As we reported last week, the 2003 mountain bike race season is now in full swing and team Seven pro Mary McConneloug kicked it off with an outstanding 3rd place overall at the Sea Otter Classic. But while most of us here at the shop were still raving about that incredible race, Mary and her Seven teammate Mike Broderick were off to the Napa Valley Dirt Classic to join nearly 500 others who turned out for a Sunday of racing in a mountain biker’s paradise.
As if still on a high from the previous weekend’s podium finish, Mary flew through the 22-mile course wearing a smile that made the race seem more like a ride in the park. But her six-minute gap over Gina Hall in second place left no doubt that Mary was all business that day.
The pro men’s race would be no less decisive for team Seven. Mike Broderick put forth a remarkable effort, landing him on the podium’s top spot. It would be nearly two minutes before Andy Jacques Maynes and Tinker Juarez would come across the line in second and third respectively.