GNCC - Round 4: Location: Washington, Georgia Round four of the GNCC (Grand National Cross Country) series was held this past weekend in Georgia. The GNCC "Safe to Race" task force laid out guidelines for all racers to insure everyone's safety. Conditions were hot and dusty for the riders. Beta USA's factory team took safe measures as well with the technicians setting up on Friday and staying away from the event until the race day on Sunday.
Beta USA Factory team riders endured the conditions finishing as follows:
Cody Barnes: 5th - XC2 class; Thorn Devlin: 6th - XC2 class; Chase Colville: 5th - XC3 class; Rachel Gutish: 4th - XCW class
The GNCC series resumes May 30th in South Carolina. The team also will be attending Round two of the NEPG (National Enduro) series the following weekend on June 7th.
Cody Barnes 250 RR Race Edition "I got off to a decent start and went into the first woods section 2nd. With the tempers high and no rain in several days the track was very dusty making it almost impossible at times to see. I felt good early on and was running a comfortable pace however around the 5th lap I started having problems with hydration. I thought I had been consuming enough water throughout the race but with the hot weather I didn't drink enough and it made the last 2 laps very difficult. Very frustrated with myself for allowing this to happen when my Beta USA 250 RR was running awesome and I was in a good position to possibly get my first podium. I finished 5th in XC2 and 12th overall."
Thorn Devlin 250 RR Race Edition "It was very refreshing to get back to the track and continue racing. My Beta 250 RR had me off to a great start and ran strong, keeping me there until the checkered. I'm pleased with my finish as we made great progress and furthered our race craft."
Chase Colville 125 RR Race Edition "I started the day with a good start and worked my way into 2nd in the beginning stages of the race, unfortunately I started to cramp from dehydration and dropped back to 5th. My Beta 125 RR performed outstanding the whole three hours not giving me a single problem in the very dusty conditions."
Rachel Gutish 300 RR Race Edition "I still wasn't where I wanted to be at the Bulldog GNCC, but I'm closer than I've been all year. I finished fourth in WXC after successfully running with the front pack and at times leading during the first two laps. I had a minor crash on the second lap and lost sight of the leaders. Without being able to see them, I struggled to run their pace. The bike handled perfectly and I am super happy with my setup! I just need to focus on minimizing mistakes and work on my ability to maintain a fast pace while riding alone."
Photo Credit: Ken Hill