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7.24.07
Hometown Heroes
New Englanders Adam Craig and Mary McConneloug win at the
National Mountain Bike Championships at Vermont's Mount Snow.
.jpg)
Mary McConneloug crosses the finish
line to win the Pro Women's Cross Country event at the USA Cycling
Mountain Bike National Championships at Mount Snow last Friday. (Photo
by Luke Stafford)
Two of New
England’s own scored big at the USA Cycling Mountain Bike
National Championships at Vermont’s Mount Snow last week.
Pro riders Adam Craig and Mary McConneloug each won the Cross
Country event, the most prestigious race in the national
championships. Craig, who is originally from Exeter, Maine, also
added a first-place finish in the Super Downhill event and a
second-place finish in the Men’s Short Track.
.jpg) For
Craig, his Cross Country championship was a longtime coming. He
has placed in the race’s top five for the past three years, but
he has never won. “It’s good to finally win,” said Craig,” and
this is the best place I could think of to race bikes and win a
championship.”
McConneloug, of Chilmark, Massachusetts, won the Cross Country
race for the second time in three years. She won the event in
2005.
“Basically, from my previous title, I just remembered not to get
caught behind anyone and just find the right cadence and ride at
my own pace,” said McConneloug. “The conditions were good, the
mud was so soft you could just sort of float right through it.”
The wins capped a great month of racing for Craig and
McConneloug. Just a week earlier, both won medals at the Pan Am
Games in Brazil, with Craig taking gold in the Cross Country and
McConneloug taking silver. With their wins, both are now in
position to make the Olympic team headed to Beijing next year.
Hundreds of riders, from pros to teenage amateurs, descended on
Mount Snow to take part in the national championships. This was
the first time the races were held in the East. And good weather
and marquee riders attracted roughly 10,000 biking fans who
screamed and cheered for the riders throughout the event.
“This event is the Super Bowl of mountain biking,” said Mount
Snow Event Director Greg Fisher, “and we’re thrilled that so
many people came out to cheer on the riders.”
For complete results from the national championships,
click here. To view video of the event, check out these
YouTube links:
Day One,
Day Two,
Day Three,
Day Four
-D.M.
Photo above: Adam Craig earns style points
with the crowd on his way to winning the Men's Cross Country National
Championship during the USA Cycling Mountain Bike National Championships
at Mount Snow last week. Craig maintained the lead for nearly the entire
race. (Photo by Mike Piniewski)
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