US announces worlds team nominations

USA Cycling announced 61 athletes nominated to represent the US at the upcoming 2007 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships in Fort William, Scotland, Sept. 3-9, where American cross country athletes will square off against fellow 2008 Olympic hopefuls from across the globe in the only Olympic discipline of off-road cycling. Seven men and eight women were nominated to the elite cross country squad.

Adam Craig (Giant) received the only automatic nomination to the men's team after winning the 2007 USA Cycling Mountain Bike National Championships last month. Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski (Subaru-Gary Fisher), Todd Wells (GT-Hyundai) and Jeremiah Bishop (Trek-VW), were nominated via coaches' selection, and Michael Broderick (Kenda-Seven), Barry Wicks (Kona) and Carl Decker (Giant), received discretionary nominations.

On the women's side, Willow Koerber (Subaru-Gary Fisher) and Mary McConneloug (Kenda-Seven) were automatically nominated - Koerber by virtue of her two podium performances at UCI World Cup events this year in Switzerland and Canada and McConneloug as the National Champion. Heather Irmiger (Subaru-Gary Fisher) and Georgia Gould (Luna) were coaches' selections. Sue Haywood (/Trek-VW), Lea Davison (Trek-VW) and Shonny Vanlandingham (Luna) received discretionary nominations, but Vanlandingham and Haywood both declined their nominations and will be replaced by Kelli Emmett (Giant).

Representing the United States in 4X competition will be Buhl, Jill Kintner (GT), Jessica Vogt (Dianese-Gamut-Fox), Tara Llanes (Giant) and Neven Steinmetz (TM Totally Wired) for the women, while Brian Lopes (GT), Ross Milan (Yeti-Fox), Eric Carter (Mongoose), Tommy Tokarczyk (Jamis) and Jeremiah Work (Bicycle Sport Shop) will represent the men's 4X contingent. Rich Houseman (Yeti-Fox) received a discretionary selection, but declined his nomination