May 12, 2004 – The 2004 NORBA National Mountain Bike Series resumes this weekend in Sonoma, Calif. as part of the California Outdoor Championships at Infineon Raceway May 14-16. Designed after the hugely successful Sea Otter Classic, The California Outdoor Championships will feature both elite-level and amateur mountain biking and road cycling as America's top cycling talent in both disciplines prepare for the Olympic Games later this summer in Athens.
Several U.S. Olympic mountain bike hopefuls will use the cross-country events in Sonoma as a tune-up to the UCI World Cup season opener a week later in Spain. Also, with an UCI E1 classified cross country race on Saturday and an E2 short track event on Sunday, UCI points valuable to Olympic selection are up for grabs to the nation's top elite mountain bike athletes.
On hand in Sonoma will be 2001 World Champion and winner of the cross country race at the opening round of the 2004 NORBA National Mountain Bike Series in Waco, Texas, Alison Dunlap (Colorado Springs, Colo.). Dunlap, who also won two stages and the overall classification at the Sea Otter Classic last month, is currently at the top of her game and keen to secure additional UCI points towards her bid for an Olympic nomination. Noticeably absent in Sonoma will be U.S. Olympic hopefuls, Sue Haywood (Davis, W. Va.) and Mary McConneloug (Fairfax, Calif.) who both chose to compete in Europe this weekend as preparation for the upcoming World Cup opener. Also missing in Sonoma will be NORBA round one time trial, short track, and overall winner, Alison Sydor (CAN).
But even without a couple of key players on the start line, several talented and notable riders and teams are set to compete and eager for a win. RLX Ralph Lauren teammates, Jimena Florit (ARG) and Willow Koerber (Horseshoe, N.C.) as well as Dunlap's Luna teammates, Katerina Hanusova (CZE), and Shonny Vanlandingham (Durango, Colo.) are likely to challenge each other for the win in both Saturday's cross country race and Sunday's short track event. Also, Ford Cycling's Dara Marks (Flagstaff, Ariz.) and Rocky Mountain 's Gretchen Reeves (Boulder, Colo.), both members of the U.S. World Championship team last September will also be a threat.
The men's events should be as equally competitive and important for the women when it comes to Olympic selection. With similar UCI points available to the guys, Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski (Boulder, Colo.) will look for a strong performance in Sonoma to solidify his position as the number one ranked American rider in the world. Currently ranked 16th in the world, Horgan-Kobelski is in a tight race for one of the two available spots on the U.S. men's Olympic mountain bike team. Also a candidate for one of those spots, Jeremiah Bishop (Harrisonburg, Va.), will not be in Sonoma as he prepares for the World Cup opener in Europe. His absence means that none of the winners from the first round of the NORBA series will contest the second round as the Canadian trio of Ryder Hesjedal, Seamus McGrath, and Geoff Kabush, all winners in Waco, will also forego the second round.
Like the women, the men's race in Sonoma provides a good opportunity for other riders to notch their first 2004 NORBA series win. Key players include Canadian Chris Sheppard and Colombian, Cesar Grajales. Grajales already took a huge win on the road this season, winning stage six of the Tour de Georgia ahead of Lance Armstrong.
The gravity events at the California Outdoor Championships will also feature some of the world's most impressive athletes in both mountain cross and dual slalom racing. Acting as the first round of the 2004 NORBA series for gravity riders, Sea Otter Classic mountain cross winners Tara Llanes (Corona, Calif.) and local Donny Robinson (Napa, Calif.) and dual slalom victors Mick Hannah (AUS) and Sabrina Jonnier (FRA) are hoping to expand upon their early season success.
Also new to the NORBA National Mountain Bike Series is a qualifying opportunity for Sunday's Jeep King of the Mountain Series opener. Based on Saturday's results in the mountain cross finals, two NORBA branded teams will compete against several nations in an event that blends mountain cross racing with dual slalom.
For a complete event schedule, visit www.oschamps.com.