24-Hour Mountain Bike National Championships Come to Gallup
June 11, 2013
24-Hour Mountain Bike National Championships Come to Gallup
June 15-16 - Gallup, NM
America's top endurance mountain bikers will come to the Zuni Mountains June 15-16 to vie for Stars-and-Stripes jerseys at the 2013 USA Cycling 24-Hour Mountain Bike National Championships. Held in conjunction with 24 Hours in the Enchanted Forest, riders will be tested on a 16-mile course that is almost entirely singletrack. Contestants begin at 7,850 feet of elevation and climb as high as 8,350 feet of elevation.
“There are a lot of great endurance races and experienced race directors out there," Director of Zia Rides Lindsay Mapes said. "I've been thinking about Nationals for a few years. We thought we had a shot — New Mexico has never hosted this event, Gallup is poised as a mountain bike destination, our team of organizers is seasoned, and we have a solid course." The two-year agreement between USA Cycling, the sport’s national governing body, and Zia Rides is expected to bring approximately 300 of the country's best endurance mountain bike riders to Gallup.
"We're looking forward to bringing the 2013 and 2014 USA Cycling Mountain Bike 24-Hour National Championships to Gallup," National Events Director Kelli Lusk said. "The course in the Zuni Mountains featuring so much singletrack and climbing will certainly challenge the best endurance riders in the country."