Qualifying For NORBA National Championships

USA Cycling pumped out a press release today explaining the qualification process (and promoting their favorite Mammoth hotels) for the 2006 USA Cycling Mountain Bike National Championships. Some of the interesting bits:

Riders may compete in the Nationals if they meet all of the following criteria, with the exception of # 3 if the discipline does not require a rider to qualify prior to the USA Cycling National Mountain Bike Championships:

1. They are United States citizens (riders may be asked to show proof of citizenship at race registration).
2. They are current annual NORBA members
3. They have qualified through a NORBA State or Regional Championship, an AMBC event, the NORBA National Mountain Bike Series (NMBS), a USA Cycling Junior Development Regional Mountain Bike Camp, Alison Dunlap Junior Olympic Mountain Bike calendar event, or defending United States National Champions or winners of the 2005 USAC National Competitions (Beginner and Sport) in the class, category, and discipline in being contested at the 2006 National Championship competition.

Riders must qualify by July 17, 2006 to be eligible for this year's Nationals. Riders who qualified in late summer events in 2005 (after Aug. 1, 2005) will also be eligible to compete.

The National Mountain Bike Championships will be a weekend-long event to determine the United States National Mountain Bike Champions Junior age classes, Junior Expert, Expert, U23 (men cross-country only), Semi-pro, and Pro in the following disciplines: Endurance (cross-country, short track, marathon (100k), and single speed) and Gravity (downhill, mountain cross and Super D).

Last year, you didn't need to qualify for the Marathon event. I like how they lumped cross-country into the "Endurance" category. Check out the full press-release here.

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