• Mountain

U.S. mountain-bike championships moving from snowbound Mammoth

by VeloNews.com

• May 02, 2006
• Comments Off

By USA Cycling

Due to massive snowfall on Mammoth Mountain this winter, USA Cycling will be relocating its 2006 Mountain Bike National Championships, scheduled for July 20-23.

After a record 664 inches of snow fell this season, Mammoth Mountain has reported a base depth of nearly 20 feet as of May 1 – a figure that ultimately put the resort’s ability to host a national-championship-caliber event in jeopardy.

“Looking at our snowpack today, I can confidently say we are unable to host a mountain-bike event to the quality we are all accustomed to,” said Bill Cockroft, senior vice president of operations at Mammoth Mountain. “It was a difficult decision, but ultimately we believe we owe it to the mountain-bike community to make sure the event continues at the level and standards expected by USA Cycling.”

USA Cycling is negotiating with several replacement venues. A decision is expected to be announced shortly. The dates of the championships will remain unchanged.