April 23, 2004 РFor the first time this season, U.S. Olympic hopefuls, Mary McConneloug (Fairfax, Calif.), Alison Dunlap (Colorado Springs, Colo.) and Sue Haywood (Davis, W. Va.) will compete alongside each other this weekend at the Pan American Championships in Ba̱os, Ecuador as members of the U.S. National Team. Designated as a Continental Championship by the UCI, the Pan American Championships offer significant UCI points important to Olympic selection. Just below a UCI World Cup race in terms of stature, 125 points are on the line for the winner in the most important race of the season thus far for American mountain bikers.
Under USA Cycling's Olympic Selection Procedures, the woman that will most likely represent the United States at the 2004 Olympic Games later this summer will be the one with the most UCI points as of July 12. After previous selection criteria went unfulfilled, McConneloug, Dunlap and Haywood have been engaged in a season-long points chase to secure a trip to Athens and for the first time since the NORBA National in Snowshoe, W. Va. last June, the three will toe the same start line.
With the unique aspect of competing together as members of the same team, McConneloug, Dunlap, and Haywood will also have their collective eyes on the gold medal, not only because it represents the mark of a Continental Champion, but more importantly it brings them 125 points closer to realizing their Olympic dreams.
Throughout the first third of the mountain bike season, McConneloug and Dunlap have ridden extremely well. McConneloug has ridden to eight wins already this year and most recently finished 3rd overall at the Dutch Mountainbike Tour, a UCI D2 classified event last weekend. Dunlap on the other hand began her season a bit later, opting to open her season at the 2004 NORBA National Mountain Bike Series opener in Waco, Texas last month in which she rode to a win in the cross-country race, a UCI E1 classified event. Since then, Dunlap has captured victories at the Maxxis Cup International in Portugal, and the overall title at the Sea Otter Classic, UCI E1 and D2 events respectively. Still looking for her first win of the season, Haywood has been consistently scoring points thanks to five podium finishes already this year. She's also coming off a solid sixth place overall finish at the Sea Otter Classic despite suffering a flat tire and crashing.
Arguably, Dunlap is currently the strongest rider of the three after her dominating performance at the Sea Otter Classic that included two stage wins in addition to the overall victory. However, McConneloug and Haywood have each shown flashes of brilliance and are more than capable of adding yet another significant victory to their resume. With only three American women in the elite race and the absence of European talent, it's also quite conceivable that the American trio could sweep the podium in Ecuador.
The men's elite field is no less talented and focused on Olympic selection than the women, however with two start positions available in Athens, the chase for UCI points is not as vital. One of the nominations to the Olympic team will likely come from the overall World Cup standings but the other, as with the women's selection, could be based on UCI points making the Pan American Championships an important event.
Currently, Jeremy-Horgan Kobelski (Boulder, Colo.) is the highest ranked American in the current UCI standings and is coming off an impressive fourth place overall finish at the Sea Otter Classic amongst a field that included two current World Mountain Bike Champions, marathoner Thomas Frischknect of Switzerland, and reigning cross country champion, Filip Meirhaeghe of Belgium, not to mention a talented Canadian contingent. Teaming up with Horgan-Kobelski will be Jeremiah Bishop (Harrisonburg, W. Va.). Like McConneloug, Bishop has been the most active thus far with efforts to pad his UCI points which include a win in the cross country event at the NORBA National in Waco, the first by an American in any NORBA National in three years. Most recently, Bishop finished out of the points at the Sea Otter Classic after being plagued by sickness.
Todd Wells (Durango, Colo.) on the other hand put in a strong performance at the Sea Otter Classic, placing seventh overall and will be entering the Pan American Championships in strong form. Currently, Horgan-Kobelski, Bishop and Wells are considered to be the strongest candidates to make the Olympic team. Also considered a potential Olympian, if not in 2004 then in 2008, is Adam Craig (Bangor, Maine). The youngest of the four riders on the U.S. National Team for the Pan American Championships, Craig currently is the fourth-ranked American in the UCI standings and is quickly becoming one of the top elite mountain bikers in the country.
Also competing in Ecuador in the U23 class, is U.S. National Mountain Bike team member, Sam Schultz. One of the four top U23 mountain bikers in the nation, Schultz recently placed 15th overall in the pro class at the Sea Otter Classic amongst some of the world's best mountain bikers. Joining Schultz in the U23 ranks will be Tristan Schouten (Sheboygan, Wisc.).
Kristi Henne (Plainview, Ark.) and Holly Liskie will contest the junior women's event and Noah Singer (Little Rock, Ark.), Carson Worts (Warner Springs, Calif.), Chris Hinshaw (Winterhaven, Fla.), Alex Hodge (Bend, Ore.) Matt Skeen (Summerfield, N.C.), and Matt Mullican (Terre Haute, Ind.) will comprise the junior men's team.