June 2011 – SUN VALLEY, ID –The Ride Sun Valley Bike Festival presented by Scott Sports, featuring the 2011 USA Cycling Mountain Bike Cross-Country National Championships will be held from July 11-17. The week-long event featuring numerous mountain bike activities will include the three race disciplines of Olympic Cross-Country, Short Track Cross Country and Super D events, as well as a two-day All Mountain Festival, a week of epic rides, and festivities.
Zions Bank will sponsor the Olympic Cross-Country event; Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad will sponsor the Short Track Cross-Country race and the Super D event sponsored by the Sun Valley Chamber. Other event sponsors include Idaho Tourism, Breakaway Promotions, Sun Valley Events and Metric Marketing Group. Scott is also the Official Bike Sponsor of the USA Cycling Mountain Bike Cross-Country National Championships and the Presenting Sponsor of the Ride Sun Valley Bike Festival.
An all new event being offered is the Sun Valley All Mountain, presented by Scott Sports. The two day race combines the scores of competitors in the XC and the Super-D disciplines.
The Nation Championship races will be held on Bald Mountain from July 14-17, 2011. This dramatic backdrop is the world famous ski area operated by Sun Valley Resort, another race sponsor. The diversity of the terrain and the outstanding facilities for spectators and families makes Sun Valley an ideal location for a national mountain bike competition.
The ability to create a demanding course and manage the logistics was key in the selection of Sun Valley. Over 1,000 racers are expected to participate.
Ride Sun Valley will feature numerous community activities. Each evening the official USA Cycling race award ceremony will be held in Ketchum Town Square and will be sponsored by St. Luke’s Wood River Medical Center and the St. Luke’s Wood River Foundation.
On Thursday evening, July 14, a Fat Tire Criterium for cyclists of all ages and experience levels will be held in downtown Ketchum. Held on a fast, technical course, this race is designed to create inspiring rides and spectator excitement. The “Crit” is sponsored by Sun Valley Brewing and Stanley Thermos. A course map and registration can be viewed at ridesunvalley.com.
The Scott Week of Epic Rides are daily guided and shuttled mountain bike rides that will be held in addition to the aptly named “Ride Sun Valley Local Stoker Rides” that will feature some of Sun Valley’s most epic trails. Cyclists can experience phenomenal backcountry scenery while riding some of the most demanding trails in the Northwest. Interested riders can go to ridesunvalley.com for more information. The Local Stoker rides are hosted by Mountain Rides and the Sun Valley Chamber of Commerce and will be laid out in the Festival map available to participants.
On Saturday, July 16, the Ketchum Bike Parks pump track will host the Second Annual Idaho Pump Track State Championship. Riding on the success of 2010’s event, this year’s competition is prepared to bring the next level of pump track racing to the national stage. This fun, family-oriented event will round out the week’s festival atmosphere.
“Sun Valley has a very strong mountain biking community and we’re very excited to be holding our USA Cycling Cross-Country Mountain Bike National Championships there for the next two years,” said USAC National Events Director, Kelli Lusk.
“We couldn’t be more pleased to be hosting an event of this caliber and starting a tradition of celebrating the amazing mountain biking which we are so stoked to have here. Once people get a taste of our community, trails, and surroundings, the biggest challenge will be leaving,” said Greg Randolph, General Manager of the Sun Valley Chamber of Commerce.
“When we learned that Sun Valley earned the bid for the 2011-12 XC National Championships Scott was immediately interested and involved in the event,” remarked Adrian Montgomery, Marketing/PR Director at Scott Sports. “We want the Ride Sun Valley and the Nationals to be the most successful event possible. Scott has a long-term commitment to the event and to the community we live and work in. We invite the industry and the MTB enthusiasts nationwide to come and partake in what Sun Valley has to offer. It’s a single track fantasy that you must experience.”
For more information on the races including race schedules, courses and a wide range of community events go to www.ridesunvalley.com. For more info on the USA Cycling national championship event, visit https://www.usacycling.org/events/2011/mtbnationals/.
