonio Donabo, Patrick County, VA
One-hour Race Men’s Division (50+)
- Lonnie Brooks, Raleigh, NC
- Gib Palmer, Clinton, NC
- Mike Vandy, Cary, NC
Proceeds from the US Open Fat Bike Beach Championship benefit Cape Fear SORBA, a non-profit organization dedicated to building and maintaining trails for outdoor access. Event activities and the start and finish lines were based in Wrightsville Beach at the host hotel Blockade Runner Beach Resort. Presenting sponsors were Alpha Mortgage and Bike Cycles of Wilmington.
Past Elite Champions include:
-Robert “Fear the Beard” Marion, Mt. Airy, NC (2019, 2016)
-Philicia Dawn, Pilot Mountain, NC (2019, 2018)
-John Overton, Wilmington, NC (2018)
-Zdenka ‘Zoe’ Worsham, Raleigh, NC (2017)
-Andrew Bailey, Piney Flats, TN (2017)
-Jesse Piersol, Downington, PA (2016)
-Ben “Thunder” Brown, Wilmington, NC (2015)
Media Archive and Photos (photos added frequently)
Contact:
Dave Ellegood, Race Director
Southern Off-Road Bicycle Association – Cape Fear Chapter President
dave.ellegood@capefearsorba.org
Phone: 910-233-7987
Robert B Butler, Communications | PR
www.NCPressRelease.org
www.RBButler.com
Permission granted for reprint and redistribution
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