Mitch Ropelato Wins Sea Otter Classic

Comprised of numerous gigantic berms and small jumps, the Californian dirt is usually fast rolling and incredibly slippery, especially if riders get off line and into the marbles along the sides of the worn in trail. A Utah local, Ropelato is more than used to the conditions he faced Saturday night.

“I’m so stoked, it was a good race,” said Ropelato. "I rode really well and am happy to bring home another win – it’s a three peat. The course was very slippery this year and hard to ride fast.”

With one course running faster than the other, it wasn’t a night of easy wins, and the reigning champ had to battle back in a couple of rounds to move on. In the finals, Ropelato blasted to the front and stayed there, smoking the competition by two seconds.

With the World Cup season set to get underway, plans now focus on Europe and the first Downhill round in a couple of weeks time at a classic track, Maribor, Slovenia. 

“I’m definitely excited to go into Slovenia with the results I have for this year. I think the speed on the downhill bike will get better and better as we go through the season,” said Ropelato.