PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate Release

Media Contact:
Paul Skilbeck
Tel: +1-415-516-1444
EM: pskilbeck@o2sm.com
www.mtbnationals.com

SUGAR MOUNTAIN, North Carolina , (July 25) -- International elite level mountain biking racing returns to the North Carolina mountains this weekend, July 26-29, for the Showdown at Sugar, stop six of seven on the US National Mountain Bike Series tour.

The Showdown at Sugar is a long-established Eastern US event, now in its 14th year, and its inclusion in the line-up of prestigious events comprising the national series makes sense.

"It had a positive economic impact on our local community when the national series came here last year, and it's a great feeling in terms of an exciting event with a lot of flair. We feel it is a great addition to our annual calendar of events, and it was important for us to bring it back," said Kim Jochl of Sugar Mountain Resort.

"We really love the technical terrain here at Sugar Mountain. It is classic East Coast riding, with roots, rocks, drops, the whole lot. It's non-stop fun on all of the courses here." Said series director Jeff Frost, of Blue Wolf Events. Indeed, at last year's national series event here, one of the pro riders was spotted riding up the chair *after* the race to catch another run on the Super D course.

Recently crowned US national champion in Cross Country and Short Track, Mary McConneloug (Seven Cycles), of Fairfax, Calif. will compete at Sugar Mountain this weekend. "After winning the (Short Track Cross Country) I decided since the good legs are here I should put them to good use! Mike Broderick and I both look forward to racing in the National Series race this weekend. We hear the riding at Sugar Mountain is phenomenal," she said.

Going into this round, the series standings are hotly contested across the disciplines. Please note that not every round of the series has hosted events in each discipline. This is why some events are heading into Round 5, while others Round 4.

The event website is: www.skisugar.com/showdown/
online registration is at: www.sportsbaseonline.com

Who to watch:

KENDA Cross Country Pro Men (round 5)
A 6.5 mile course, which some say is the toughest on the NMBS circuit, will challenge riders with relentless climbs, fast descents,and intricate singletrack through the eastern hardwoods.

At Round 4, in Deer Valley, the 2005 US national champion Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski (Subaru-Gary Fisher), of Boulder, Colo., closed the gap by 10 points to series leader Geoff Kabush (Team Maxxis) of Victoria, BC, but the Canadian still leads by 719 points to 681. Carl Decker (Giant), of Bend, Oregon, moved up to third place overall on 528 points. The main riders to watch will be Kabush and Horgan-Kobelski, but watch out also for Harrisonburg, Virginia, rider Jeremiah Bishop (Trek/VW), who showed improving form at Deer Valley with a third place ride. At home in the roots and rocks of this course, Bishop should shine.

KENDA Cross Country Pro Women (round 5)
Reigning women's national champion Georgia Gould (Luna) of Missoula, Mont., continues to blast into her breakout season, and will be looking to maintain her perfect score of 728 points from four races. Gould's experienced team-mate, Shonny Van Landingham, from Durango, Colo., lies second in the series with 654 points, while ex-pat Czech Katerina Nash completes a Luna Women's MTB team domination of the top three spots with 582 points.

KENDA Short Track Pro Men (round 5)
After a disastrous ride at Deer Valley in Round 4, Ryan Trebon (Kona), of Corvallis, Oregon, lost the series lead in the spectator-friendly Short Track event. Jeremy Horgan Kobelski and. Geoff Kabush raced past him in the overall standings and have an equal 644 points to Trebon's 628. Kabush leads the series by virtue of having more wins. Trebon will be looking for his comeback ride, while Kabush and Horgan-Kobelski both have everything to race for. This is likely to be one of the most exciting races of the entire series.

KENDA Short Track Pro Women (round 5)
At Round 4 in Deer Valley, Katerina Nash, pulled back 10 points from her team-mate Georgia Gould, by winning the race. Gould now leads the series by 708 points, to Nash's 699, and another win would put Nash into the series lead. Local rider Willow Koerber (Subaru-Gary Fisher), who grew up in Asheville, NC, lies fourth overall in the series and is expected to put on a strong showing.

FOX Racing Shox Downhill Pro Men(round 4)
Australians Jared Rando (Giant/Michelin) and Amiel Cavalier (Giant), with 525 and 483 points respectively, continue what is becoming a tradition of dominance on US soil. However Cody Warren (Foes/No Fear), of Alpine, Calif., has shown he has the talent to beat both Aussies, and a strong result here would put him right back in contention for the series lead. On this course, however, look for some outstanding results from East Coast or northwestern riders making the most of familiar terrain..

FOX Racing Shox Downhill Pro Women (round 4)
A great ride by Melissa Buhl (KHS), of Chandler, Ariz., at Round 3 in Deer Valley put her back into the series lead on 549 points, while the relative newcomer to the pro women's scene, Lisa Myklak (Leelikesbikes.com), of Boulder, Colo., was relegated to third place on 498. Separating the two is Joanna Petterson (Brodie), of South Africa, on 511. Should Kathy Pruitt (Jamis) of Lake Almanor, Calif., start at Sugar Mountain, she will be a strong contender.

FOX Racing Shox 4X/Dual Slalom Pro Men (round 4)
At the rather tough old age of 37, national and world champion Eric Carter continues to outsmart his younger rivals and maintains a comfortable lead in this crowd pleasing thrills and spills event. At Deer Valley, Jared Rando moved up into second place overall, with his compatriot, Amiel Cavalier, close behind. Many top international riders compete in this series, and really anything can happen.

FOX Racing Shox 4X/Dual Slalom Pro Women (round 4)
After three rounds, the 2002 and 2005 national champion Melissa Buhl leads Joanna Petterson with 536 points to 481. Petterson's team-mate, Jackie Harmony (Brodie/Bike and Bean), of Tucson, Ariz., is third with 447 points. Should world champion Jill Kintner (GT Bicycles), of Seattle, Wash., show up to race, she would be a strong favorite for the win.

Apart from exciting race action, former world champion Alison Dunlap will hold her acclaimed mountain biking clinic at the venue http://www.alisondunlap.com/, and the hugely successful SHIMANO Youth Series will provide a safe and fun mountain bike experience for younger children.

About The National Mountain Bike Series
The National Mountain Bike Series (NMBS) is the premier mountain bike racing series in the United States, and is sanctioned by the national governing body of cycling sports, USA Cycling. The series determines the most consistent performers over an entire summer's gruelling competition. For more information and to see the complete 2007 NMBS calendar, visit www.mtbnationals.com. For all other inquiries, please email info@mtbnationals.com.

Media Contact: Paul Skilbeck. Tel. 415-346-8422/pskilbeck@o2sm.com

EVENT SCHEDULE

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