Editor

Mt. SNOW, Vt-Former Cooperstown resident Clay Wilcox is an intense competitor, but his second place finish at the NORBA National finals mountain bike race on Sunday was just as satisfying as any victory.

Wilcox, the son of Hilda and Sam Wilcox of Cooperstown, finished second behind his good friend, Michael Patrick, in the race which attracted 50-75 cyclists from around the country. Wilcox has won the event three times, with Patrick finishing second each time.

"Michael had a brain tumor a year and a half ago, so for him to come back and win the race was so inspiring," Wilcox said. "People from all over the country come to the race and we were kind of the local boys, so it was nice to finish 1-2."

Wilcox said the course consists of three laps basically straight up the mountain with a single lane descent.

"It's pretty much a torture-fest," he said. "On the single lane down it is basically nothing but mud, roots and rocks, which helps the riders from the east coast, because the riders from California don't have that type of track to practice on."

Wilcox, 37, took third last year and said he had only hoped for a top 10 finish prior to the race.

"I have a full-time job and three children so I only get to practice four or five hours a week," he said. "I've been racing for 14 years now, and the day of the race was very hot, so I was very happy with second place."

Wilcox finished with a time of one hour, 51 minutes and five seconds, while Patrick's winning time was one hour, 49 minutes and one second.

Wilcox said after a third place finish last year, and a second this year, he is hoping to win his fourth national title in 2003.

"I seem to be making that progress, so we'll see what happens," he said.

Wilcox attended Cooperstown Middle School through the eighth grade, and also worked in Cooperstown for eight years after a stint as a diver for Jacques Cousteau. In 1998, he qualified for the 20-member United States team for the World Masters Championships at Mt. St. Anne in Quebec.