USA Cycling announces 2010 Professional Mountain Bike Gravity Tour

Feb 26, 2010 at 18:49

Source: Pro GRT

USA Cycling announced the 2010 USA Cycling Professional Mountain Bike Gravity Tour (Pro GRT). In its second year, the five-race series will continue to raise the level of competitive gravity racing across the United States by providing a consistent stage of international-caliber events for elite gravity racers to showcase their downhill skills. More details inside,

The Pro GRT is a downhill-only series for 2010 and will visit four states from April to September, beginning with a return visit to Port Angeles, Wash. for the Northwest Cup, April 24-25. The series will then make a trip to the opposite coast for the Plattekill Gravity Open in New York’s Roxbury Bike Park, May 22-23. Midway through the season, racers will contest the Northstar-at-Tahoe event in Truckee, Calif., June 26-27. The Pro GRT will then move to Winter Park, Colo. for the Trestle Bike Park (Crankworx Colorado), July 31-August 1, before concluding again with the Whiteface 5th Annual 5K Downhill in Lake Placid, New York, September 11-12.

Each of the five stops will offer series ranking points to top finishers, resulting in overall individual titles for professional men and women. Additionally, competitors will have the opportunity to accumulate international ranking points as two of the five races are inscripted on the UCI calendar. The racers with the most points throughout the five-race series will be recognized as the best gravity athletes competing on U.S. soil.

The USA Cycling Pro Mountain Bike Gravity Tour (Pro GRT) will kick off April 24 with the Northwest Cup in Port Angeles, Wash.

The 2010 series will also feature an Amateur GRT which, like the Pro GRT, will give Expert-level Category 1 racers the opportunity to compete against each other for an overall series crown.

For more information on the series, please visit USA Cycling’s ProGRT webpage.

2010 USA Cycling Pro Mountain Bike Gravity Tour (Pro GRT)
April 24-25: Northwest Cup – Port Angeles, Wash.
May 22-23: Plattekill Gravity Open - Roxbury Bike Park, NY
June 26-27: Northstar-at-Tahoe - Truckee, Calif.
July 31-August 1: Trestle Bike Park (Crankworx Colorado) – Winterpark, Colo.
September 11-12: Whiteface 5th Annual 5K Downhill - Lake Placid, NY

About USA Cycling
Recognized by the United States Olympic Committee and the Union Cycliste Internationale, USA Cycling is the official governing body for all disciplines of competitive cycling in the United States, including road, track, mountain bike, BMX and cyclo-cross. As a membership-based organization, USA Cycling comprises 66,500+ licensees; 2,200 clubs and teams; and 34 local associations. The national governing body sanctions 2,650 competitive and non-competitive events throughout the U.S. each year and is responsible for the identification, development, and support of American cyclists. To learn more about USA Cycling, visit www.usacycling.org.

Must Read This Week

1. Fails for your Friday: Pinkbike's funniest home videos edition 44946 reads
2. Pinkbike Product Picks 31411 reads
3. Life Behind Bars: Red Bull YouTube series with Semenuk 30963 reads
4. Video of the Month - April 2012 27244 reads
5. Movies for Your Monday 24519 reads
6. How-to: Learn to Corner Better - Video 22319 reads
7. Mark Matthews - Sweat Equity 19627 reads
8. Renthal: The Life Of An Integra Stem 19327 reads

30 Comments

Score Time

progrt (Feb 27, 2010 at 16:18)

I was trying to add a few more events to the '10 schedule, but due to scheduling conflicts, time of year, etc it just didn't work out. expect to see more venues in 2011.

Diablo isn't USA Cycling sanctioned & most likely never will be. I'd love for the US Open to be a part of the GRT, but unless things change, you won't see that.

for 2010, we will have an AMATEUR GRT. however it's only for cat 1 (expert) racers. We're in redevelopment stages of the GRT.. in essence, re-inventing the National series. The races are generally based of regional events. so you will have all classes of racing. but not every class will be counted towards an overall GRT series title. however you can always compete for the regional series title, etc.

