Video & Race Report: Killington, VT Maxxis Eastern States Cup Oakley Showdown

Video & Race Report: Killington, VT

Maxxis Eastern States Cup Oakley Showdown

 

The Maxxis ESC party train pulled into Killington Resort this past weekend for our first Green Mountain state trip of the year. Once again, it was a wet one, which seems to be the theme this year. Five tricky stages awaited Stan's Enduro racers, featuring chunky rock sections, flowing bike park corners, double opportunities, heart breaking uphills, and everything in between. Intense DH racers would tackle the tried and true Goat Skull track off the Ram's Head Peak. Two speedy locals and two of Maine's fastest took Pro wins this weekend. Keep scrolling to find out who.

 

 

Moist and moody, that's been the story of 2023 race weekends so far and this one wasn't much different. Luckily the trails drain well here, so it wasn't as slick as some other venues.

It didn't rain the whole weekend but when it did it absolutely poured. Homemade extended visors were a great idea for Saturday afternoon's Intense DH seeding runs.

Killer views from the top of the Vale St. camping lot.

Get that gear as dry as possible for race day.

Stan's Enduro

The sun made an appearance briefly on race day morning as Head Timing Official Chris Gilbert hosted our 8:30am riders meeting with 274 racers ready to rip.

20U winner Eli Webster was on a heater right out of the gate, winning Stage 1 and eventually landing third on the day for the 20U class.

The final test at the bottom of Stage 2. The steep, rooty goodness of Foxy Roxy.

Karly Fischer was the only woman to clean the steeper inside line on Stage 2, major respect. She would finish sixth in the Pro women's class.

Dan Moon stays light over the sniper roots, he would earn second place for the third time this year. Surely he'll be aiming for the 20U class win at Arrowhead.

Post stage stoke.

14U class winner Ayrton French gets after it on one of the tackier corners of Stage 3.

This weekend trip south proved fruitful for first year Pro Maya Walker, the fast Canadian secured third place.

Kale Cushman has been racking up podium results since the season started. She would end up P2 on the trail bike with a pair of stage wins.

When in Vermont beware of the fast locals. Ashley Stearns knows these trails well, she would keep it fast and consistent to take the Pro women's class win by a margin of 17 seconds.

Two podiums in a row for first year Pro Luke Mello, third place this weekend in a speedy field of 25.

Adam Robbins is no stranger to the Maxxis ESC podium, but it had been a few years since he'd been up there. He was finally able to put one together this weekend, finishing P2 and breaking the curse.

After five stages Saben Rossi came out on top for his first win of the year. He would top the Pro Men in two stages with a winning margin of 11.3s and a total race time of 22:11.

Stan's Enduro Pro Men: 5th - Nick Lando, 3rd - Luke Mello, 1st - Saben Rossi, 2nd - Adam Robbins, 4th - Sammy Hedlund, Pro Women: 5th - Clair Sick, 3rd - Maya Walker, 1st - Ashley Stearns, 2nd - Kale Cushman, 4th - Mia Migliorino

Intense Downhill
 

Goat Skull has worn down over the years, creating monster compressions that can be hard to find flow on. Alex Silva lets the bike work on his way to the Expert 30-39 class win.

 

Calvin Grandmont is just one of the many young Canadian rippers making the trip across the border to race gravity. He took the Amateur 18U win by 4.17 seconds

Max Jackson throws a little style on his way to the Expert 19-29 win.

Proof that the sun actually came out for a few minutes on Sunday afternoon, along with Expert 16U winner Matthew Spain cutting it close to hold the inside line.

Super tight racing in the 50+ Masters class with Derek Abraham coming out on top by just 0.15s over Fred Bassett.

Cooper Pleva found his flow this weekend, P6 and less than ten seconds off the Pro Men's win.

Maxine Bergeron was flying toward the bottom of the course, winning the third split. She wasn't quite as fast at the top top but was still able to secure P3 for the Pro Women.

Hot off her third place at the Leogang World Cup, Riley Miller came home to race with the Maxxis ESC community. She would go P2, just 3.77 seconds off the win.

Kale Cushman came out on top with a 3:32, combined with her second place Enduro result would secure the Oakley Showdown win.

Intense DH Pro Women: 4th - Lucy Attebury, 2nd - Riley Miller, 1st - Kale Cushman, 3rd - Maxine Bergeron, 5th - Alexandra Galarneau

P3 for veteran Canadian speed fiend Patrick Paré-Martin, he would lead the third split just 4.82s off the win.

Don't call it a comeback but Hugo Langevin sure is putting together some lightning fast race runs this year. Second place with a loose run this weekend, his second Pro podium in a row.

Last time we were here Dylan Conte took the win and this weekend he went and did it again. Racing World Cups, coaching New England's fastest at KMS, winning ESC races, the guy does it all.

Intense DH Pro Men: 4th - Steve Estabrook, 2nd - Hugo Langevin, 1st - Dylan Conte, 3rd - Patrick Paré-Martin, 5th - Lucas DeDora

Oakley Showdown Podiums: Nick Frazier in first and Noah Couture in second for the men and Kale Cushman cleaning house on the women's side.

So long from Killington, even with all the rain it's been a blast. We'll see Stan's Enduro racers July 7-8 at Arrowhead Recreation Area for the Outbound Lighting Night Enduro. Don't miss out on a whole lot of loamers and laughs, get registered today!

Words and photos: Andrew Santoro
Video: Seth Merritt

Stan's Enduro Results
Intense DH Results
Race Recap Podcast
Easternstatescup.com


2023 MAXXIS ESC PRESENTED BY KATE'S REAL FOOD SCHEDULE

INTENSE CYCLES DOWNHILL SERIES
April 30 Powder Ridge, CT
June 18 Jiminy Peak, MA
June 25 Killington, VT
July 23 Sugarbush, VT
July 30 Mount Snow, VT
Aug 20 Sugarloaf, ME
Aug 27 Blue Mountain, PA
Sept 17 Thunder Mountain, MA
Oct 8 Powder Ridge, CT
Oct 15 Killington, VT Series Finals

STAN'S ENDURO SERIES
May 21 Powder Ridge, CT
June 4 Glen Park, PA
June 18 Jiminy Peak, MA
June 25 Killington, VT
July 8 Arrowhead, NH – Outbound Night Enduro
July 23 Sugarbush, VT
Aug 6 Burke, VT
Aug 20 Sugarloaf, ME
Aug 27 Blue Mountain, PA
Sept 10 Arrowhead, NH
Sept 17 Thunder Mountain, MA
Oct 1 Woodstock, VT
Oct 29 Thunder Mountain, MA Series Finals

OAKLEY SHOWDOWN SERIES
June 18 Jiminy Peak, MA
June 25 Killington, VT
July 23 Sugarbush, VT
Aug 20 Sugarloaf, ME
Aug 27 Blue Mountain, PA
Sept 17 Thunder Mountain, MA Series Finals

MOTOREX EBIKE ENDURO SERIES
May 21 Powder Ridge, CT
June 4 Glen Park, PA
July 8 Arrowhead, NH – Outbound Night Enduro
August 20 Sugarloaf, ME
Sept 10 Arrowhead, NH
Sept 17 Thunder Mountain, MA
Oct 1 Woodstock, VT
Oct 29 Thunder Mountain, MA Series Finals