2009 USA Cycling Mountain Bike National Championships
Qualification Procedures and Guidelines
USA CYCLING MOUNTAIN BIKE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
The USAC-MTB National Championships will be a weekend-long event to determine the United States National Mountain Bike Champions in Junior Age Classes, Junior Category 1, Category 1 Age Classes, U23 (men and women cross-country only), and Pro in the following disciplines: Endurance: cross-country, short track, single speed Gravity: downhill, 4x, super d
UNITED STATES COMPETITION JERSEYS FOR CATEGORY 3 AND CATEGORY 2
Category 3 and Category 2 age-group classes will be competing for Competition jerseys. The jerseys will be themed as red and white stars (Category 2) and the blue and white stripes (Category 3).
UNITED STATES JUNIOR COMPETITION AND JUNIOR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
Junior Competition titles in the Junior Category 2 and 3: 15-18 (female), 15-18 (male). National Champion titles will be awarded in the following classes and categories: Junior Category 1: 15-18 (female), 17-18 (male) and 15-16 (male), Junior male (open category) 10 & under, 11-12, and 13-14; and Junior female (open category) 10 & under, 11-12, and 13-14. Riders who qualify in older age groups at the ADJ-MTB events, USAC-MTB State/Regional Championships, AMBC events, and USAC-MTB National Calendars events will be required to compete in their respective age group, defined by their racing age on December 31 of the current year.
USAC-MTB NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP DISCIPLINES
Cross-country (XC)
A mass start competition held on a circuit course comprising forest roads, forest or field trails and unpaved dirt or gravel roads.
Short Track Cross-country (STXC)
A shortened cross-country style race, designed to be spectator-friendly and easily televised.
Single Speed (SS)
Any type of mountain bike utilizing only a single gear (single front ring and single rear cog) and absent any front or rear derailleurs. The use of chain tensioning systems, for frames without horizontal/track-style dropouts, will be allowed, as long as the bike has no more than one front chain ring and one rear cog.
Downhill (DH)
A gravity time trial competition in which riders are racing one at a time, against the clock, down a trail, jeep road, fire road, or combination of all three. Downhill races are generally technically challenging with courses often featuring a combination of high speeds, jumps, drop-offs, and other technical trail features.
4X (4X)
A gated gravity competition where four competitors race together on a course which will often feature bermed corners, jumps, and other technical trail features. Following a qualification round, riders race against each other in an elimination format (heats) to determine a winner.
Super D (SD)
A hybrid event combining aspects of downhill and cross-country racing. Riders race on a course that is significantly more downhill than uphill, is devoid of jumps, and not extremely technical.
USAC-MTB NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS DISCIPLINES, CATEGORIES, CLASSES
QUALIFYING EVENTS
PRO riders are not required to qualify in order to compete at the 2009 USA Cycling Mountain Bike National Championships. For the following events, all other riders must qualify through specific qualifying races in order to compete at the National Championships:
Cross-country
Male
Pro, U23, Category 1: 15-16, 17-18, 19-24, 25-29, 30-34, 35-39, 40-44, 45-49, 50-54, 55-59, 60-64, 65+ Junior: 10 & under, 11-12, 13-14
Female
Pro, U23, Category 1: 15-18, 19-24, 25-29, 30-34, 35-39, 40-44, 45-49, 50-54, 55+ Junior: 10 & under, 11-12, 13-14
Downhill
Male
Pro, Category 1: 15-16, 17-18, 19-24, 25-29, 30-34, 35-39, 40-44, 45-49, 50+ Junior: 10 & under, 11-12, 13-14
Female
Pro, Category 1: 15-18, 19-29, 30-39, 40+ Junior: 10 & under, 11-12, 13-14
4X
*Riders may qualify in Dual Slalom or 4X to compete in 4X at the National Championships.
Male
Pro, Category 1: 15-18, 19-29, 30-39, 40+ Junior: 14 & under
Female
Pro Category 1, 2, 3 (all ages)
NON-QUALIFYING EVENTS
The following events may be entered at the National Championships without qualifying.
