More than 60 national titles will be on the line this week as top mountain bikers from around the nation face off at the Bear Creek Resort in Macungie, Pa., July 17-20, for the 2014 USA Cycling Cross-Country Mountain bike National Championships.
Riders will compete for medals and Stars-and-Stripes jerseys over four days in cross-country, short-track cross-country, singlespeed and super downhill competition. See the complete schedule of events here.
Learn more about the different mountain bike events, rules and qualifications here.
Among those returning to the 2014 USA Cycling Cross-Country Mountain bike National Championships are many defending national champions, including Carson Beckett (Benton, Ky./Wood-n-Wave), Stephen Ettinger (Bozeman, Mont./BMC Mountainbike Racing Team), Nic Jenkins (Colorado Springs, Colo./Front Rangers Junior Cycling), Shayna Powless (Roseville, Calif.) and Kerry Werner (Banner Elk, N.C./BMC Project Dirt), as well as 2012 Olympians Lea Davison (Jericho, Vt./Specialized Factory Racing),
Georgia Gould (Fort Collins, Colo./LUNA Pro Team) and Todd Wells (Durango, Colo./Specialized Factory Racing).
View all of the currently registered riders.
In addition to the Stars-and-Stripes jerseys that are on the line, automatic World Championship team nominations are also up for grabs for men’s and women’s 17-18 junior, U23 and elite winners. For more information, please see USA Cycling’s world championships selection criteria.
COURSE DESCRIPTIONS
The trails at Bear Creek Mountain Resort include 150-year-old mining switchback roads up the mountain. The trails also feature rocky, technical sections which demand as much power, skill and technique on the ascents as on the descents.
The amateur cross-country course spans just short of seven miles and includes many of the course features available on the mountain. The pro course includes the mountain’s signature feature, a rock drop plus a triple log crossing and a rock jump just before the finish.
Full course maps are available online.
MORE
More information on the 2014 USA Cycling Cross-Country Mountain Bike National Championships including start lists, schedule, results, photos and daily event recaps will be available on the event webpage.
Follow the event on Twitter using the hashtag #MTBnats.
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