Round six of the 2005 Shimano NORBA National Mountain Bike Series concluded on Sunday as Katerina Hanusova (CZE) outsprinted teammate Shonny Vanlandingham (Durango, Colo.) in the pro women's race.

The  event featured the powerful one-two punch of Luna teammates Hanusova and Vanlandingham as the duo finished first and second respectively ahead of a numerically disadvantaged Dara Marks-Marino (Flagstaff, Ariz.). About halfway through the race, after the blistering pace characteristic of a short track event and the high altitude took its toll on the field, Vanlandingham made the first serious attack to which only Saturday's cross country winner, Heather Irmiger (Boulder, Colo.), Hanusova and Marks-Marino could respond. Irmiger was the first to fall off the pace as the other three motored away creating the final selection.

Once the trio was clear, team tactics came into play as Vanlandingham and Hanusova clearly had the upper hand on Marks Marino. "We kept attacking Dara and making her pull," explained Vanlandingham.

Eventually, that strategy gave Vanlandingham a serious advantage that looked as though it would stick, but after Marks-Marino began to fade, Hanusova hit the gas to avoid being caught by the next group of chasers. "I could tell Dara was done," said Hanusova. "I just looked behind and saw a bunch of people possibly coming back, so I was like 'I'm going', I felt good and I had to go."

Once clear of Marks-Marino, Hanusova made up the distance to Vanlandingham and narrowly took the win in a photo finish. "I just felt good today and it was down to a few of us. We both need a lot of points because we're both sitting high in the overall," clarified Hanusova. "It's about winning races and I just wanted to win today."

Marks-Marino held on for third place ahead of Irmiger and Sue Haywood (Davis, W. Va.), who rounded out the top five respectively.

Hanusova now has a 50-point lead in the overall pro women's short track standings ahead of Haywood.

Also on Sunday, Kathy Pruitt (Lake Almanor, Calif.) captured the pro women's downhill.

In the women's marathon, Gretchen Reeves (Boulder, Colo.) took the win.

The 2005 Shimano NORBA National Mountain Bike Series heads to Snowshoe Mountain, W. Va. for round seven August 18-21, before concluding with the series finals in Mount Snow, Vt. August 25-28.

Pro Women's Cross Country (Top-five after six of eight events)

1. Sue Haywood (Davis, W. Va.) 955

2. Willow Koerber (Horseshoe, N.C) 917

3. Dara Marks-Marino (Flagstaff, Ariz.) 878

4. Alison Dunlap (Colorado Springs, Colo.) 877

5. Shonny Vanlandingham (Durango, Colo.) 873

Pro Women's Short Track (Top five after six of eight events)

1. Katerina Hanusova (CZE) 1026

2. Sue Haywood (Davis, W. Va.) 976

3. Shonny Vanlandingham (Durango, Colo.) 960

4. Dara Marks-Marino (Flagstaff, Ariz.) 920

5. Willow Koerber, (Horseshoe, N.C.) 823

Pro Women's Downhill (Top five after four of six events)

1. Kathy Pruitt (Lake Almanor, Calif.) 739

2. Bernardita Pizarro Lazo (CHI) 725

3. Melissa Miller (Avery, Calif.) 598

4. Kote Driscoll (San Luis Obispo, Calif.) 558

5. Wendy Reynolds (Moab, Utah) 530

Pro Women's Mountain Cross (Top-five after four of six events)

1. Melissa Buhl (Chandler, Ariz.) 526

2. Tara Llanes (Los Alamitos, Calif.) 493

3. Katrina Miller (AUS) 490

4. Leana Gerrard (Sumner, Wash.) 453

5. Joanna Petterson (RSA) 414

Pro Women's Super D (Top-five after five of seven events)

1. Jennifer Whalen (Idaho Springs, Colo.) 804

2. Leana Gerrard (Sumner, Wash.) 766

3. Elke Brutsaert (Durango, Colo.) 354

4. Tonya Laffey (Longmont, Colo.) 300

5. Bobbi Kae Watt (Broomfield, Colo.) 290

5. Arlo Buijten (Davenport, Calif.) 497

Open Women's Marathon (Top-five after six of seven events)

1. Monique Sawicki (Calimesa, Calif.) 839

2. Shannon Gibson (El Paso, Texas) 466

3. Hillary Harrison (Crystal Mountain, Wash.) 422

4. Gretchen Reeves (Boulder, Colo.) 364

5. Melissa Thomas (Boulder, Colo.) 354