32 Countries to be Represented at Windham Mountain Bike World Cup this Weekend

Windham, N.Y. — More than 400 racers representing 32 countries will converge on Windham, N.Y. this weekend (July 8 -10) for the seventh event in the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup series presented by Shimano.

Fans of downhill racing where riders race the clock on treacherous descents will be cheering as American racer Aaron Gwinn (Trek World Racing) and British racer Tracy Moseley (Trek World Racing) go for their fourth wins of the series in the Men’s and Women’s Elite categories. Gwinn is the first American man in more than 10 years to lead in overall points and to be in a position to win the World Cup series.

In cross country Women’s Elite, Catharine Pendrel of Canada (Luna Pro Team) and Julie Bresset of France (BH – Suntour – Peisey Vallandry) will continue to jockey for the win at Windham and for the overall points lead. In cross country Men’s Elite, Jaroslav Kulhavy of the Czech Republic (Specialized Racing Team), who won the 2010 World Cup final, is the current overall points leader with two wins under his belt.

Hometown favorite Todd Wells of Windham (Specialized Racing), the highest placing cross country American racer, has had some great races this series and is holding on to the 20th position for overall points. American women Heather Irmiger (Subaru-Trek) and Georgia Gould (Luna Pro Team) are also strong contenders for Top 20 finishes.

In addition to World Cup events, a highlight of the weekend’s activities will be the Friday night block party on Main Street in Windham. The party, which runs from 8 to 11 p.m., will open with the Brooklyn Steppers drum line and the Taiko Drum Corps. Lex Grey and the Urban Pioneers, a musical group, and the Albany All Stars women’s roller derby squad will also entertain the crowds. Six-time mountain bike trials world champion Mike Steidley will be on hand for the trials stunt show, and the Chatham Unicycle Club will perform its own stunt show and teach interested participants how to ride a unicycle. A 15-foot by 22-foot movie screen will be set up to show “Follow Me,” a movie featuring Windham athletes and others involved in the sport of mountain biking.

Main Street (New York State Route 23) will be closed between Mill Street and Church Street for the block party, which is free and open to the public.

Source: Penelope Vavura
www.racewindham.com

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