Monterey, Calf. (April 16, 2009) – The USA Cycling Pro Mountain Bike Cross Country Tour presented by Sho-Air (Pro XCT) is gearing up for the second event on the nation’s premier cross country calendar at the Sea Otter Classic on April 19. The Pro XCT men’s race is slated for 1:30 p.m. on Sunday afternoon while the women’s Pro XCT will begin at 1:45 p.m. Both races will start and finish at the Sea Otter Bridge. Dozens of the world’s top riders are expected to fight it out for the series lead on this classic course.

 

Following the first event on USA Cycling’s Pro XCT, the Fontana City National, Canadian Geoff Kabush (Team Maxxis Rocky Mountain) and Australian Max Plaxton (Sho-air-Specialized) lead the men’s standings ahead of Americans Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski (Boulder, Colo./Subaru-Gary Fisher), Sam Schultz (Missoula, Mont./Subaru-Gary Fisher) and Adam Craig (Bend, Ore./Giant). On the women’s side Luna teammates Georgia Gould (Fort Collins, Colo.) and Catherine Pendrel (CAN) claimed the top two spots while Heather Irmiger (Boulder, Colo./Subaru-Gary Fisher),  Emily Batty (CAN/Trek) and Willow Koerber (Asheville, N.C./Subaru-Gary Fisher) round out the top five. Click here for more on the series’ individual leaders.

 

The 2009 USA Cycling Pro Mountain Bike Cross Country Tour presented by Sho-Air (Pro XCT) is also tracking the top male, female and mixed teams participating in the series. With one of seven series’ events completed the Sho-air-Specialized squad leads the men’s team standings while the dominant Luna squad is tops on the women’s side. Another powerful and well-balanced team, Subaru-Gary Fisher, is the current leader in the mixed team rankings. Click here to view the complete team standings heading into the series’ second event.

 

A category one UCI cross country event, this weekend’s Sea Otter Classic, will feature international stars such as Burry Stander (RSA) and 2008 World Champion Christoph Sauser (SWI) battling it out against series’ leaders Plaxton, Horgan-Kobelski and Craig, among others such as Dave Wiens (Gunnison, Colo.). The Western hemisphere’s top women, including all the series’ leaders as well as Katerina Nash (CZE/Luna) and Catherine Vipond (CAN/Norco), are also expected to be in attendance at Sea Otter making it one of the most competitive cross country mountain biking contests in the world.

 

Sea Otter will also mark the debut of the TrailWatch.net USA Cycling Pro XCT Short Track Series presented by EscapeAdventures.com. The series will encompass the short track contests at Sea Otter, the Carmichael Training Systems Sand Creek International Classic, the Mount Snow Shoot Out, the Yankee Clipper at Windham Mountain and the Pro XCT Finals in Las Vegas. Most aggressive riders in both the male and female short track races will be awarded $250 courtesy of TrailWatch.net. The Pro XCT Short Track rankings will be tabulated completely separately from the Pro XCT cross country series, creating a unique king and queen of off-road short track mountain bike racing.   

 

The official USA Cycling Pro XCT website is now available on-line at http://www.usacycling.org/proxct/. The site offers more information on the series including a complete schedule, current standings and more.

 

The 2010 USA Cycling Pro XCT/GRT and Mountain Bike National Calendar bid period is set to open May 1, 2009.  All promoters interested in hosting an event on one of these 2010 calendars can find more information on USA Cycling’s mountain bike homepage, here. 

The Sea Otter Classic will include much more than Sunday’s Pro XCT event. The four-day celebration of sport and the largest outdoor consumer expo in the country, Sea Otter features a full schedule of amateur and pro cycling events, as well as family activities for all ages. The Sea Otter Classic also plays host to one of the largest consumer bike expos in the world. Despite tough economic times the infamous cycling festival has seen an increase in exhibitor registration, as well as an increase in athlete sign-ups. 

 

According to Frank Yohannan, Sea Otter Classic president and CEO, companies carefully analyzing their events and marketing initiatives are deciding that the Sea Otter Classic is one event they can’t afford to miss.

 

"Companies realize they need to remain competitive and hold on to their market share," said Yohannan.  "The event is also a great value for athletes watching their budgets. With its various events, family activities, the festival and expo, Sea Otter is much more than just a race.” 

 

Sea Otter Classic Challenges Participants with an Overflowing Activity Roster

Racers make the annual pilgrimage to Sea Otter to participate in cycling's best competitive and non-competitive events. The mountain bike events include an epic Cross Country, Dual Slalom, Super D, Downhill and more. Road cyclists enjoy road racing on the former Ft. Ord property. They can also compete in criterium and circuit racing on the world famous Laguna Seca Raceway. For those who want to take a less competitive route, Sea Otter offers recreational Road Tours and Mountain Bike Tours.

 

The Sea Otter Village, hub of the event, pulses with the activity of free bike demos, stunt shows, kids' playhouses, an international food court, beer and BBQ garden, and live entertainment. Free to kids 12 and under are Sea Otter egg hunts, bike rodeos, kid's races, and much more. The Sea Otter Expo holds hundreds of vendors who display new products, give out free samples, and offer terrific bargains. Hundreds of professional road and mountain bike athletes come to Sea Otter to race, sign autographs, and share their racing techniques with the fans.

A few years ago, after many requests from fans and exhibitors alike, Sea Otter added a Product Demo Area to the list of ways to interact with this cycling-centric audience of consumers, athletes and spectators. Over 25 exhibitors will set up shop where the public can try out new products. Last year over 2,000 people tested products on roads designated for demo use as well as on bumps and jumps in the MTB Ride Zone.

 

Exhibitors Kick Off Season with Product Launches and Brand-building Activities

Nearly 300 companies exhibit each year at what is widely accepted as the most important spring consumer tradeshow for cyclists in North America. With nearly 50,000 athletes and spectators walking through the expo, it is a perfect opportunity to show new products, interact directly with consumers, offer samples, sell closeout items and build brand awareness.

 

Bicycle Leadership Conference Rallies Innovators, Decision-makers and Trendsetters

For the next three years, the Bicycle Leadership Conference, the premier forum for decision-makers and change-makers of the cycling world, will meet in conjunction with the Sea Otter Classic. This makes it all the more economical and beneficial for company representatives to join this important group of industry leaders.

 

“The combination of the world's best consumer cycling festival preceeded by the only cycling industry leadership conference eases budgetary concerns for many companies,” said Lance Camisasca, BLC Conference Director. “For the price of one airline ticket and lodging arrangement leaders of the bike industry can continue to attend two must-attend events.”