The Stoopid 50 brought together Pennsylvania's all stars for a sweet day of backcountry singletrack...
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Betsy Shogren (WV Big Wheel/Cannondale)(Image credit: Bob Popovich)
Racers were treated to great scenery(Image credit: Bob Popovich)
The Stoopid 50 brought together Pennsylvania's all stars for a sweet day of backcountry singletrack racing. Racers gathered under bright, sunny skies to ride the technical Pennsylvania terrain.
Brandon Draugelis (Bare Naked / Cannondale) comfortably rode his own race, showing a deep yet relaxed focus reminiscent of Chris Eatough's style as he won the inaugural Stoopid 50 Mile Race. 22-year-old Draugelis divides his time between fast cross country races and specialty endurance events.
This year Draugelis is looking to take a step up on the podium at the 24 Hours of Adrenaline World Solo Championships. His bronze medal performance in the 2006 event in Conyers, Georgia, might have surprised some, but not those who race with him. "The kid is rock solid, not only explosively fast, but smooth and fluid," said fellow competitor Tom Miller. "These seem to be required attributes needed to compete at the new level of endurance racings since Eatough stepped into this genre in 2000."
Betsy Shogren (WV Big Wheel/Cannondale) put in a hard few hours chasing her thoughts as she rode far clear ahead for the victory in the women's event. "Betsy thought second place rider Tiffany Kinney (Summa Care) was leading and kept her pace high until she was told at the halfway mark that she was clearly off the front at a pretty safe distance," said event promoter Chris Scott. This is Betsy's second win in the area as she also won the 2006 Wilderness 101, an event in the NUE series.
Sue George is an editor at Cyclingnews. She coordinates all of the site's mountain bike race coverage and assists with the road, 'cross and track coverage.
