2008 Mountain States Cup schedule

It’s bigger and probably better too. Oh yeah, it’s gonna be on!

This just in from Mike McCormack at Bigfoot Production:

The Gravity Scoop

– Angel Fire, Snowmass and Keystone are UCI races (the only three in the United States). You can get points to qualify for World Cups and Worlds.

– Six gravity events are part of the USA Cycling Mountain Bike Gravity National Racing Calendar. These races represent more than half of the domestic NRC.

– SolVista gets two events. This place is rad.

– We get a Vet Pro/Am 35+ category! I will be calling it Jedi Masters. Hmm … do I race Vet Pro or duke it out in Semipro?

– Junior Sport will be spit into two age groups.

– They might move Telluride up by a week in order to not conflict with the Colorado Crankworx. A while back Mike McCormack (the MSC promoter) asked the Crankworks/Winter Park guys to consider moving their date by a week and was told “no way.”

– The G3 format has been incorporated into the Keystone and the 2nd SolVista races. Mike says as a format G3 kicked a$$, but as a business venture it failed miserably. Bringing it into the MSC will give it the participation numbers it needs to stay alive.

– Two standalone (non-MSC) DH enduros at are in the works for Keystone and Snowmass. Depending on venue and budget approval.

The Endurance Scoop

– Three new venues: Breckenridge, SolVista and Fruita

– Stand-alone series finals in Breckenridge

– 5 NRC Endurance events

– New discipline: off-road time trial

– The Women’s Team competition will be tracked (huh? it wasn’t before?).

– The Colorado Epic MTB Stage Race (a non-MSC event) is still in development. Stay tuned for updates.

The Calendar

April 12-13
MSC #1, The Rabbit Valley Rampage, Fruita, CO
XC, STXC
– NRC (Endurance) event
– Venue pending BLM approval

May 2-4
MSC #2, The Chalk Creek Stampede, Nathrop, CO
XC, STXC, MX, DS

May 23-26
MSC #3, The Chile Challenge, Angel Fire, NM
DH, MX, SD, XC
– UCI LEVEL 1 DH/MX
– NMBS DH, SD, MX
– NRC – Endurance and Gravity

June 6-8
MSC #4, SolSurvivor, SolVista, CO
XC, DS, MX (final discipline selection TBD by snowmelt)
– NRC (Gravity) event

June 20-22
MSC #5, Wildflower Rush, Crested Butte, CO
XC, DH, SD
– In conjunction with CB Fat Tire Festival

July 11-13
MSC #6, Blast the Mass, Snowmass Village, CO
XC, SD, DH, MX
– UCI LEVEL 1 DH/MX
– NRC (Endurance and Gravity) event
– CO State Championships (MX)

August 1-3
MSC #7, Full Tilt in Telluride, Telluride, CO
XC, HC, DH, SD
– NRC – Endurance and Gravity
– CO State Championships (DH, SD, XC)

August 15-17
MSC #8, Keystone Climax, Keystone, CO
DH, DH, SD
– NRC Event (Gravity)
– G3 format (gravity stage race)
– UCI Level 2

August 23-24
MSC #9, Eldora Escape, Nederland, CO
XC, STXC

August 29-31
MSC #10, SolVista Squared, SolVista, CO
DH/SD/DH
– G3 format (gravity stage race)
– NRC (Gravity) event
– MSC Gravity Series Finals

September 6-7
MSC #11, The Fall Classic, Breckenridge, CO
XC, HC, STXC
– Endurance Series Finals
– Stage race
– NRC (Endurance) event

Questions: mikemac@bigfootproduction.com

More info: www.racemsc.com