As temperatures reached 100 deg, over 250 racers heated it up in round #10 in the prestigious North Carolina Cane Creek Cup. The marquee event, which was a huge field that started all pros, experts 19-29 and junior experts, featured Inland Construction-BTD pro team riders Charlie Storm, Charlie Pendry and Rob Moran along with 4 other southeast pros and Inland’s expert racer Joel Wood. After a slipped pedal at the start, Pendry easily worked his way to the front by the end of the first lap but eventually withdrew with the onset of tendonitis to avoid injury prior to the remaining NORBA NCS races the following weekends. But with Storm in the next chase group and Moran in the group close behind, the Inland Construction boys maneuvered their Shimano-Magura Team Issue Fuji’s through the tight trails for 2 of the 3 podium and cash prize placing. Storm won with Moran taking 3rd as the field charged in close behind. Expert racer Wood finished a close 8th, near the top off all remaining experts.

In other races, Elite cyclocross teammate John Degele secured another Inland Construction podium spot in only his third ever mountain bike race with 3rd in the Sport 30-39 event as he will soon “graduate” and take his Fuji hardtail to the next level. John “you’re going the wrong way!” Degele should have won but took the “wrong way” title from Moran as John was leading, went the wrong way, then had to race back for third. This was a repeat of Moran’s spring 2005 performance at the AMBC Tsali, NC race. Also, Don “The Hammer” Otte blazed his Storm Endurance bike to a second consecutive Cane Creek Cup win in a row in the 50+ race.