Short Track Cross-country
**There will be a 50-rider field limit per category/class. If more than 50 riders enter in a category/class, then qualifying heats will be done.
Male
Pro, Category 1: 18 & under, 19-29, 30+
2009 USA Cycling Mountain Bike
Female
Pro, Category 1 (all ages)
Single Speed
Male: Open
Female: Open
Super D
Male
Pro/Open, 19-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50+ Junior: 18 & under
Female
Pro/Open, 19-29, 30-39, 40+ Junior: 18 & under
CATEGORY 2 AND CATEGORY 3 COMPETITION JERSEY DISCIPLINES AND CLASSES
QUALIFYING EVENTS
Cross-country
Male
Category 2: 15-18, 19-29, 30-34, 35-39, 40-44, 45-49, 50+ Category 3: 15-18, 19-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50+
Female
Category 2: 15-18, 19-29, 30-39, 40+ Category 3: 15-18, 19-29, 30-39, 40+
Downhill
Male
Category 2: 15-18, 19-24, 25-29, 30-34, 35-39, 40-49, 50+ Category 3: 15-18, 19-29, 30-39, 40+
Female
Category 2: 15-18, 19-29, 30-39, 40+ Category 3: 15-18, 19-29, 30+
4X
Male
Category 2/3: 18 & under, 19-29, 30-39, 40+
QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS
Riders may compete if they meet all of the following criteria, with the exception of # 3 if the discipline does not require a rider to qualify prior to the USA Cycling Mountain Bike National Championships:
1. They are United States citizens (riders may be asked to show proof of citizenship at race registration). A birth certificate or passport are the only acceptable proof of citizenship.
2. They are current annual USA Cycling (mountain bike) members
3. They have qualified through a USAC-MTB State or Regional Championship, an AMBC event, a USAC-MTB National Calendar event, a USA Cycling Junior Development Regional Mountain Bike Camp, Alison Dunlap Junior Olympic Mountain Bike calendar event, USAC Collegiate MTB Conference Championship, or defending United States National Champions in the class, category, and discipline in being contested at the 2009 National Championship competition.
QUALIFYING EVENTS
There are seven possible ways for riders to qualify and compete in the 2009 USA Cycling Mountain Bike National Championships, which are outlined below:
1. USAC-MTB State or Regional Championship Series or USAC-MTB State or Regional Championship Event (one-day)
The top-15 overall riders in each discipline, class, and category offered at the USAC-MTB National Championship and offered at a USAC-MTB State or Regional Championship event (whether a one-day or series event) will be eligible to compete at the 2009 National Mountain Bike Championship. If the USAC-MTB State or Regional Championship series is not finalized by the qualification deadline, the overall (first place) USAC-MTB State or Regional Champions will automatically be qualified to compete in the 2009 US National Mountain Bike Championships.
2. American Mountain Bike Challenge (AMBC) events
The top-10 riders in each discipline, class, and category offered at the USAC-MTB National Championship and offered at any AMBC event will be eligible to compete in the 2008 USAC-MTB National Championship. Riders who compete at AMBC events held after the qualification deadline and/or after 2008 USAC-MTB National Championship will be eligible to compete in the 2009 USAC-MTB National Championship if they place in the top-10 in their respective discipline, class, and category.
3. USA Cycling Mountain Bike National Calendar (MBNC) events
The top-10 riders in each discipline, class, and category offered at any USA Cycling Mountain Bike National Calendars (MBNC) event will be eligible to compete in the 2009 USAC-MTB National Championship. Riders who qualify at USAC-MTB National Calendars events after the 2008 USAC-MTB National Championships will be qualified to compete in the 2009 USAC-MTB National Championship.
4. Defending USAC-MTB National Champions
All defending United States Mountain Bike Champions are automatically qualified to compete at the 2009 USAC-MTB National Championships in their respective discipline and category.
