The 17th and 18th races on USA Cycling's ill-conceived Mountain Bike Cross-Country Calendar took place on the same weekend in completely different regions across the country. Mathieu Toulouse (Can) and Georgia Gould (Fort Collins, CO) earned the win in the real deal Windham Mountain Norba National. At the same time that the competition was happening on the East Coast, greedy USA Cycling hosted another event in the same "National" Series in Snowmass, CO. At that Blast the Mass event Jay Henry (Avon, CO) won the men's pro cross-country contest while Dellys Starr (Lakewood, CO) earned the victory for the pro women.

BLAST THE MASS XC RESULTS
1. Jay Henry...Tokyo Joe's...2:14:30
2. Brian Smith...Trek-VW...2:14:43
3. Brian Fuentes...Waltworks-Fuentes...2:21:44
4. Matthew Beaton...Tokyo Joe's...2:22:50
5. Brett Morgan...Sobe-Cannondale...2:23:50
WOMEN
1. Dellys Starr...DalesPaleAle-Spot...2:07:59
2. Kelley Cullen...Rky Mtn Racing...2:09:47
3. Erin Huck...Tokyo Joe's...2:18:45
4. Amanda Carey...Kenda-Titus-Hayes...2:18:53
5. Melissa Marts...Tough Girl-Contessa...2:25:00

The complete results for New York Norba National are in a separate posting. Norba was nice enough to allow USA Cycling's sideshow series in with the authentic mountain bike national series.

With only six races remaining, the current Mountain Bike Cross-Country Calendar standings are as follows:

1. Brad Stephenson...Sho-Air...130 points
2. Ross Schnell...Trek-VW...116
2. Adam Craig...Giant...116
4. Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski...Subaru-GF...104
5. Barry Wicks...Kona-Les Gets...95
WOMEN
1. Georgia Gould...Luna CHIX...230
2. Katerina Nash...Luna CHIX...180
3. Kelli Emmett...Giant...130
4. Heather Irmiger...Subaru-Gary Fisher...112
5. Lea Davison...Trek-VW...73
 
The next race on the Mountain Bike Cross-Country Calendar will be the U.S. Mountain Bike National Championships on July 17-20 in West Dover, VT.
 
MOUNTAIN BIKE GRAVITY CALENDAR
The downhill and 4-Cross contests at Blast the Mass made up the fifth race on the Mountain Bike Gravity Calendar. Aaron Gwin (Morongo Valley, CA) earned the win in the pro downhill, while Sage Wilderman (Fraser, CO) took the women's competition. Ross Milan (Littleton, CO) won the
pro 4-Cross as recently crowned World Champion Melissa Buhl (Chandler, AZ) took the women's 4-Cross victory.

BLAST THE MASS DH RESULTS
1. Aaron Gwin...Yeti-Fox...4:05.47
2. Justin Leov (NZl)...Yeti-Fox Shox...4:05.61 
3. Sam Blenkinsop (NZl)...Yeti-Fox Shox...4:09.49
4. Cody Warren...Specialized-Decline-Ame...4:12.98
5. Jonty Neethling (RSA)...Oakley-Morewood...4:19.08
WOMEN
1. Melissa Buhl...KHS...4:56.92
2. Rachel Bauer...Dead Bros...5:12.02
3. Darian Harvey...Sobe-Cannondale...5:22.39
4. Stephanie Hatalsky...Crested Butte Acad...6:20.20
5. Lisa Reinhard...Amp'd...6:32.67

The current 2008 Mountain Bike Gravity Calendar standings are as follows:

1. Petr Hanak...Totally Wired...200 points
2. Rich Houseman...Yeti...182
3. Kain Leonard...Crested Butte Acad-TLD-Maxxis...160
4. Chris Boice...Fox Shox-Yeti...129
5. Aaron Gwin...Yeti-Fox...126
WOMEN
1. Melissa Buhl...KHS...450 points
2. Neven Steinmetz...Totally Wired...265
3. Rachel Bauer...Dead Bros...203
4. Darian Harvey...Sobe-Cannondale...185
5. Stephanie Hatlasky...160

The sixth event on the Mountain Bike Gravity Calendar will include the downhill, dual slalom and Super D contests at the U.S. Mountain Bike National Championships in West Dover, VT on July 17-20.