April 19, 2004 – While America's top female mountain bikers are contesting the 2004 Hyundai Sea Otter Classic this weekend in an effort to secure UCI points important to Olympic selection, Mary McConneloug (Fairfax, Calif.) has opted out of the North American UCI D2 classified event to remain in Europe where she competed in the second round of the Dutch Mountainbike Tour in Norg, The Netherlands, also a D2 classified event.
Her decision paid off with a third place overall finish resulting in 50 UCI points. Under USA Cycling's Olympic selection procedures, the sole women's nomination to the 2004 U.S. Olympic Mountain Bike Team will likely be awarded to the highest ranked American in the UCI standings on July 12, 2004.
McConneloug's third place finish in Holland was the result of consistent riding throughout the four stage event. McConnleoug opened the tour with a fourth place finish in the prologue and followed it up with seventh place finish in stage one, a fourth place effort in stage two, and a third place finish in the third and final stage.
For more info on Mary mcConneloug, visit www.usacycling.org/bios/user/bio.php?id=77
For USA Cycling's Olympic selection procedures, visit www.usacycling.org/events/olympic.pdf