2008 MTB National Championships This Weekend

Although we don't cover it much anymore, USA Cycling is holding their MTB National Championship on the East Coast this weekend. Ever since they moved after the somewhat disastrous 2006 championship at Cougar Mountain, it's just hard to get excited about. However, in the interest of fairness, here is the press release:

"The 2008 USA Cycling Mountain Bike National Championships will return to Mount Snow Resort in West Dover, Vt. for the second year in a row, July 17-20.
 
2008 Olympians Adam Craig (Bend, Ore.) and Mary McConneloug (Chilmark, Mass.) will be on hand to defend their 2007 national titles in the pro Olympic-style cross country contest, along with Todd Wells (Durango, Colo.) and Georgia Gould (Fort Collins, Colo.) who have also qualified for Beijing. Fresh off the 2008 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships, Cole Bangert (Twin Lakes, Colo.) and Kathy Pruitt (Santa Cruz, Calif.) are set to defend their Stars-and-Stripes jersey in the pro downhill races on Sunday.
 
Utilizing largely the same routes as the 2007 competition, athletes can expect demanding and technical courses that will challenge even the sport’s best. This year’s cross country competition will cover the same five-mile loop as in 2007 with race lengths from five miles for the 12 & under juniors, to 25 miles for the professionals. The 2008 downhill competition will feature two different courses with one specifically suited for the beginner and sport classes and the other designed to challenge the skills of the nation’s top pro gravity riders.
 
In addition to the various off-road cycling competitions, USA Cycling is set to present the four U.S. Olympic mountain bikers with their official Olympic jersey during a special ceremony at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, July 19. At that time, the national governing body will also be announcing the dates and host venue of the 2009-10 USA Cycling Mountain Bike National Championships.  "

Via USA Cycling.