Bike Kentucky

More than 800 off-road racers gathered on a picturesque July 4th day to compete for one of a dozen stars-and-stripes jerseys awarded at the 50-mile marathon distance at the Firecracker 50. Last yearandrsquo;s national championship runner-up in Olympic-style cross country, Jeremiah Bishop came away with the overall victory after completing the marathon event in less than four hours. In the womenandrsquo;s pro/open category a relative newcomer to the mountain bike scene, Sari Anderson took home her first USA Cycling National Championship, besting a packed womenandrsquo;s field.

Both the cross country and short track races at the Deer Valley National made up the 16th event on the USA Cycling Mountain Bike National Cross Country Calendar. Ryan Trebon took the win in the pro men's cross country contest, while Katerina Nash earned the victory in the pro women's race on June 28. In the short track contest, Geoff Kabush topped the pro men's field, while Nash repeated her top performance from the previous day. The cross country race at Blast the Mast will be the next race on the USA Cycling Mountain Bike National Cross Country Calendar.

Tell the governor and your state senator and representative you support land protection that allows bicycling to continue.

Trevyn Newpher took home the victory in the men's pro downhill contest at the Capital Cup in McHenry, Md. on June 21. Kristin Cousin earned the win in the women's race. The fifth event on the USA Cycling Mountain Bike National Gravity Calendar will include the downhill, mountain cross and super D contests at Blast the Mass in Snowmass, Colo., July 12-13.

The 12-hour race at the Cowbell Challenge in Charlotte, N.C. marked the fourth event on the USA Cycling Mountain Bike National Ultra-Endurance Calendar. Joshua Tostado came away with the men's pro victory while Rebecca Rusch won the women's pro race. The next event on the USA Cycling Mountain Bike National Ultra-Endurance Calendar will be the USA Cycling Mountain Bike 24-Hour National Championships in Breckenridge, Colo. on July 4.

The 15th race on the USA Cycling Mountain Bike National Cross Country Calendar, the 3 Legged Dawg, took place June 22 in North Little Rock, Ark. Luke Porter took home the men's pro win in a sprint to the finish, while Suzanne Henne earned the women's victory. The Deer Valley National is the next contest on the USA Cycling Mountain Bike National Cross Country Calendar. The category-one event will take place in Park City, Utah on June 29.

Elite menandrsquo;s and womenandrsquo;s Olympic-style Cross Country racing capped off the 2008 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships Sunday as Todd Wells and Georgia Gould recorded the top American finishes. Wells rode to a 15th-place-finish in the menandrsquo;s contest, while Gould finished ninth to lead the womenandrsquo;s squad. The U.S. National Team concluded the 2008 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships with a sole medal which came in the form of a gold by Melissa Buhl in Saturdayandrsquo;s Womenandrsquo;s Four Cross competition.

Melissa Buhl gave the United States its first medal of the 2008 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships on Saturday, winning the Womenandrsquo;s Four Cross contest in convincing fashion. Brian Lopes finished the Menandrsquo;s Four Cross event in the fifth spot after he and teammate Ross Milan were eliminated in the semi-final round. With all gravity finals contested on Saturday, Kathy Pruitt, Buhl and Cole Bangert also gave the U.S. a trio of top 25 finishes in downhill competition. The 2008 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships conclude on Sunday, as World Champions will be crowned in both Elite Menandrsquo;s and Womenandrsquo;s Cross Country.

Speaking before hundreds of mountain bikers gathered in Park City, Utah, for the IMBA World Summit, National Parks Service (NPS) director Mary Bomar gave a warmly received keynote address.

John Burke, president of Trek Bicycles, opened up the 2008 IMBA Summit in Park City, Utah, with an inspiring challenge.

Park City Mayor Dana Williams, laying down tasty guitar chops with the Motherlode Canyon Band, helped welcome 400 delegates from more than a dozen countries to the opening ceremonies of the IMBA World Summit.

The United States best finish in the U23 Menandrsquo;s Cross Country contest at the 2008 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships came in the form of a 41st-place finish by the relatively inexperienced Tim Allen of Flagstaff, Ariz. None of the four American competitors were able to complete all six laps with top-ranked U.S. rider, Sam Jurekovic suffering an early race-ending crash. The 2008 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships continue on Saturday with all gravity finals, while both the elite men's and women's cross country contests will take place on Sunday.

Robbie Squire passed 48 riders in Thursdayandrsquo;s Junior Menandrsquo;s Cross Country contest at the 2008 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships, earning the United States a 23rd place finish. Three other American juniors contested the tough, five-lap affair, but finished out of the top 50. The 2008 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships continue on Friday again with only one medal event andndash; the U23 menandrsquo;s Cross Country World Championship. Four cross qualification will also take place on Friday evening with all gravity finals slated for Saturday.

Jamie Dinkins turned in the top American performance on the second day of competition at the 2008 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships. After starting 37th, Dinkins moved up 18 spots to finish 19th in the U23 womenandrsquo;s cross country contest. Jill Behlen and Diedre York finished 31st and 33rd respectively in the Junior Womenandrsquo;s Cross Country race earlier in the day. The 2008 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships continue on Thursday with only one medal event, the junior menandrsquo;s cross country competition, as well as the seeding runs for downhill.

The United States National Team was hoping to repeat last yearandrsquo;s medal winning performance in the Team Relay competition on opening day of the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships, but fell short in the 2008 edition, finishing eighth. The foursome of Georgia Gould, John Bennett, Sam Jurekovic and Adam Craig worked as a tag team to tackle the rain soaked course in the Italian Alps.

The American Mountain Classic stage race has been added as the seventh race on the 2008 USA Cycling Mountain Bike National Ultra Endurance calendar. The event, scheduled for August 21-24, 2008 in Brian Head, Utah is a four-day stage race that travels over 170 miles with more than 14,000 feet of climbing. The race was added to the National Ultra Endurance Calendar due to a number of factors including the variety of terrain, the number of categories offered and substantial prize purses.

The 14th race on the USA Cycling Mountain Bike National Cross Country Calendar took place June 14-15 in Mount Morris, Wis. Both the cross country and short track competitions at the Subaru Cup were a part of the 24-event, season-long calendar. Jesse Lalonde won the men's cross country contest and Jenna Zander earned the victory on the women's side. In short track, Brian Matter took home the Subaru Cup crown while Zander made it two-for-two for the women.

The 14th race on the USA Cycling Mountain Bike National Cross Country Calendar took place June 14-15 in Mount Morris, Wis. Both the cross country and short track competitions at the Subaru Cup were a part of the 24-event, season-long calendar. Jesse Lalonde won the men's cross country contest and Jenna Zander earned the victory on the women's side. In short track, Brian Matter took home the Subaru Cup crown while Zander made it two-for-two for the women.

USA Cycling announced today the 37 remaining athletes that have been nominated to represent the United States at the upcoming 2008 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships in Val di Sole, Italy, July 15-22. With only a little more than two months remaining until the Olympic Games in Beijing, American cross country athletes will square off against fellow 2008 hopefuls from across the globe in the only Olympic discipline of off-road cycling. Six men and seven women have been nominated to the elite cross country squad.

The nationandrsquo;s best endurance mountain bikers will converge on Fisher Farm Park in Davidson, NC, to race for the bell in the seventh annual Cowbell Challenge. The 12‐Hour Mountain Bike Race will serve as the fourth of nine events on the USA Cycling Mountain Bike National Ultra‐Endurance Calendar. The event will also act as the North Carolina 12‐Hour State Championship and will benefit the Parks and Recreation Youth Program Scholarship Fund and Hospice of Lake Norman.