REDWOOD CITY, Calif. Feb. 18, 2002) - After an enthusiastic meeting with
promoters, the National Off Road Bicycle Association is preparing for a
five-race National Championship Mountain Bike Series.
The series kicks off May 9-12 with its traditional season-opening venue
at Snow Summit, Calif. Organizers have moved the date one week earlier
than an initial positing to avoid a conflict with a World Cup event in
Madrid.
"We understand that the NORBA Nationals remain a focus of international
teams. Therešs so much heritage and prestige associated with these
events that riders from Europe, Canada, Africa and Asia want to be
competitive in this series," said Rick Sutton, president of GaleForce
Sports Marketing which organizes the series. "There's a lot of pressure
from sponsors to do well in both, the World Cup and the NORBA series."
Organizers and sponsors were heartened to discover that in 2001 the
NORBA series saw an increase in participation. With two new venues added
to the mix for 2002, there's reason to believe there will be another
increase as promoters position the events closer to metropolitan areas.
"Whether you're putting on a bike race or a billiards tournament, it
helps to be closer to where folks live," said Sutton, noting the success
of last year's inaugural NORBA event at Snowshoe, W. Va. "Those folks
put a lot into their event, but look at the map. West Virginia is an
afternoon drive away from a lot of big cities. That eliminates a lot of
barriers to participation."
The second stop on the NORBA circuit will be one of those new settings.
East Troy, Wisc., will host its inaugural event June 13-16 at the Alpine
Valley Resort. The venue is just a 40-minute drive from Milwaukee and
close to Chicago.
The following week it's back to Snowshoe Mountain, W. Va. for the June
20-23 event. With no events in July, riders will study the standings and
adjust their training to prepare for the final two events. The series
moves back to its roots with events in Durango, Colo. The mountain town
has hosted the series three times before, 1986, 1987 and 1992. This
year's Durango event will be Aug. 1-4.
Then it's back to Mount Snow, Vt., for the finals to be held Aug. 15-18.
This will be the sixth time that Mount Snow, with a strong history as
the mountain bike capital of the east, hosts the NORBA finals. There the
pros get a final shot at series points while junior and master riders
have a one-day shootout for their stars and stripes jerseys.
There are two notable absences from the calendar. Deer Valley, Utah, was
left off due to scheduling conflicts; and Mammoth Mountain Resort in
California is undergoing a renovation to its main lodge area.
"When you map out this schedule you'll see an extraordinary geographical
balance," said Sutton. "We hit every time zone and offer something to
just about every region."
2002 NORBA National Championship Mountain Bike Series
May 9-12 Snow Summit, Calif.
June 13-16, Alpine Valley Resort, E. Troy, Wisc.
June 20-23, Snowshoe Mountain, W. Va.
Aug. 1-4 Durango, Colo.
Aug. 15-18, Mount Snow, Vt.
The NORBA National Championship Mountain Bike Series is North America's
premier off-road cycling series. The series crowns American mountain
bike champions from professionals to grassroots racers. NORBA is a
member association of USA Cycling, the national governing body for the
sport, and is the largest mountain bike racing organization in the
United States. The series is aired in ten one-hour shows on the Outdoor
Life Network - one of the world's main broadcasters of cycling and
adventure sports. GaleForce Sports Marketing is the series management
and promotions company, and is recognized as the USA's leading cycling
and events management group.
Posted by Ari Cheren, MountainZone.com Staff