Stars-and-Stripes Jerseys Up for Grabs
2010 saw Todd Wells become the first-ever pro to win national titles in both mountain bike cross-country, short-track and cyclo-cross. Mountain bikers from more than 30 states will descend on Sun Valley Idaho this week in search of a coveted Stars-and-Stripes jersey at USA Cycling’s cross-country national…
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Mountain bikers from more than 30 states will descend on Sun Valley Idaho this week in search of a coveted Stars-and-Stripes jersey at USA Cycling’s cross-country national championships.
Along with the country’s top pros, some 900 of the nation’s top amateur XC, super D and short-track racers will be competing from July 14-17. For the first time, USA Cycling has separated its mountain bike national championships into two distinct events: cross-country and gravity, with the cross-country portion set for this weekend. The USA Cycling Gravity Mountain Bike National Championships is set for Sept. 24-25 on North Carolina’s Beech Mountain.
Meanwhile reigning national XC champs Georgia Gould (Luna Pro Team) and Todd Wells (Specialized) will be on hand in Sun Valley to defend their elite-class titles. Gould, who hails from Ketchum, Idaho, will be extra motivated in front of a hometown crowd.
Wells, of Durango, Colorado, will look to continue his momentum after 2010 saw him become the first-ever pro to win national titles in both mountain bike cross-country, short-track and cyclo-cross.
Subaru-Trek teammates and husband and wife duo out of Boulder, Colorado, Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski and Heather Irmiger, will also be out to re-gain the national titles they won in tandem in Granby, Colorado, in 2009. Another former national champion hoping to complete his road to recovery following knee surgery in 2010 is Adam Craig (Bend, Oregon/Rabobank-Giant). And Sam Schultz (Missoula, Montana/Subaru-Trek) is also expected to be in the mix in the men’s events, along with former cyclo-cross national champion Ryan Trebon (Bend, Ore./Kona).
Other endurance specialists to be on the lookout for on the women’s side over the weekend include two-time Olympian Mary McConneloug (Chilmark, Ma./Kenda-Seven-No Tubes), seven-time cyclo-cross national champion and world championship medalist Katie Compton (Colorado Springs, Colo./RaboBank-Giant), Kelli Emmett (Colorado Springs/Giant) and youngsters Chloe Forsman (Tucson, Ariz./BMC Development) and Amy Dombroski (Boulder, Colo.).
For a complete list of registered riders, schedule, news and more visit the official event webpage of the USA Cycling Mountain Bike Cross-Country National Championships.
More information surrounding ancillary events, including Thursday’s $7,500 Fat Tire Criterium in the Ketchum Town Square, is available on the Ride Sun Valley Bike Festival webpage.