World Cup Notebook: Shiffrin back from Saas-Fee

Mikaela Shiffrin’s latest on-snow camp in the Swiss Alps, which wrapped up last week, was constructive despite the lack of snow on the Saas-Fee glacier this year.

“Another productive on-snow camp in the books,” the defending overall World Cup champion wrote on social media. “Everyone worked so hard to create a training environment that would be successful, and all of that work is not lost on me.”

Shiffrin stated she’ll be back home “for a little more gym time,” before heading to South America for the next training camp.

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New Zealand’s Ōhau Snow Fields was the venue of choice for River Radamus and the U.S. men’s ski team. Radamus posted a shot of a snow-crusted chair lift and misty sky blanketing the Ohau course to his Instagram page yesterday.

Recent VMS graduate Mack Dorf has been earning his stripes in the uber-competitive European cycling circuit this summer, racing for LUX, the prestigious California-based under-19 development team.

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After finishing a five-day stage race in France, where the American squad endured 100-degree temperatures along with nagging illnesses and untimely injuries, LUX traveled to Austria for the Oberosterreich Junioren Rundfahrt from July 23-25. The three-stage race across Upper Austria — one of Europe’s largest junior races— saw over 140 athletes from 10 different nations compete. In the time trial, Dorf was the fourth-fastest American and 12-seconds out of the top spot, which made him 36th overall in the incredibly tight group of talent.

LUX then traveled to Holland July 29-31 for the Watersley Junior Challenge before heading off to Belgium for the 57th edition of La Fleche Ardennaise. In the opening 97-kilometer Aubel-Thimister-Stavelot stage, Dorf helped teammate Viggo Moore claim the win. In the third stage, fellow LUX rider Jesse Maris finished in third.

“Feels good to finally hit a Euro race healthy with some good legs. A bit hilly for me but a big ride from Jesse to bring home third overall,” Dorf posted on social media. “Excited for the last race of this block in France.”

Eagle’s Jaime Schulte is a Red Bull Romaniacs finisher. Competing in the ‘atom’ division — one of five categories — Schulte completed the four-day race, one of the world’s most challenging and unique enduro rally races, in 17 hours, 4 minutes and 3 seconds. She placed 15th out of 50 riders in the atom division.

“It was such a cool experience!” she stated, noting that of the more than 500 racers to compete, she heard she was one of just six women to race.

“I think I’ll be making this trip again in my future.” 

The five-day, 600-kilometer hard enduro started July 26 and took contestants, who have to navigate by GPS, through Sibiu, Romania and the Southern Carpathian Mountains. 

Edwards’ Jen Razee was the queen of the boat at the Emerald Mountain Epic, Steamboat Spring’s premiere single-track mountain bike race and trail marathon. She had the fastest combined time in the 52-mile mountain bike and 26.2-mile trail run to claim the $300 winner’s purse.

“I’m pretty psyched with this result, but mostly I’m happy I kept running and found the finish line with the help of some flat Coke and pickle shot magic,” she posted on social media.

Razee was in third after the Aug. 6 bike leg, completing the challenging course, which contained over 6,600 feet of climbing, in 5 hours, 35 minutes and 27 seconds. Viva Team’s Veronika Merchant (5:13:53) held the lead going into Sunday, though Razee would finish the marathon run in 4:21:12 to Merchant’s 5:11:35 to take the top podium spot.

In the men’s race, Avon’s Michael Dorr came in fourth overall in the king of the boat challenge.

Professional trail runner Kim Dobson destroyed the field at the 10th annual Rendezvous Mountain Hill Climb on Saturday at Jackson Hole Ski Resort. Frigid rain and cloudy skies couldn’t stop the Eagle runner from blitzing the 6.1-mile uphill course — with 4,100 feet of climb — in 1:08:37, over nine minutes in front of second-place finisher Samantha Diaz. Dobson’s time was good for fifth overall and was just 2:44 off of the male podium.

“This year’s rainy weather made the finish line even more special,” she posted on social media. “Pumped and grateful to have cracked 1:10 on the course.”

She offered a challenge for next year’s field, too.

“Word is next year the sub-hour bonus increases to $2,000 — who’s going to get it!?!”