3 Utah Riders and 2 Southwest Colorado Riders Named to Mountain Bike Worlds Team

USA Cycling Names MTB Worlds Team

(June 6, 2016) – Three riders from Utah, and two from Southwest Colorado along with 15 others were named to the 2016 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships, which run June 28-July 3 in Nove Mesto Na Morave, Czech Republic.

Keegan Swenson (Park City, Utah/Cannondale-360fly p/b Sugoi) was the sole U23 Men’s pick.

Rachel Anders (Sandy, Utah/Summit-Competitive Cyclist) and Haley Batten (Park City, Utah/LUNA Pro Team) were named to the Junior Women’s squad.

And, from Southwest Colorado, Howard Grotts (Durango, Colo./Specialized Racing) and Christopher Blevins (Durango, Colo./Team Specialized Racing) were named to the Elite Men’s team, and the Junior Men’s team respectively.

Nine automatic and nine discretionary picks make up the elite, U23 and junior squads, which will vie for UCI Rainbow World Championships Jerseys at the six-day event. Todd Wells (Durango, Colo./SRAM-Troy Lee Designs) earned an automatic nomination on the elite men’s team but declined his spot.
2016 USA Mountain Bike Worlds Team:

Elite Men
Stephen Ettinger (Bellingham, Wash./Ridebiker p/b Focus)*
Russell Finsterwald (Colorado Springs, Colo./SRAM-Troy Lee Designs Racing Team)
Howard Grotts (Durango, Colo./Specialized Racing)*
Spencer Paxson (Bellingham, Wash./Kona Bicycles Factory Team)

Elite Women
Larissa Connors (Silverado, Calif./TWENTY16 Pro Cycling)
Lea Davison (Jericho, Vt./Specialized Factory Racing)*
Georgia Gould (Fort Collins, Colo./LUNA Pro Team)*
Rose Grant (Columbia Falls, Mont.)
Erin Huck (Boulder, Colo./SCOTT 3 ROX)*
Mary McConneloug (Chilmark, Mass./Team KENDA-Intense)
Chloe Woodruff (Prescott, Ariz./Stan’s NoTubes-Pivot)*

U23 Men
Keegan Swenson (Park City, Utah/Cannondale-360fly p/b Sugoi)

U23 Women
Kate Courtney (Kentfield, Calif./Specialized Factory Racing)*

Junior Men
Christopher Blevins (Durango, Colo./Team Specialized Racing)*
Matthew Tracy-Cook (Oakland, Calif./Bear Development Team)

Junior Women
Rachel Anders (Sandy, Utah/Summit-Competitive Cyclist)
Haley Batten (Park City, Utah/LUNA Pro Team)*
Kelsey Urban (Kentfield, Calif./Whole Athlete-Specialized Cycling Team)

*automatic qualification