MTB National Championship FAQ

Q: When is the qualification period?
A: The qualification period for the 2010 MTB National Championships started August 1, 2009 and will end July 11, 2010.

Q: Do Pro riders need to qualify in order to compete?
A: No, riders who are categorized as USA Cycling MTB Pro riders do not need to qualify in order to compete at the 2010 USA Cycling MTB National Championships. This is a UCI-recognized National Championship and Pro riders will be competing for valuable UCI-ranking points, which will help the United States with their overall UCI-ranking. Both Pro and amateur riders must have a current annual license in order to compete at the 2010 MTB National Championships.  Pro riders must also be a United States citizen in order to compete.

Q: Can Master riders (30+ years old as of December 31) categorized as Pro, ‘race-down’ to their Category 1 age-group in order to win a Category 1 Master National Champion title?
A: No, Pros riders who are 30+ years old will not be allowed to ‘race-down’ to Category 1 in order to win a title.

Q:  Who may compete in the XCO Masters age-group classes (no ability category) for Men (55-59, 60-64, 65-69, 70+) and Women (45-49, 50-54, 55-59, 60+)?
A:  Riders will qualify in their ability category, then compete in their respective age-group at the MTB National Championships.  There is not an ability category minimum for these National Championship classes.

Q: Are U23 riders required to be Pro in order to compete in the U23 class or be awarded the U23 National Champion jersey and title?
A: No, U23 riders may be any category, as long as they are between the racing ages of 19-22 years old.  The U23 riders will be competing on the same course as the Pro XCO.

Q: When will riders be notified if they have qualified?
A: Riders who have qualified for the 2010 USA Cycling MTB National Championships will be posted to the USA Cycling website (www.usacycling.org) as soon as they are determined. Email notifications will also be sent to riders opting-in to receive emails from USA Cycling (this can be done through a current member’s online account). The qualified riders list is automatically generated from the race results received from qualification event organizers.

Q: Dual Slalom qualify riders for 4X at the 2010 USAC MTB National Championships?
A: Yes, Dual slalom will qualify riders for 4X.

Q: Where can riders find qualification races and/or series?
A: The qualification races for the 2010 USAC National MTB Championships are USA Cycling MTB State and Regional Championships, American Mountain Bike Challenge (AMBC) events, Alison Dunlap Junior Mountain Bike (ADJ-MTB) events for juniors, MTB National Calendars (MBNC), Pro XCT, Pro GRT, Collegiate Conference MTB Championships and the USA Cycling Junior Development Mountain Bike Camps. All of these races, series, and camps may be found on the USA Cycling website (www.usacycling.org).

Q: What if I qualify in Category 2 (Sport), the upgrade and qualify in Category 1 (Expert)? Do I have the option of competing in one or the other or both?
A: Riders must compete in the highest category. The higher category qualification will override the lower category qualification. Riders cannot compete in both categories in the same discipline.

Q: What if I qualify in a different age-group than my official racing age?
A: Riders may qualify in a different age-group other than their official racing age (as of December 31 of the current year), but they must compete in their official racing age-group at the MTB National Championships.

Q. I think I'm qualified, but don't see my name on the qualified rider list.  May I still compete?
A.  Yes, riders may register if they can prove they have qualified by race results.  Rider qualification and eligibility will be confirmed during packet pick-up/race registration with the qualified rider list or race results.

Q.  Why is my name not appearing on the qualified rider list? 
A.  A rider may not be appearing on the qualified rider list for a number of reasons:
  1. The racer results still need to be submitted to USA Cycling.  You can see if the results have been submitted by going to the results search page:   www.usacycling.org/results
  2.  A rider license number is missing.  If the license number is missing, the rider's actual racing age and/or category may not be known.  Once the rider has their license number added to the results, their name should appear on the qualified rider list.