2008 Mountain States Cup opens in Fruita, CO
It all starts April 12-13. Here’s the press release, written by me.
Rabbit Valley, Fruita, CO – The Mountain States Cup, one of the nation’s leading mountain bike race series, kicks off April 12-13 with the Rabbit Valley Rally.
The series opener treats riders to a blistering off-road time trial and a traditional long-loop cross country race. Both events start at the Rabbit Valley parking lot near the Utah border, and they take full advantage of the area’s high-desert backcountry terrain. Racers will need a well-rounded blend of fitness, skill and resourcefulness to negotiate the trails and stay ahead of the tough competition.
Hundreds of racers and their families attend each Mountain States Cup event to enjoy the riding, racing, expo areas and the strong sense of community. Age groups range from 12 and under to 50 and over, and skill levels run from first timers to world-class pros. The Mountain States Cup provides competitions for every style of rider.
– The MSC Endurance Series, brought to you by Dale’s Pale Ale, consists of time trial, short track, circuit race and cross country. The series opener and closer will feature long-loop cross country courses — classic mountain biking at its best.
– The MSC Gravity Series, brought to you by Santa Cruz Bicycles, Fox Racing Shox and the all-new Shimano Saint, includes downhill, mountain cross and dual slalom. These gravity-aided events put a premium on skill and confidence.
– The MSC Super D series marries the disciplines of endurance and gravity. A typical Super D course is mostly downhill, with some short climbs. For many racers, it’s the fun part of the rides they do every weekend, and it’s a great first event for those who want to try mountain bike racing.
The 2008 Mountain States Cup visits some of the most ruggedly beautiful venues in Colorado and New Mexico, including Snowmass, SolVista Bike Park, Crested Butte Mountain Resort, Eldora Mountain Resort, Breckenridge Ski Resort and Angel Fire Resort.
The Mountain States Cup has grown dramatically over the past several years, and 2008 promises to be the biggest and best year. Highlights:
– There will be 10 events at nine venues. Rabbit Valley, SolVista Bike Park and Breckenridge are all new to the endurance series. SolVista Bike Park in Granby, CO, will host two gravity events.
– Five of the endurance events and six of the gravity events are part of the USA Cycling National MTB Racing Calendar —the most prestigious race series in the United States.
– Two of the gravity events are sanctioned by the International Cycling Union (UCI). These events provide pros with the UCI points they need to compete internationally at the sport’s highest level, World Cup.
– The Endurance Series Finals will be held at Breckenridge Sept. 6-7.
– The Gravity Series Finals will be held at SolVista Bike Park Aug. 29-31.
– Women’s teams will be tracked and awarded separately. Women who race on co-ed teams will have their points count toward both their primary (co-ed) team and their secondary (women only) team.
– The new G3 format has been incorporated into the gravity series. At a G3 event, racers complete two downhills and one Super D run, with the fastest combined time winning the overall. G3 debuted in 2007, and it was a big hit among racers, who relished a busy weekend on three different courses.
– The Aug. 1-3 Sol Survivor at SolVista Bike Park will be held in conjunction with the Colorado Crankworx event at Winter Park. These venues are only 20 minutes apart, giving racers a chance to enjoy twice the racing action on two very different mountains. The Dual Slalom at SolVista will be a night-time event.
– The Chili Challenge at Angel Fire, NM, May 23-26 will mean a lot of things to a lot of racers. It will count as a gravity world’s team qualifier; a National Mountain Bike Race Series event for downhill, mountain cross and Super D; a cross country, downhill, mountain cross and Super D for the newly created USA Cycling National MTB Racing Calendar; and the national championships for professional mountain cross.
– Mountain States Cup timing and results will be expertly handled by CJ Timing.
Series schedule
MSC#1 – Rabbit Valley Rally
April 12-13 | Fruita, CO
TT, XC
MSC#2 – Chalk Creek Stampede
May 2-4 | Nathrop, CO
XC, STXC, DS, MX
MSC#3 – Chili Challenge
May 23-26 | Angel Fire, NM
XC, SD, MX, DH
MSC#4 – Wildflower Rush
June 20-22 | Crested Butte, CO
DH, SD, XC
MSC#5 – Blast the Mass
July 11-13 | Snowmass Village, CO
XC, SD, DH, MX
MSC#6 – Sol Survivor
Aug. 1-3 | SolVista Bike Park, Granby Ranch, CO
XC, DS, DH, SD
MSC#7 – Snowmass G3
Aug. 8-10 | Snowmass Village, CO
G3 format: DH, SD, DH
MSC#8 – Eldora Escape
Aug. 23-24 | Nederland, CO
XC, STXC
MSC#9 – Sol Squared
Aug. 29-31 | SolVista Bike Park, Granby Ranch, CO
G3 format: DH, SD, DH
MSC#10 – The Fall Classic
Sept. 6-7 | Breckenridge, CO
XC, circuit race
More information: www.racemsc.com
Contact: Mike McCormack, Director, Bigfoot Productions, mikemac@bigfootproduction.com, 970-333-1159