MTB National Championships begin next week
September 13, 2004 (Colorado Springs, Colo.) – The mountain bike season will come to a thrilling close in the U.S. next week with the inaugural USA Cycling Mountain Bike National Championships at Mammoth Mountain, Calif. slated for Sept.23-26. The popular destination will debut the new one-day format for naming national champions. American riders will now contest a national championship against each other, without competition from foreign riders, putting the U.S. in line with how other countries crown their national champions.
For the first time in the history of the sport, the format is “winner-take-all,” allowing qualified riders to seriously compete for the title, which was more difficult under the old system where champions were crowned by series standings.
“We’re very excited about the debut of the new ‘winner-take-all’ format. Our members have wanted a one-day national championship for a while, and we’re thrilled to see it come to fruition this year.” USA Cycling CEO Gerard Bisceglia remarked.
By the end of the day on Sunday, 98 stars and stripes jerseys will have been awarded to new national champions in the pro/elite, semi-pro, expert, and junior expert categories. 85 racers will ride away with competition jerseys in the sport, beginner, and junior categories.
Action begins on Thursday, Sept. 23 with the marathon and crowning of the weekend’s first national champions. The open event begins early in the morning and will see riders climb over 6,000 feet for three laps of a 22.5 mile circuit. Slated for Friday are the cross-country races that range from five miles with 995 feet of climbing for the youngest juniors to 27 miles with 5,469 feet of climbing for the pro men. Saturday competition will include more cross-country action as well as mountain cross, downhill, Super D, and observed trials. Racing wraps up on Sunday with the remaining downhill contests, all short-track races, and the Shimano youth race.
With Series standings not taken into account, riders have only one race to prove themselves worthy of a stars and stripes jersey, paving the way for some thrilling competition. Favorite pros will be present to highlight the weekend, including 2004 Olympian Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski (Boulder, Colo.) who is always a threat in the cross-country and short track races. JHK will be at battle with riders like Travis Brown (Boulder, Colo.) who was the 1st American in the NORBA National Mountain Bike Series short track standings, and the 2nd American in cross-country. Other favorites include Ryan Trebon (Corvallis, Ore.), who was the top American this year in cross-country, and 2004 Olympian Todd Wells (Durango, Colo.) Women’s racing will likely see strong performances by the Luna Chix duo of Alison Dunlap (Colorado Springs, Colo.) and Shonny Vanlandingham (Durango, Colo.) Dunlap took the top spot in this year’s NORBA short track standings after spending much of the season racing overseas, while Vanlandingham was the dominant woman in the cross-country series. The two will work together to present strong threats in both races. Willow Koerber (Ashville, N.C.) will also be a rider to keep an eye on, as she has had a breakout season with two NORBA cross-country victories and a World Cup podium.
The focal point of gravity racing will be brand new 2004 World 4-Cross Champion Eric Carter (Temecula, Calif.). Carter claimed the overall series title in mountain cross this year, and was also the second American in the downhill standings. Among his competition is Mike King (San Diego, Calif.), Brian Schmith (Lancaster, Calif.) and Rich Houseman (Pasadena, Calif.) – who was the top American in the NORBA downhill standings. On the women’s side, 2004 World Championship silver medalist Jill Kintner (Murrieta, Calif.) will likely continue her winning ways in the mountain cross. Kathy Pruitt (Lake Almanor, Calif.) is the dominant American woman in downhill, while April Lawyer (Murrieta, Calif.), Melissa Buhl (Chandler, Ariz.), and Marla Streb (Los Osos, Calif.) are always threats to steal the win.
Mammoth Mountain is a popular destination with deep roots in mountain biking. The ideal location combined with the new format and world famous talent should make for a weekend of pure excitement. “Mammoth Mountain has a long history as an industry leader in mountain bike racing – making it the perfect location for the 2004 National Championships,” commented Mammoth Mountain Sponsorship and Event Manager Kristy Williams. “We’re thrilled to be hosting NORBA again after a two-year hiatus and expect it to be an incredible event for both racers and spectators.”
