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7.09.07
Rough Riders
Next week's Mountain Bike National Championships at Mount
Snow mark the first time that the event is held in the East.
The USA Cycling Mountain Bike National
Championships come to Vermont's Mount Snow on July 17 - 22. (This and
homepage photo courtesy of Mount Snow.)
This month,
biking steps to the forefront of the sports world. But instead
of sitting on your couch watching weeks of Tour de France
coverage on your television, you can catch the nation’s baddest
mountain bike riders battling for supremacy — and a spot on the
2008 Olympic team — in person, right here in New England.
For the first time ever, USA
Cycling will hold its National Mountain Bike Championships
in the East when Vermont’s
Mount Snow hosts the event July 17 – 22. The nation’s
top-ranked pros will compete in such events as the Dual Slalom,
Super-D and Short Track. At stake are more than the national
championships. Mount Snow Events Director Greg Fisher says these races will
play a large role in determining who makes the Olympic teams
heading to Beijing in 2008.
The national championships have always been held out west, like
last year’s races in Sonoma, California. But when the folks at
Mount Snow heard USA Cycling was looking for a new home for the
event, they immediately stated their interest and were selected
as the host within a month. For those familiar with mountain
biking at Mount Snow, the selection was no surprise. This is the
19th consecutive year the resort has hosted a major competitive
mountain bike event, having hosted races on the UCI World Cup
Circuit and the NORBA/USA Cycling National Mountain Bike Series.
The national championships will feature competitions in Cross
Country, Short Track, Dual Slalom, Downhill, Super-Downhill, and
Observed Trials. There are two downhill courses: one for pros
and experts that descends roughly 1,700 feet, and another
shorter one for beginners and sport classes that descends
roughly 1,100 feet. Fisher says the Mount Snow Cross Country
course is known around the nation as one of the most grueling
and challenging on the mountain bike circuit. The course is
shaped like a cloverleaf. Riders leave the base area for one
mile and loop back. They then take on a 4-mile loop that
includes nearly 3 miles of climbing through woods filled with
rocks, roots, loose dirt and stream beds. Riders do between two
and six laps, depending on their designated classes.
Fisher says the event is set up to be fan-friendly and easy to
watch. The races will center in the resort’s Main Base Area,
with courses either starting or finishing there. Fans can catch
the races from the sides of the trails, and they are encouraged
to be loud and enthusiastic. Fisher says fans commonly bring
cowbells, megaphones and even bongo drums to cheer on riders.
If you’re heading to the event, there’s a $10 parking fee for
one day, or you can get a four-day pass for $25. For more
information, check out
www.mountsnow.com/mtbike.
-D.M.
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