Wisconsin defends Border Battle title

• Border Battle

For the fourth straight year, Wisconsin won the annual Border Battle on the trails at Whitetail Ridge Corporate Park Sunday. Bob Burrows photo

Talk about it

For the fourth straight year, Wisconsin won the annual Border Battle on the trails at Whitetail Ridge Corporate Park Sunday.

Bike racers from the Wisconsin Off Road Series and the Minnesota State Championship Series have squared off each year in River Falls since 2008 for bragging rights and the traveling trophy that goes to the winning state. While Minnesota came within a single point of victory in 2010, the spread in 2011 was over 17 points as Wisconsin defended the traveling trophy, boosted by a number of local racers.

Chad Sova of River Falls posted a ninth place time of 1 hour, 38 minutes, 17.5 seconds in the final race of the day, the 25-mile Elite Pro/Cat 1 event.

Earlier in the day, Shelly Burr of River Falls finished ninth in the 10-mile Cat Citizen Female division with a time of 59:45.3. In the Cat 3 Citizen Male race, River Falls’ Jared LaFave finished 36th with a time of 50:48.2.

In the 15-mile Cat 2 Sport Female race, Tina Olson of River Falls placed 20th with a time of 1:09:56.8, while in the Cat 2 Sport male race, Brooks Lockwood placed 28th in 58:04.1, Kevin Thum finished 66th in 1:00:55.7, and Massimiliano Toffolon finished 83rd in 1:01:51.6.

Rick Cleary paced the locals racers in the 20-mile Cat 2 Comp Male race with a 23rd place time of 1:23:30.2 while Eric Weidman finished 39th in 1:25:16.2 and Chris Brown finished 89th in 1:35:32.1.

Nearly 700 racers took part in the full day of races, which were presented by the Economic Development Corporation of River Falls

Tags: sports, biking, outdoors, wisconsin