June 9, 2006 — The second stop on the U.S. National Mountain Bike Series hits Sugar Mountain Resort in Banner Elk, NC this weekend with cross country, downhill, short track and dual slalom action. Canada’s Geoff Kabush (CAN, Maxxis) will give his best to defend his lead in the series, after he won both the cross country and short track in the season opener.

Action starts tomorrow with the Pro Men’s XC starting at noon, followed by the Pro Women at 12:15 p.m. Eastern. Riders will battle it out on a demanding 10.6-kilometre loop, which includes fast, buff singletrack, decisive climbs and technical descents. The weather forecasters are predicting a mix of sun and cloud with a high of 21 degrees Celsius — ideal conditions for a ripping fast race!

The mountain bike party continues into the evening on Saturday, with the Pro Dual Slalom Final, which kicks off at 6:30 p.m. Spectators will get a fabulous view of all the tight, elbow-to-elbow action from the village.

The Pro Men’s and Women’s Sugar Mountain Downhill finals get underway at noon on Sunday. The course starts at the peak at an altitude of 1,615 metres and drops down nearly to the village at an altitude of 1,250 metres via a mixture of rough, rocky terrain, tight, twisty singletrack, jumps and more.

Spectators will get another, final treat on Sunday afternoon, as spandex-clad racers hit the short track circuit in a short, high-speed battle of legs and brains in the highly tactical off-road criterium. Canada’s Kabush is the one to watch, as he’s known for his brains and his brawn in this discipline. The Pro Women’s start pistol fires at 2:30 p.m. and the Pro Men sprint from the line at 3:00 p.m.

Race Schedule

Saturday, June 10
– 12:00 p.m. Pro Men XC
– 12:15 p.m. Pro Women XC
– 6:30 p.m. Pro/Semi Pro Dual Slalom Final

Sunday, June 11
– 12:00 p.m. Pro Men and Pro Women DH Final
– 2:30 p.m. Pro Women Short Track Race
– 3:00 p.m. Pro Men Short Track Race