Final Gravity Calendar Event to Take Place Oct 13 - 14 in New York

The final event on the USA Cycling Mountain Bike National Gravity Calendar is approaching as Plattekill Mountain in Roxbury, N.Y. will host the first ever Gravity East Finals. The category-one downhill and super D competitions will wrap up the USA Cycling Mountain Bike National Gravity Calendar, October 13-14, with thousands in cash prizes.The Gravity East Series, newly formed this year, was conceived in an effort to make a true East Coast series that would allow racers to compete for points across nine venues. Stops on the circuit spanned the Atlantic Coast from Whiteface Mountain in Lake Placid, N.Y. to Massanutten in Virginia. Five venues then decided to team together and offer a $2,000 cash purse to the 2007 Gravity East Series Winners which will be decided at the Plattekill finale in mid-October. In addition, Plattekill Mountain and its sponsors have increased the stakes for the Gravity East Finals by offering a $5,000 cash purse for the downhill event and a $1,000 cash purse for the dual slalom event in addition to the series cash prizes and product support.

“We wanted to make this a major event by offering a significant cash purse to attract some of the country’s top mountain bike athletes to Plattekill to experience some of the best downhill terrain on the East Coast,” explained Dieter Ward, Plattekill Mountain’s Cycling Manager.

The event is expected to attract over 400 competitors and over 100 collegiate racers. Industry vendors and sponsors have been invited to showcase their new 2008 bike and product lines, including Sinister Bikes who will be on hand for demos. The mountain will also host a DJ, a huge barbeque by Longhorn BBQ and a showing of the World Premier New World Disorder 8 – “Smack Down”.

“We’ve planned a festival-type weekend for the riders so that they can find more than just great racing during the three-day event,” said Billy Allison, Plattekill’s Cycling Director.

The course will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday for freeriding and practice. Lift tickets will cost just $10 on Friday with any race registration. The dual slalom competition will take place Saturday at 3 p.m. and the dowhhill event will begin Sunday at 11 a.m. The downhill course will also be available for practice on Saturday. Add to that, Shaums March Pro Training Camps will offer pre-race training instruction on Friday and Saturday with half-day sessions to available for just $99.

The trail crew at Plattekill is cooking up something special for the Gravity East race courses and have been hard at work finishing up the soon to be infamous “camper" jump - a.k.a. the “Plattekill Townhouse Jump” which will debut in the downhill finals. Pictures can be seen on-line at www.derailedonline.com.

Plattekill Mountain is located in the Northern Catskill Mountains of N.Y., approximately 2-1/2 hours from N.Y.C. and one hour from Albany, N.Y. Plattekill operates the longest continuously running lift-served mountain biking center in the East. Plattekill has been operating from late April until early November since 1994.

For more info or to pre-register for any of the weekends events visit www.plattekill.com or call (607) 326-3500.