Mountain Village hosts Colorado State Championships

06 Jul Mountain Village hosts Colorado State Championships

Double-points weekend in all disciplines + free lift ticket for competitors

July marks the return of Full Tilt in Telluride, part of the 2011 Mountain States Cup Series, the largest full-discipline (endurance and gravity) race series in the United States. Mountain Village is not only amped to be stop number six – July 8 through July 10 – but also host of the Colorado State Championships and double-points weekend. For this year’s Full Tilt weekend, the various race disciplines include cross-country, short track, downhill, super-D, and mountain-cross.

“The Town of Mountain Village and the Mountain States Cup Series (MSC) have aligned with Momentum Trail Concepts to bring a world class mountain-cross course to Full Tilt in Telluride,” said MSC Race Director Keith Darner. “Under the direction of Steve Wentz and Matt Thompson, Momentum Trail have helped design and build one of their patented and amazingly fun mountain-cross courses. Having such a course sets Full Tilt apart from the other stops in the series, and the locale of it will allow spectators the opportunity to get up close and personal with the riders.” 

Kicking off the weekend, riders will compete Saturday in cross-country, mountain-cross and super-D. Then on Sunday, participants will vie for the win in two disciplines: short track and downhill. The aforementioned disciples are qualifiers for the 2011 USA Cycling Mountain Bike National Championships.

The cost to compete in Full Tilt ranges from $30 to $70, depending on the event, category and class. Important to note, the multiple-race discount is back. Riders who sign up for two races receive $5 off. Sign up for three, take another $5 off the total.

For interested riders, the best way to register for Full Tilt is online at racemsc.com. The online registration deadline is Wednesday, July 6 at 11:59 p.m. Printable forms are also available for download on the Mountain States Cup Web site. Forms may be e-mailed to info@racemsc.com no later than Wednesday, July 6 at 5 p.m. No faxes, please. On-site registration will be available at the Hop Garden in Mountain Village beginning Friday, July 8 at 8 a.m. and continuing Saturday and Sunday. Again, for all registration details, visit racemsc.com.

As for this year’s Full Tilt terrain, riders can expect some surprises in all disciplines. Over the past three years, the Town of Mountain has added new bike trails to its inventory, and most recently built the Mountain Village Bike Park, which has caught the attention of gravity riders. New for this event only, the town in conjunction with Momentum Trail Concept has built a mountain-cross course.
 
“With mountain-cross we have a lot of freedom to build what we want. We have elements of mountain biking with rough terrain as well as BMX features such as berms and jumps. This course is made for a well-rounded rider,” said Steve Wentz, managing partner of Momentum Trail Concept. “When building it, we put a huge emphasis on passing with battles on the track; it is not going to be follow-the-leader type of racing. Also, due to the hills in Mountain Village, we are able to build long straight-aways and traverse the hill as oppose to having switchbacks which inevitably turn into one-line racing. I think it is worth noting that there is more support from the Town of Mountain Village than I have ever had with any other project. They want the event to be great, and I encourage riders, spectators and volunteers to participate in Full Tilt.”

With Mountain Village’s dedication to all things mountain biking, the town teamed up with Full Tilt’s operation crew and organizer Bigfoot Productions and Yeti Cycles. Bigfoot was established in 2006 in conjunction with Yeti Cycles to expand and improve the Mountain States Cup Series and promote bike-industry involvement in racing. In addition, Full Tilt is made possible with the support of the event’s presenting sponsors: Town of Mountain Village, Mountain Village Bike Park, Telluride Ski & Golf Company, Telluride Mountain Village Owners Association, Telluride Tourism Board, BootDoctors & Paragon Sports, Hop Garden, Elevation Vacations, Mountain Lodge Telluride, and Telluride Daily Planet. Other local event sponsors include DAKINE, Hotel Madeline, Gravity Works, TEVA and Telluride Sports.  

Other Event Details
Riders needing a comfortable place to stay, Elevation Vacations, Mountain Lodge Telluride, and Telluride Resort Lodging are offering Full Tilt-only discounted lodging packages. For direct links to lodging options, visit racemsc.com. And for a cool drink, Colorado Native will be pouring samples of its beer as a proud sponsor of the Mountain States Cup. Redeem coupons for a free beer at the Hop Garden Saturday, July 9 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Riders must be 21 or over to participate in the Colorado Native sampling.

Those who can’t make the event, the Town of Mountain Village and LiveSauce Media will provide live race coverage via the Web Saturday and Sunday at livestream.com/mountainvillage. Broadcast times will be noted on the site.

Spectators who want to not only watch all the action in person but also participate on foot, Yeti Cycles and the town are recruiting volunteer course marshals. For more information or to sign up to volunteer, call (970) 369-8236. Each volunteer will receive lunch, a Full Tilt T-shirt, and the chance to win raffle prizes totaling more than $1,000.

Course and Schedule Details
As the Full Tilt in Telluride weekend nears, more details regarding the short-track and mountain-cross courses will be provided at racemsc.com.

