Nebraska Cycling News

National Championship Event Offers Last Minute Opportunity for Olympians Before Heading to Beijing

West Dover, Vt. - The 2008 USA Cycling Mountain Bike National Championships will return to  Mount Snow Resort in West Dover, Vt. for the second year in a row, July 17-20. More than 1,000 athletes are already registered to compete for a Stars-and-Stripes jersey in seven different styles of off-road racing, including the four riders set to represent the United States in the upcoming Olympic Games in Beijing, China.  

2008 Olympians Adam Craig (Bend, Ore.) and Mary McConneloug (Chilmark, Mass.) will be on hand to defend their 2007 national titles in the pro Olympic-style cross country contest, along with Todd Wells (Durango, Colo.) and Georgia Gould (Fort Collins, Colo.) who have also qualified for Beijing. Fresh off the 2008 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships, Cole Bangert (Twin Lakes, Colo.) and Kathy Pruitt (Santa Cruz, Calif.) are set to defend their Stars-and-Stripes jersey in the pro downhill races on Sunday.
 
With over 2,000 competitors expected to compete across beginner, sport, expert, semi-pro and professional categories, the 2008 USA Cycling Mountain Bike National Championships will also feature several additional disciplines of mountain bike competition including Short Track Cross Country, Dual Slalom, Super D, Observed Trials and Singlespeed Cross Country. Although on-line registration is now closed, on-site registration will be available for a nominal fee. 

Utilizing largely the same routes as the 2007 competition, athletes can expect demanding and technical courses that will challenge even the sport's best. This year's cross country competition will cover the same five-mile loop as in 2007 with race lengths from five miles for the 12 & under juniors, to 25 miles for the professionals. For a complete list of race lengths and lap counts, click here <http://www.mountsnow.com/usa_bike/2008_laps.pdf> .  The 2008 downhill competition will feature two different courses with one specifically suited for the beginner and sport classes and the other designed to challenge the skills of the nation's top pro gravity riders. Click here <http://www.mountsnow.com/usa_bike/usa_2008/maps.html>  for course maps for both the cross country and downhill competitions.

In addition to the various off-road cycling competitions, USA Cycling is set to present the four U.S. Olympic mountain bikers with their official Olympic jersey during a special ceremony at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, July 19. At that time the national governing body will also be announcing the dates and host venue of the 2009-10 USA Cycling Mountain Bike National Championships. 

With a 20-year history in hosting world-class mountain bike competitions including UCI World Cups and National Mountain Bike Series events, Mount Snow's hosting of last year's USA Cycling National Championships marked the first time the resort hosted a stand-alone national championship event since USA Cycling introduced the format in 2004. With a reputation for having some of the most technical terrain in the country, Mount Snow is honored to be the first East Coast venue ever to host the USA Cycling Mountain Bike National Championships.