USA Cycling announced today the athletes that will represent the United States in both cross country and downhill at the 2019 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships taking place August 28- September 1, 2019 in Mont-Saint-Anne, Canada.
Looking to defend her title is 2018 World Champion, Kate Courtney (San Francisco; Scott-SRAM) who is also currently ranked first in World Cup standings. 2018 Silver Medalists Christopher Blevins (Durango, Colo.; Specialized Factory Racing) and Anna Newkirk (Riehen, Switzerland; Team Project) will also be looking to improve on last year’s performances in the U23 Cross-Country and Junior Downhill competitions respectively.
Among the competitors are several 2019 National Champions, crowned July 23-28 2019at the USA Cycling Mountain Bike National Championships in Winter Park, Colo.: Chloe Woodruff (Prescott, Ariz.; Stan’s NoTubes Pivot p/b Maxxis), Keegan Swenson (Park City, Utah; Stan’s NoTubes p/b Maxxis) Kelsey Urban (Kentfield, Calif.; Rouleur Devo p/b DNA Cycling), Jerry Dufour (Birmingham, Ala.; Bear Development Team), Riley Amos (Durango, Colo.; Bear Development Team), Madeline Robbins (Durango, Colo.; Bear Development Team), Neko Mulallay (Pisgah Forest, N.C.; Intense Factory Racing), and Jill Kitner (Seattle, Wash.)
“This Mountain Bike World Championship team represents the best U.S. athletes across the board from Junior to Elite. I expect them all to represent the United States well. I feel very good about the strength and depth of our Women’s Cross Country Teams with Kate (Courtney) as well as phenomenal World Cup and Nation’s Cup performances from riders like Chloe Woodruff, Haley Batten and Maddie Jo Robbins. Anna Newkirk has also had a phenomenal season in Downhill and I am also looking forward to seeing great performances from the rest of our deep and talented team,” said Marc Gullickson, Performance Director of USA Cycling’s Mountain Bike Program.
The Team USA roster is as follows:
DOWNHILL
Junior Women:
Anna Newkirk* (Riehen, Switzerland; Team Project)
Jordan Scott* (Las Vegas, Nev.) Autumn Parham (Edmunds, Wash.) |
Junior Men:
Matthew Sterling* (San Jose, Calif.) |
Joey Foresta (South Jordan, Utah) |
Cole Suetos (Temcula, Calif.) |
Dante Silva (Chula Vista, Calif) |
Zach Gareis (Mars, Penn.) |
Austin Dooley (Yucaipa, Calif.) |
Elite Women:
Jill Kintner* (Seattle, Wash.) |
Caroline Washam (Mooresville, N.C.) |
Samantha Soriano (Littleton, Colo.) |
Abigail Hogie (Beckley, W. Va.) |
Mazie Hayden (Pittsfield, Vt.) |
Elite Men:
Charlie Harrison* (Trabuco Canyon, Calif.; Trek Factory Racing) |
Aaron Gwin* (Murietta, Calif.; Intense Factory Racing) |
Luca Shaw* (Hendersonville, N.C.; Santa Cruz Syndicate) |
Dakotah Norton* (Rotten Oaks, Tenn.; Unior Devinci Factory Racing) |
Neko Mulally* (Pisgah Forest, N.C.; Intense Factory Racing) |
Bruce Klein (Altadena, Calif.; Commencal/ 100% Racing Team) |
Nikolas Nesteroff (San Diego, Calif.; KHS Factory Racing) |
XCO
Junior Women:
Madeline Robbins* (Durango, Colo.; Bear Development Team) |
Alexis Bobbitt* (Austin, Tex.; Bear Development Team) |
Madigan Munro* (Boulder, Colo.; Boulder Junior Cycling) |
Ada Urist (Boulder, Colo.; Boulder Junior Cycling) |
Haley Randel (Mill Valley, Calif.; Bear Development Team) |
Junior Men:
Riley Amos* (Durango, Colo.; Bear Development Team)
Bjorn Riley (Boulder, Colo.; Bear Development Team)
Robbie Day (Evergreen, Colo.; Racer X Cycling/ColoBikeLaw
Nolan Jenkins (Colorado Springs, Colo.; Rouler Devo p/b DNA Cycling)
Brennon Peterson (Sandy, Utah; Rouler Devo p/b DNA Cycling)
U23 Women:
Haley Batten* (Park City, Utah; Clif Pro Team) |
Kelsey Urban* (Kentfield, Calif.; Rouler Devo p/b DNA Cycling) |
Savilia Blunk (Inverness, Calif.; Sho-Air TWENTY-20) |
Gwendalyn Gibson (Ramona, Calif.; Norco Bicycles) |
U23 Men:
Christopher Blevins* (Durango, Colo.; Specialized Factory Racing) |
Jerry Dufour* (Birmingham, Ala.; Bear Professional Team) |
Cole Paton (Cashmere, Wash.; Giant Factory Off-Road Team) |
Henry Nadell (Carbondale, Colo.; CZ Racing) |
Sandy Floren (Berkley, Calif.; Bear Professional Team) |
Elite Women:
Kate Courtney* (San Francisco, Calif.; SCOTT p/b SRAM) |
Chloe Woodruff* (Prescott, Ariz.; Stans NoTubes Pivot p/b Maxxis) |
Lea Davison* (Jericho, Vt.; Sho-Air TWENTY20) |
Erin Huck* (Boulder, Colo.; CZ Racing p/b SCOTT) |
Alexis Skarda (Grand Junction, Colo.; Spintertainment Video) |
Hannah Finchamp (Salt Lake City, Utah; Clif Pro Team) |
Rose Grant (Columbia Falls, Mont. (Stans NoTubes Pivot p/b Maxxis |
Elite Men:
Keegan Swenson* (Park City Utah; Stans NoTubes Pivot p/b Maxxis) |
Russell Finsterwald (Colorado Springs, Colo.; Clif Pro Team) |
Alex Wild (Los Gatos, Calif.; Specialized Factory Racing) |
Luke Vrouwenvelder (Chapel Hill, N.C) |
Stephan Davoust (Durango, Colo.; Giant Factory Off-Road Team) |
Automatic qualifiers are noted with an asterisk (*).
The USA Cycling 2019 Mountain Bike World Championships selection criteria for XCO is available here and the criteria for DH is available here.
To cheer for Team USA at the 2018 World Championships, please follow @UCI_Cycling and @USACyclingLIVE on Twitter. For more about the 2019 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships, please visit the event website at http://www.velirium.com/.
Ron is the chief cook and bottlewasher at Bike World News, doing everything from website design to bike reviews.
Websites:
Bike World News
Ron’s Bike Garage
Current Bike Quiver:
Bird Bikes Zero 29 29″ hardtail mountain bike
Commencal Absolut 26″ Dirt Jump/Pump Track bike
Commencal Tempo 29″ full suspension mountain bike
Felt ZA 700c race bike
Kona Kilauea vintage 26″ mountain bike
Niner RLT9 700c road/gravel bike
Specialized Stumpjumper vintage 26″ mountain bike
Day Job: Digital Marketing
Night Job: Digital Marketing, eCommerce Consultant, Web Consultant, Bike Shop Operator, Husband, Dad, Tenor