From Giant Bicycles and PikesPeakSports.us

Giant Factory Off-Road Team rider Kelli Emmett scored a pair of podium appearances at the Whiskey 50, a two-day mountain bike race held in Prescott, Ariz., over the weekend.

Emmett rode her Giant XtC Advanced SL to third place in Sunday’s 50-mile XC event, a tight battle that saw the top three riders finish within 90 seconds of each other. Emmett also finished second in Friday’s warm-up event, a fat-tire criterium held in downtown Prescott.

“It was such a close race,” Emmett said after the marathon distance “50-Proof” Cross-country, which took her a little over three and a half hours to complete. “I felt awesome and the race came down to the last three miles.”

This year Emmett is turning her attention to more endurance-oriented races like the Whiskey 50 and, later this summer, the Leadville 100 in her home state of Colorado.

Racing in Colorado Springs last month, Emmett said she felt good about her chances at Leadville this year. Click here to read the story.
“I am happy with my form for this time of year, and I just need to work a little more on my endurance,” she said.

Emmett’s teammate Carl Decker is following a similar race schedule this year, and also had a solid race in Arizona. Decker rode his XtC Composite 29er to fourth place in the cross-country.