Lindsey Jacobellis (Bondville, VT) extended her World Cup win streak to four Saturday topping the women's snowboard cross at the Mt. Bachelor Snowboard Classic Powered by Chevrolet.

The win comes just one week after the 18-year-old U.S. Snowboarding riders historic sweep of the Joetsu, Japan, World Cup, where she won two SBX races before capping the weekend with a win in halfpipe. On the year, Jacobellis has won every SBX that sheÕs entered including four World Cups, the Chevrolet U.S. Snowboard Grand Prix in Mammoth Mountain, Calif. and the X Games.

"I can definitely tell you Japan took a toll on my body," said Jacobellis, who loved course built by Pat Malendoski and Ryan Neptune of Planet Snowdesign. "I was running this course with a pretty bad cold and so it was pretty hard to breath with this long course, but Neptune's courses always do really well for me because I can get the rhythm down so well."

Double duty
Yet for Jacobellis, being the best at SBX is not enough as her success flows from the head to head action of SBX to the individual intensity of halfpipe. This season has also been her most successful to date in the pipe with two World Cup podiums in three starts including her win in Japan. She also nabbed her first Grand Prix podium with third at Mountain Creek, New Jersey and now prepares to head back East for a little time at home before the U.S. Open.

"I'm so excited to get home, sleep in my own bed and then to look to do well in the Open. I'd love to have a podium in my home state," said Jacobellis. "My goal is eternally the Olympics. I want to represent the United States in boardercross and halfpipe - I want to be the first person to do that."

On the men's side, U.S. favorite Seth Wescott (Farmington, ME) hit a stroke of bad luck as he was knocked out in the quarterfinals after making a taking a slow line through the first tight turn on a course that offered little forgiveness.

"I was really way to tentative in the time trial so I was coming from the worst lane choice, but this is an event of small percentages," said the 2003 World Championship silver medalist. "It's hard, it's definitely always an advantage if you can have the tightest line in the first turn because you can control the race, I just didn't have that chance today."

Bigger at Bachelor
However the Mt. Bachelor event was important to Wescott for other reasons because it was the first time that the World Cup tour had seen the type of technical course that is standard in the United States. Wescott and Mt. Bachelor winner Xavier Delerue of France attended a meeting with FIS officials on Thursday night to discuss course design.

"The FIS was really receptive to the meeting we had the other night, I think Ryan (Neptune) did a great job with this course and hopefully they see how it runs and see that it's more exciting when there's passing opportunities," added Wescott. "Once we get to the Olympics I want it to be a good show. It was nice that we could host an event in the states and really show them what the course could be." Delerue agreed saying, "We complain about not having enough jumps like we had today and about not having enough action and I'm really glad to show that it works and that it's a great show. It was awesome, really."

On the podium along with Delerue was Canadian Drew Neilson and Italian Alberto Schiavon, who celebrated his first World Cup final with a third place finish. Nabbing the fourth spot in the final was Delerue's little brother Paul-Henri, who won the World Juniors in Germany just a few weeks prior to racing at Mt. Bachelor. Joining Jacobellis was fellow French team member Marie Laissus followed by Austria's Doresia Krings.

Other U.S. riders making the final 32 of 78 male starters were Jason Smith (Basalt, CO), Mark Schulz (Portland, OR) and Matt Shrive (Reno, NV). Emma Rahme (Jackson, WY) was the lone U.S. woman to join Jacobellis in the final 16 of 41 female starters.

FIS SNOWBOARD WORLD CUP
Women's Snowboard Cross Final

1. Lindsey Jacobellis, Bondville, Vt.
2. Marie Laissus, France
3. Doresia Krings, Austria
4. Dominique Maltais, Canada
5. Karine Ruby, France

13. Emma Rahme, Jackson, Wyo.
18. Kirsten Romano

Men's Snowboard Cross Final

1. Xavier Delerue, France
2. Drew Neilson, Canada
3. Alberto Schiavon, Italy
4. Paul-Henri Delerue, France
5. Jasey Jay Anderson, Canada

14. Seth Wescott, Farmington, Maine
18. Jason Smith, Basalt, Colo.
20. Mark Schulz, Portland, Ore.
26. Matt Shrive, Reno, Nev.
35. Christian Mosiman, Snowmass Village, Colo.
38. David Manthei, Steamboat Springs, Colo.
39. Ben Jacobellis, Bondville, Vt.
44. Zach Kay, Mount Shasta, Calif.

— Courtesy, US Snowboard Team