Sam Schultz (Subaru-Trek) was locked in four-lap battle with defending champion Todd Wells (Specialized)(Image credit: Dave McElwaine/trailwatch.net)
Sun Valley, Idaho offers plenty of beautiful views along the race courses.(Image credit: Sue George, Mountain Bike Editor)
Georgia Gould (Luna Pro Team) bided her time never far from the front(Image credit: Dave McElwaine/trailwatch.net)
USA Cycling announced its 2013 calendar of mountain bike national championships, including stops at several new locations. New Mexico, Idaho, Pennsylvania and North Carolina will host nationals next year.
On June 15-16, the nation's top endurance riders will contest the 24-Hour Mountain Bike National Championships in Gallup, New Mexico. In most recent years, the 24-hour nationals have occurred in October.
On July 6, Sun Valley, Idaho, will host the Marathon Mountain Bike National Championships. It will be the third year in a row for nationals in Sun Valley. In 2011 and 2012, Sun Valley hosted the Cross Country Mountain Bike National Championships. Marathon nationals has been moved up on the calendar. Instead of being run in September on the UCI-designated date, the championship will be run in conjunction with the Ride Sun Valley festival.
In 2013, the Cross Country Mountain Bike Nationals move east to a new venue, Bear Creek Resort in the Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania, on July 18-21. The date shift brings the US nationals back in line with the UCI-designated cross country national championships weekend.
Then on August 2-4, the Gravity Mountain Bike Nationals will take place in Angel Fire, New Mexico. Both the date and the location are new for gravity nationals although Angel Fire is no stranger to hosting national championship events.
The season will wrap up with the Collegiate Mountain Bike National Championships in Banner Elk, North Carolina from October 25-27.
"We are excited about all of our national championships venues," Vice President of National Events Micah Rice said. "What's also exciting is that our relationships with our existing venues continue to get stronger and those events will continue to grow."
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2013 USAC US MTB National Championships June 15-16: 24-hour nationals, New Mexico July 6: Marathon nationals, Idaho July 18-21: Cross country nationals, Pennsylvania August 2-4: Gravity nationals, New Mexico October 25-27: Collegiate nationals, North Carolina