For more information about the National Mountain Bike Championships, click here.
For the first time in the history of the sport, the format is “winner-take-all,” allowing qualified riders to seriously compete for the title, which was more difficult under the old system where champions were crowned by series standings.
“We’re very excited about the debut of the new ‘winner-take-all’ format. Our members have wanted a one-day national championship for a while, and we’re thrilled to see it come to fruition this year.” USA Cycling CEO Gerard Bisceglia remarked.
By the end of the day on Sunday, 98 stars and stripes jerseys will have been awarded to new national champions in the pro/elite, semi-pro, expert, and junior expert categories. 85 racers will ride away with competition jerseys in the sport, beginner, and junior categories.
Action begins on Thursday, Sept. 23 with the marathon and crowning of the weekend’s first national champions. The open event begins early in the morning and will see riders climb over 6,000 feet for three laps of a 22.5 mile circuit. Slated for Friday are the cross-country races that range from five miles with 995 feet of climbing for the youngest juniors to 27 miles with 5,469 feet of climbing for the pro men. Saturday competition will include more cross-country action as well as mountain cross, downhill, Super D, and observed trials. Racing wraps up on Sunday with the remaining downhill contests, all short-track races, and the Shimano youth race.
With Series standings not taken into account, riders have only one race to prove themselves worthy of a stars and stripes jersey, paving the way for some thrilling competition. Favorite pros will be present to highlight the weekend, including 2004 Olympian Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski (Boulder, Colo.) who is always a threat in the cross-country and short track races. JHK will be at battle with riders like Travis Brown (Boulder, Colo.) who was the 1st American in the NORBA National Mountain Bike Series short track standings, and the 2nd American in cross-country. Other favorites include Ryan Trebon (Corvallis, Ore.), who was the top American this year in cross-country, and 2004 Olympian Todd Wells (Durango, Colo.) Women’s racing will likely see strong performances by the Luna Chix duo of Alison Dunlap (Colorado Springs, Colo.) and Shonny Vanlandingham (Durango, Colo.) Dunlap took the top spot in this year’s NORBA short track standings after spending much of the season racing overseas, while Vanlandingham was the dominant woman in the cross-country series. The two will work together to present strong threats in both races. Willow Koerber (Ashville, N.C.) will also be a rider to keep an eye on, as she has had a breakout season with two NORBA cross-country victories and a World Cup podium.
The focal point of gravity racing will be brand new 2004 World 4-Cross Champion Eric Carter (Temecula, Calif.). Carter claimed the overall series title in mountain cross this year, and was also the second American in the downhill standings. Among his competition is Mike King (San Diego, Calif.), Brian Schmith (Lancaster, Calif.) and Rich Houseman (Pasadena, Calif.) – who was the top American in the NORBA downhill standings. On the women’s side, 2004 World Championship silver medalist Jill Kintner (Murrieta, Calif.) will likely continue her winning ways in the mountain cross. Kathy Pruitt (Lake Almanor, Calif.) is the dominant American woman in downhill, while April Lawyer (Murrieta, Calif.), Melissa Buhl (Chandler, Ariz.), and Marla Streb (Los Osos, Calif.) are always threats to steal the win.
Mammoth Mountain is a popular destination with deep roots in mountain biking. The ideal location combined with the new format and world famous talent should make for a weekend of pure excitement. “Mammoth Mountain has a long history as an industry leader in mountain bike racing – making it the perfect location for the 2004 National Championships,” commented Mammoth Mountain Sponsorship and Event Manager Kristy Williams. “We’re thrilled to be hosting NORBA again after a two-year hiatus and expect it to be an incredible event for both racers and spectators.”
For more information about the National Mountain Bike Championships, click here.
This Article Published September 13, 2004 For more information contact:
