November 15, 2005 – Fresh off its highly successful cycling weekend this past September, Infineon Raceway officials have announced that the Infineon Technologies Cougar Mountain Classic will return for a third consecutive year in 2006.

The event experienced industry-wide buzz in 2005 thanks in large part to the debut of a world-class downhill course, enhanced cross country and mountain cross circuits and a one-hour broadcast on Fox Sports Net Bay Area.

That same excitement will return during the 2006 race season, when cyclists of all disciplines converge on Infineon Raceway, July 14-16. Event organizers say the new mid-summer date will be a hit in the
cycling community and should attract high-level competitors, both pro and amateur.

“Opening up our entire property to upgrade the mountain bike courses made a real difference in the quality of the competition and we’ve had terrific feedback from both mountain and road cyclists about this
year’s event,” said Steve Page, president and general manager of Infineon Raceway. “We hope to build a race weekend that is second to none and the new date for 2006 should be another positive step in that direction.”

The race weekend will feature a variety of disciplines, but the signature of Infineon Raceway has quickly become the world-class downhill course. The thrill-ride begins nearly 400 feet above the raceway, atop Cougar Mountain, and features rolling terrain, open-fast sections and challenging man-made jumps, not to mention a spectacular view of the San Francisco skyline.

Many of the natural ravines and other hillside features have also been incorporated into the layout. One of the most appealing features is that the entire course is visible for spectators. Competitors raved about the course, and with another year of development and sculpting, it should be even better in 2006.

“This is incredible because you can see the whole course. That is unprecedented,” said Marla Streb, a two-time national downhill champion who served as a color analyst for the Fox Sports Net Bay Area
broadcast. “On top of that, it is pretty difficult; it’s the kind of course that really sneaks up on you. It has a lot of potential to be a world-class course.”

The race weekend will also feature many of the other human-powered staples like road cycling, mountain cross and mountain biking. A new and unique element will also return in 2006 with eight-hour enduros for both road cycling and mountain bike cross country.

With high-mileage cycling events on the uptick all over the world, this particular take on the cycling enduro was developed at Infineon Raceway, and the road version is believed to be unique. The new format was well received by competitors, who rode solo or in a relay team to tackle the world-famous 12-turn, 2.52-mile road course (road cycling) and natural terrain around the property (mountain bike cross country).

Ryan McKenzie, of Encinitas (Calif.), a pro road cyclist on the Subway team, said: “I hope this kind of racing catches on. You have all the usual strategy of road racing, but with fresh riders coming in every
two laps or so it is even more tactical. I could easily see this developing into a great form of racing, like the 24-hour mountain bike events.” His teammate, Cameron Hughes, of McKenzie Bridge (Ore.), agreed: “I think there’s a future for this kind of racing. We’ve had a ball; it was a lot of fun.”

Off the track, there will be a festival-like atmosphere with a vast vendor midway, swap meet, vintage bicycle concours, wine tasting and plenty of activities for children, including safety seminars, bounce
houses and more.

Many in the industry have touted the Infineon Technologies Cougar Mountain Classic as the next big national event on the calendar.

“The Cougar Mountain Classic is destined to become one of the biggest cycling events on the calendar,” said Alex Wheeler, U.S. marketing manger with X-Fusion Shox. “Having the event in July is a positive step towards putting the CMC on everyone’s schedule. Infineon Raceway deserves major props for investing so much in cycling. Now it is up to the bike industry and racers everywhere to take advantage of this amazing venue in Sonoma and turn the Cougar Mountain Classic into a world-class cycling event.”

Stay tuned to www.cmclassic.com for more information on the Infineon Technologies Cougar Mountain Classic.