5. Alison Dunlap Junior Mountain Bike Events (ADJ-MTB)
The ADJ-MTB is open to junior racers aged 18 years old and younger as of December 31 of the current year. The top-10 riders in each category and age-group will be qualified to compete at the USAC-MTB National Championship.
6. USA Cycling Junior Development Regional Mountain Bike Camps
The top-six riders from each of the USA Cycling Junior Development Regional Mountain Bike Camps will be extended invitations to compete at the USAC-MTB National Championship.
7. Collegiate Cycling Conference Championships
The top-five finishers from each of the 2008 Collegiate Conference Championship races in the respective Collegiate categories (A, B, C, and D) will be eligible to compete at the 2009 USAC-MTB National Championships. Riders must have a current annual USAC-MTB license in order to compete. Riders will compete in the category indicated on their USAC-MTB annual license.
QUALIFICATION GUIDELINES
1. Riders are to compete in their respective age group based on their racing age that is determined as of December 31 of the current year. 2. Category 2 and 3 riders who have met the upgrading requirements (as defined in the 2009 USA Cycling Rulebook), but have qualified to compete in one of these categories at the 2009 USAC-MTB National Championships, may do so for only this event. After the USAC National MTB Championships, the Category 2 and 3 riders must immediately upgrade to the next higher category in the discipline in which they met the upgrade requirement and qualified. 3. Riders who finish in the top-five in Category 2 or 3 at the USAC National MTB Championships must move up to the next higher category for the remainder of the current season and following season. Category 1 riders who place in the top-three in the 19-24, 25-29, and 30-34 age groups will be eligible to upgrade to Pro for the remainder of the current season and following season. Riders must verify they wish to upgrade to Pro by completing and submitting an upgrade request through their USAC online membership account. The upgrade will not be changed unless the rider has agreed to do so by written consent. 4. Any racer, aged 19-22, who has qualified for the USAC-MTB National Championship in cross-country, has the option of competing in the U23 Championship race or their respective category. Racers in the U23 Championship race will be competing on the Pro-level course and distance. 5. Junior and Master Semi-pro and Pro riders may not ‘race-down’ to the Expert category in order to win an age-group title. Riders are to compete in the category in which they are categorized, qualified, and licensed. 6. Riders shall compete in the highest ability category for each respective discipline in which they have qualified for the 2009 USAC National MTB Championships. Masters riders who qualify in a younger age-group in the same ability category, will be able to qualify, but will compete in their official racing age-group at the USAC-MTB National Championships. 7. Riders who have qualified for the 2009 USAC-MTB National Championships will be posted to the USA Cycling website as they are determined. If there is a discrepancy in the qualifier list, the rider must contact the USA Cycling Mountain Bike Events and Program Director, Kelli Lusk, at
klusk@usacycling.org
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. 8. Qualification events will be required to submit race results in electronic format to the USA Cycling office within seven (7) business days of their event. Qualified riders will automatically be generated from the race results submitted to the USA Cycling office from these events. 9. An email will be sent to riders who have qualified for the 2009 USAC-MTB National Championships. Riders will also receive a qualification notification in their USA Cycling online membership account.
10. The qualification period is from August 1, 2008 to July 13, 2009.2009 UNITED STATES NATIONAL MOUNTAIN BIKE CHAMPIONSHIP CONTACTS
LOCAL ORGANIZING COMMITTEE (LOC)
Bigfoot Production and SolVista Basin
Keith Darner: %20/n%20
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keith@racemsc.com
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Sarah Rawley: %20/n%20
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sarah@racemsc.com
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Bigfoot: 720.407.6142 USA CYCLING
USA Cycling Mountain Bike Events and Program Director
Kelli Lusk: %20/n%20
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klusk@usacycling.org
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Phone: 719.434.4285
EVENT WEBSITES
Venue: www.racemsc.com
Qualification Information: www.usacycling.org
Race Registration: new.sportsbaseonline.com
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