Downhill Race Course 1: Pro and Cat. 1 riders will begin the race on the No-Brainer Trail in the Mountain Village Bike Park. From there, they will finish via the World Cup Trail (the original 2002 World Cup downhill race course). 1 mile

Downhill Race Course 2: Cat. 2, 3 and Junior 14 and under riders will compete on the No-Brainer Trail, then merge onto Pan-Coaster Trail with the race finishing via the bottom portion of the World Cup Trail. 1.1 miles

Super-D Race Course: Beginning with a Le Mans start with bicycles stationed at the top of Station St. Sophia, riders will begin the competition on the No-Brainer Trail, merge onto T-Bone Trail then back to No-Brainer with a finish at the bottom of the Bike Park. 2.1 miles
 
Cross-Country Short Loop: Beginning at The Beach and following various town plazas, riders will head to the Boulevard Trail. From there, they will head south onto the lower portion of the Village Trail. The Village Trail will then connect riders with Prospect Trail at the junction of San Joaquin Road and the Sundance ski run. The race trail then continues up Sundance ski run which in the summertime is the Prospect Trail. Stay on the Prospect Trail until it intersects with the upper Village Trail, near the top of Station St. Sophia. The course continues down Village Trail to the lower Boomerang ski run. Competitors will then head to Mountain Village Center and finish the race at The Beach. 11.5-mile loop

Cross-Country Long Loop: Beginning at The Beach and following various town plazas, riders will head to the Boulevard Trail. From there, they will head south onto the lower portion of the Village Trail. The Village Trail will then
connect riders with Prospect Trail at the junction of San Joaquin Road and the Sundance ski run. The race trail then continues up Sundance ski run which in the summertime is the Prospect Trail. Stay on Prospect Trail through the Ute Park Chair 11 ski area. Then proceed to the junction of Prospect Trail and the upper Village Trail, near the top of Station St. Sophia. The course continues down Village Trail to the lower Boomerang ski run. Competitors will then head to Mountain Village Center and finish the race at The Beach or continue for another loop. 12.9-mile loop

FRIDAY
JULY 8, 2011
8 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Registration at Hop Garden
10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
XC and SD courses open for practice
10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Pro and CAT 1 DH practice
CAT 2, 3, JR 4X practice
2 p.m. – 5 p.m.
CAT 2, 3, JR DH practice
Pro and CAT 1 4X practice
5 p.m. – 7 p.m.
Open DH course for all categories

SATURDAY DH SCHEDULE

JULY 9, 2011
6:45 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Registration at Hop Garden
8 a.m. – 10 a.m.
Pro and CAT 1 DH practice
10 a.m. – NOON
CAT 2, 3, JR DH practice
NOON – 5 p.m.
Open DH practice for all categories

SATURDAY 4X SCHEDULE

JULY 9, 2011
6:45 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Registration at Hop Garden
8 a.m. – 10 a.m.
CAT 2, 3, JR 4X practice
10 a.m. – NOON
Pro and CAT 1 4X practice
NOON – 2 p.m.
Pro 4X Racing Through Finals
2 p.m. – 4 p.m.
CAT 2, 3, JR 4X Racing through Finals
Immediately follows
Awards for all 4X Awards follows CAT 2, 4, JR 4X Finals in the plaza

SATURDAY XC SCHEDULE

JULY 9, 2011
6:45 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Registration at the Hop Garden
8 a.m.
CAT 1 15-18, CAT 2, CAT 3, Junior 14 & Under Race
11 a.m.
Pro and CAT 1 19+ Race
12 p.m.
Shimano Youth Series
11:45 p.m.
CAT 1 15-18, CAT 2, CAT 3, Junior 14 & Under Awards in Heritage Plaza
2:30 p.m.
Pro and CAT 1 19+ Awards in Heritage Plaza

SATURDAY SD SCHEDULE

JULY 9, 2011
2 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Super D practice
6:30 p.m.
Super D Race
Immediately follows
Super D Awards follows Super D Race in Heritage Plaza

SUNDAY DH SCHEDULE

JULY 10, 2011
7 a.m. – 11 a.m.
Registration at Hop Garden
7:30 a.m. – 9 a.m.
Pro and CAT 1 DH practice
9 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
CAT 2, CAT 3 and Junior 14 & Under DH practice
10:45 a.m.
Pro and CAT 1 15-18 DH Qualifying
11:15 a.m.
CAT 1/2/3/JR DH Race
1:30 p.m.
Pro  and CAT 1 15-18 DH Finals
Immediately follows
Awards for all DH Awards follows Pro Finals in Heritage Plaza

NO DH RACE DAY REGISTRATION

SUNDAY STXC SCHEDULE

JULY 10, 2011
7 a.m. – 10 a.m.
Registration at Hop Garden
8 a.m.
Pro STXC Race
9 a.m.
CAT 1 STXC Race
10:30 a.m.
CAT 2 STXC Race
NOON
CAT 3/JR 14 & Under Race

Specific start times for classes after close of online registration

For more Full Tilt race information, visit www.racemsc.com.