The fourth stop on the USA Cycling Pro Mountain Bike Cross Country Tour presented by Sho-Air (Pro XCT) is set to get underway this Saturday with the Carmichael Training Systems Sand Creek International Classic at Cheyenne Mountain State Park in Colorado Springs.
The June 13th event will welcome some of the world’s top mountain bikers as they duke it out for the Pro XCT series lead. Going into the weekend, Canadian Max Plaxton (Sho-air-Specialized) leads the men’s series with 285 points. Australian Sid Taberlay (Sho-air-Specialized) and Coloradoan Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski (Boulder, Colo./Subaru-Gary Fisher) are tied in second with 280 points. On the women’s side, Colorado rider Georgia Gould (Fort Collins, Colo./Luna) is on top with 305 points while Canadian Catherine Pendrel is in second with 295 and local Colorado Springs pro Kelli Emmett (Colorado Springs, Colo./Giant) sits in third with 245. Click here to read more about the Pro XCT series or to view complete individual or team standings.
The pro women will toe the line at noon on Saturday to contest four laps of the 5.5 mile course while the pro men are set to go off at 2:30 for five laps. The event isn’t just for the pros though. There are over 20 categories of racers gearing up to race the top notch course on Saturday.
“A few professional riders have told us that it’s one of the best courses they’ve seen in a long time,” said race promoter Andy Bohlmann
In addition to being the fourth stop on the Pro XCT circuit, the Sand Creek International Classic will also host the second stop on the TrailWatch.net USA Cycling Pro XCT Short Track Series presented by EscapeAdventures.com. (Pro XCT Short Track). The short track events will take place Friday, June 12, at Bear Creek Terrace. Pro women will line up at 4:30, pro men at 5:15, and the Cat 1 / 2 Open event at 6:00. The men’s and women’s Pro XCT Short Track series is currently being led by American Todd Wells (Durango, Colo.) and Canadian Emily Batty (Trek Store).
“These events are showcase events for Colorado Springs,” said Bohlmann. “We have tremendous bike riding here and we’re clearly leading the way.”
