October 30, 2007 (Colorado Springs, Colo.) – USA Cycling recognized Canadian Geoff Kabush (Team Maxxis) and Georgia Gould (Ketchum, Idaho/Luna) as overall winners of the inaugural USA Cycling Mountain Bike National Cross Country Calendar on Monday following the conclusion of the season-long calendar with the Piney Hills Classic XIV in Ruston, La. last weekend.

After 29 events, Kabush beat out Todd Wells (Durango, Colo./GT-Hyundai) for the top spot in the men’s standings by a 55-point margin, 500-445. Jeremiah Bishop (Harrisonburg, Va./Trek-VW) was third overall with 400 points, followed by Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski (Boulder, Colo./Subaru-Gary Fisher) in fourth with 399 points and Adam Craig (Bend, Ore./Giant) in fifth with 365 points.

In the women’s division, Gould won the overall calendar title with 650 points while runner-up Willow Koerber (Asheville, N.C./Subaru-Gary Fisher) collected 361 points to finish second. Shonny Vanlandingham (Durango, Colo./Luna) scored 355 points throughout the season to finish third overall, while Katerina Nash (CZE) finished fourth with 325 points and Heather Irmiger (Boulder, Colo./Subaru-Gary Fisher) rounded out the top five with 305 points.

Gould’s dominance in the women’s Cross County calendar came as result of seven key victories throughout the season. She began the year with a victory in the Sea Otter Classic before taking additional Category-1 wins at the Fontana National presented by Kona Bicycles, the Deer Valley National presented by Gary Fisher and the Sugar Mountain National presented by Maxxis. Gould added to her point total with additional victories at the Category-2 Nova National presented by Bear Naked-Cannondale, the Category-3 Firestone Santa Ynez Valley Mountain Bike Classic and the Category-4 Snowmass National presented by Clif Bar. Gould also scored points at the USA Cycling Mountain Bike National Championships with a second-place effort in the Cross Country race and a fifth-place finish in the Short Track Cross Country contest.

Like Gould, Kabush was clearly the one to beat, referenced by the collection of six calendar victories this summer. Kabush also opened the season with a win at the Sea Otter Classic before keeping pace with wins at the Nova National, the Santa Ynez Valley Classic, the Fontana National, the Deer Valley National and the Snowmass National. Kabush also scored significant second-place points at the Sugar Mountain National.

Gould and Kabush join Jared Graves, (AUS), Melissa Buhl (Chandler, Ariz./KHS), Nat Ross (Golden, Colo./Subaru-Gary Fisher) and Rebecca Rusch (Ketchum, Idaho/Red Bull-Specialized) as inaugural USA Cycling Mountain Bike National Calendar champions. Buhl and Graves won the men’s and women’s National Gravity Calendar standings earlier this month while Ross and Rusch captured overall National Ultra-Endurance titles in July.

2007 USA Cycling Mountain Bike National Cross Country Calendar
Final Standings:

*For complete final standings, visit www.usacycling.org/mbnc.

Men
1. Geoff Kabush (Can) 500
2. Todd Wells (Durango, Colo.) 445
3. Jeremiah Bishop (Harrisonburg, Va.) 400
4. Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski (Boulder, Colo.) 399
5. Adam Craig (Bend, Ore.) 365

Women
1. Georgia Gould (Ketchum, Idaho.) 650
2. Willow Koerber (Asheville, N.C.) 361
3. Shonny Vanlandingham (Durango, Colo.) 335
4. Katerina Nash (Cze) 325
5. Heather Irmiger (Boulder, Colo.) 305