The International Cycling Federation has beaten everyone to the punch with this release of the first official 2005 racing schedule. According to USA Cycling Communications Coordinator Keri Fagan, the 2005 NORBA schedule will not be finalized until the end of this month or early November. To give you an idea of what National Mountain Bikes Series coordinators Team Big Bear/Blue Wolf Events are thinking, we are also listing the tentative NMBS schedule.
It's said that the weekend NORBA format will be condensed from four to three days. This was largely made possible by omitting downhill qualifying. Riders' start times will instead be based on their current series rank. This format was used at the Mammoth National Championships with great success.
Onto the world schedule. After a two year hiatus we finally get the World Cup back! Angel Fire Resort in New Mexico has the topography to make it an especially good one too.
2005 UCI WORLD CUP SCHEDULE
April 10: MX #1...Chypre, Cyp
April 24: XC #1...Spa Francorchamps, Bel
April 30-May 1: DH/4X #1...Vigo, Esp
May 1: MX #2...Riva. Ita
May 8: XC #2...Madrid, Esp
May 29: XC #3...Houffalize, Bel
June 4-5: XC #4 & DH/4X #2...Willingen Ger
June 11-12: DH/4X #3...Schladming Aut
June 19: MX #3 Mont Ste-Anne, Can
June 25-26: XC #5 & DH/4X #4...Mont Ste-Anne, Can
July 2-3: XC #6 & DH/4X #5...Santa Catarina, Bra
July 9-10: XC #7 & DH/4X #6...Angel Fire, New Mexico USA
July 10: MX #4...Bad Goisern, Aut
August 7: MX #5...Oisans, Fra
August 14: MX #6...Falun, Swe
August 20: MX WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS...Lillehammer, Nor
August 21: DH/4X #7...Pila, Ita
August 31-September 4: WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS...Livigno, Ita
September 10-11: XC/DH/4X #8...Fort William, GBr
October 1: MX #7...St. Wendel, Ger
October 14: MX #8...Roc d'Azur, Fra
2005 U.S. DATES LISTED ON THE OFFICIAL UCI WORLD SCHEDULE
Except for the Sea Otter XC Stage Race which receives the lowest UCI D2 classification, all of the remaining events are ranked as E1. This year the promoter had to pay out at least a $3964 and $2378 men and women pro purse in each event that earned the top billing. The Outback Blowout in Waco kicked off the NMBS this year. It's not listed as an NMBS next year. The Sea Otter also isn't included in the National Mountain Bike Series.
March 3-6: Tapatio Springs, TX...XC/ST & MX #1 (+TT for XC Stage Race)
March 12-13: Outback Blowout...Waco, TX...XC/ST
April 14-17: Sea Otter Classic...Monterey, CA...XC Stage Race & dh, ds, 4x.
REMAINING NMBS DATES
From race two on the NMBS dates are still tentative. If all goes down the way it's listed, the NMBS will have grown by one event in each type of racing except for marathon, which remains the same at five. We have, however, lost one mountaincross/dual slalom.
March 19-20: Phoenix, AZ...XC/ST #2 +TT (XC Stage Race) & LD
May 14-15: Big Bear Lake, CA...XC/ST #3, MX #2, Mania/DS #1
June 18-19: Deer Valley, UT...XC/ST #4, MX #3, DH/DS or MNTX #2
July 16-17: Sandpoint, ID...XC/ST #5, MX #4, DH/MNTX #3
July 22-23: Snowmass, CO...XC/ST #6, DH/MNTX #4
August 13-14: To be determined...XC/ST #7, DH/MNTX #5
August 20-21: Snowshoe, WV...XC/ST #8, DH/MNTX #6, MX #5
August 27-28: Mount Snow, VT...XC/ST #9, DH/MNTX #7
September 24-25: U.S. NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS...TBD
ABBREVIATION KEY
Like this year dual slalom results are included in the National Mountaincross Series points tally. Thus a dual slalom event is listed in numerical order as an MNTX. The Big Bear 4-up Mania event is included in the National Downhill Series. It is numbered as DH #1.
LD...long distance (12hr or 24hr)
MNTX...mountaincross
MX...marathon
ST...short track
TT...time trial
XC...cross-country
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