US National Champs - Titles Up For Grabs This Weekend by USAC

USA Cycling hosted a little something for everyone on Thursday at the 2017 Mountain Bike National Championships, featuring enduro, dual slalom, cross country and short track championship races. Dry and sunny weather continued, making for mostly firm conditions with some dicey loose dirt on top. The short dual slalom course offered few opportunities for racers to settle in. Enduro racers finished their two day event with a mix of stages that required more pedalling than on day one, as well as some big hitters in the western territory of Snowshoe Mountain.

Lauren Simpson and Karen Tripp climb their way back to the top of the XC course, on their way to podium finishes in the XC Women Masters 55–59 field.

Masters XC racers took in doses of shade from the full sun beating down on Snowshoe Mountain during US MTB Nats.

Randy Kerr captured gold in the XC Men Masters 60–64 field.

Snowshoe Mountain hosted a short Dual Slalom course at MTB Nats that offered riders few opportunities to settle in.

Hunter Bell hits the berms on on the US Nats Dual Slalom course. Photo by Bruce Buckley

Hunter Bell hits the berms on the US Nats Dual Slalom course.

Kaden Pankow eyes the prize on his way to winning the Dual Slalom Men Junior 11-14 National Championship. Photo by Bruce Buckley

Kaden Pankow eyes the prize on his way to winning the Dual Slalom Junior Men 11–14 National Championship.

Jack Dichiara digs in on the MTB Nats Dual Slalom course during the DC Men's Junior 11–14 Championships.

Flying to the finish on the Dual Slalom course during the Amateur National Championships.

Ezra Smith leads the field to the top of the climb during the MTB Nats Short Track XC Female 17+ Cat 1 championship race.

A mix of strategies were used for navigating the rock section on the MTB Nats Short Track course.

Savilia Blunk pulled away from the field to win the MTB Nats Short Track XC Female 17+ championship. .

Ezra Smith earned the second podium step at the MTB Nats Short Track XC Female 17+ Cat 1 Championship.

Layton Meyers made the most of the tabletops on Ninja Bob trail during Stage 8 of MTB Nats Enduro Day 2. Photo by Bruce Buckley

Layton Meyers made the most of the tabletops on Ninja Bob trail during Stage 8 of MTB Nats Enduro day two.

Enduro racers speed into the sunset on Stage 8 of MTB Nats.

Enduro racers made the most of the Sweet Dreams section of Stage 8 on Day 2 of MTB Nats. Photo by Bruce Buckley

Riders made the most of the Sweet Dreams section of Stage 8 on Enduro day two of MTB Nats.

Lots of flow on the Ball and Jack trail in the middle of Stage 8 of MTB Nats.

Trevor McCutcheon started Day 2 on top of the Male 15-18 leaderboard at MTB Nats. Photo by Bruce Buckley

Trevor McCutcheon started day two on top of the Male 15–18 leaderboard at MTB Nats.

Rudy Sutton airs it out on Enduro Day 2 at MTB Nats. Photo by Bruce Buckley

Rudy Sutton airs it out on Enduro day two at MTB Nats.

Drew Palmerleger on Stage 8 of MTB Nats Enduro Day 2. Photo by Bruce Buckley

Drew Palmerleger on Stage 8 of MTB Nats Enduro day twoa.

Stage 8 of MTB Nats Enduro Day 2 featured a sweet set of tabletops on Ninja bob trail. Photo by Bruce Buckley

Stage 8 of MTB Nats Enduro day two featured a sweet set of tabletops on Ninja bob trail.

Spencer Rathkamp flew through the ferns on Stage 8 of MTB Nats Enduro Day 2. Photo by Bruce Buckley

Spencer Rathkamp flew through the ferns on Stage 8 of MTB Nats Enduro day two.

Joe Haley coming in hot on Enduro Day 2 at MTB Nats. Photo by Bruce Buckley

Joe Haley coming in hot on Enduro day two at MTB Nats.

Sun s out guns out for Ben Klimas on Enduro Day 2 at MTB Nats. Photo by Bruce Buckley

Sun's out, guns out for Ben Klimas on Enduro day two at MTB Nats.

Enduro racing finished off in style with some rock ledges at MTB Nats.

All photos by Bruce Buckley

MENTIONS: @USAC

Author Info:

USAC

Member since Jul 18, 2017
3 articles

11 Comments

oldpisgahrider (Jul 21, 2017 at 13:08)

Congrats to Stan Ford National Champion XC 70-74 age group. You would think USAC would post results on their website but being the lame organization that it is that's not the case.

valhallascott (Jul 22, 2017 at 0:04)

Seriously, how hard is it to post results. It's pathetic that you have to search for hours to find any info on the race or seeding results!

Brahma (Jul 21, 2017 at 9:31)

Maybe I'm missing something, but it doesn't seem that the USA Nationals have much emphasis, or perhaps the enduro world doesn't place much emphasis on Nationals. Just wondering why this is the case? I would think "Nationals" should be the largest stage for all disciplines of mountain biking for that nation.

Why is it that "Nationals" here in the US has little importance for the enduro crowd?

wilsonians (Jul 21, 2017 at 9:39)

I would guess partly because there is an EWS in Aspen next weekend so a lot of the top US guys are already out here in CO getting acclimated. I would hope that it is just a question of bad timing on USAC's part, but there may be other factors as well.

Grimes1405 (Jul 22, 2017 at 7:19)

@Brahma @ianswilson815: Enduro has only been a USAC championship event since 2015 (Super D was axed 2014). People might still be warming up to it, and I think USAC is still wrapping their minds around offering the discipline and making it worthwhile.

jfloren (Jul 29, 2017 at 14:51)

Why no coverage (photo or otherwise) of the US National Championship XCO race?

tbrown21 (Jul 21, 2017 at 13:11)

@Brahma No emphasis on US National Enduro Team

Viper13 (Jul 21, 2017 at 17:07)

I was there and didn't perceive any US National Enduro Team presence.

nerds-on-dirt-mtb (Jul 24, 2017 at 14:15)

Pretty cool to see some masters coverage!!

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