..& i do not work for USA Cycling, though i amm in charge of the GRT.

check out the GRT website for more info www.progrt.com or you can contact me at jdd@dylan-dean.com

rmueller89 (Feb 27, 2010 at 17:07)

u guys should try to get mammoth mountain in one of these races

klopp (Feb 27, 2010 at 18:05)

jdylandean i appreciate all of the work you have been doing for the industry (all the while expecting nothing in return). keep it up!

progrt (Feb 27, 2010 at 18:18)

We were trying to get both Mammoth & Deer Valley on board this year. Although they both are extremely excited to be a part of the series, it just didn't work out logistically this season. Based on the schedule (working around the World Cup, US Open, Crankworx, etc), the only available time for these venues just couldn't work). Hopefully we'll get somethng sorted for 2011!

Thanks for the support!

progrt (Feb 27, 2010 at 18:19)

...oh yah... i do expect a beer outta it! ;-)

veggiemaster (Feb 28, 2010 at 10:05)

Deer Valley should have at least 1 new DH trail by 2011. What better way to christen it than have a Pro GRT race on it.. Wink

[Reply]

oceen246 (Feb 27, 2010 at 9:30)

No Diablo Park? They have the US Open there, the course is gnar and paved with rock garden.

mtbrider71 (Feb 27, 2010 at 15:52)

With only five races im not surprised they don't include Diablo. They already have the US open there so they probably want other mountains to get more coverage. Gravity East doesn't even include Diablo and it has 8 races.

[Reply]

Chips2990 (Feb 27, 2010 at 7:32)

why isn't the US Open included in this series?

metalmike (Feb 27, 2010 at 11:47)

because USA cycling still haven't pulled there heads out of their asses. 5 stops for a nation-wide series? what a joke. USA Cycling SUCKS!!!!

kaibrabo (Feb 27, 2010 at 12:29)

yeah, Norba used to be the best! but idk what happened over night. thay should at least have 7 or 8 races instead of 5.

progrt (Feb 27, 2010 at 18:22)

None of the Diablo events (including US Open) are USA Cycling sanctioned & most likely never will be. I'd love for the US Open to be a part of the GRT, but unless things change, you won't see it a part of the GRT series.

[Reply]

Stayonyourbike29 (Mar 1, 2010 at 20:31)

Chris Heath is gonna crush the pro class!!

[Reply]

dirtbagbiker (Feb 27, 2010 at 8:59)

do you have to be an adult to do this?

oceen246 (Feb 27, 2010 at 9:09)

I doubt it.

dirtbagbiker (Feb 27, 2010 at 9:34)

so you think that they might have junior categories too?

oceen246 (Feb 27, 2010 at 10:41)

if you are an expert, age probably will not matter unles you are 12. I will read the website to figure it out.

dirtbagbiker (Feb 27, 2010 at 11:36)

oh yeah man, im defiantly an expert,not really, maybe i'll be good enough by then to enter, thanks for helping me out man.

progrt (Feb 27, 2010 at 18:20)

all ages will be able to race, but only the cat 1 (expert) racers will be counted towards an overall Amateur GRT title. This is due to some great volunteers who are donating their time to tally points for the amateurs!

dirtbagbiker (Feb 28, 2010 at 11:05)

this sounds really fun, you dont have to go to all the races do you, and do you know how much it costs to register?

Thanks a lot.

progrt (Feb 28, 2010 at 18:03)

you'll need to compete in 4 of 5 events if you wanted to be counted towards the overall in Cat 1 (Expert) or PRO category. Prices will be different at each venue,but everything should be listed in advance on the progrt.com website or the individual event websites.

dirtbagbiker (Feb 28, 2010 at 18:47)

So if I wanted to I could just race in the ones in NY? cause those are probably the only ones i could go to.

Thanks again.

[Reply]

jptothetree (Feb 27, 2010 at 23:03)

can't wait for the northstar event, it's gonna be gnarly and fun!!!

[Reply]

z-hill (Feb 27, 2010 at 22:03)

no angel fire?

Knife-in-the-dark (Feb 28, 2010 at 7:56)

Yeah no kidding.

bikinbeast (Feb 28, 2010 at 8:57)

Come on people. This isn't the only race series in the states, so stop complaining.

MSC is still hosting an event at Angel Fire.

Knife-in-the-dark (Feb 28, 2010 at 14:19)

Your right, it's not. But, it is the national series, and should reflect the courses that are the most challenging, and draw the best pros. Unfortunately, I don't think it does. Just another screw up by USA cycling. There is a reason why there are so few world cup caliber pros from the US, and I think the lack of challenges from other riders,courses and the geographic locations of these races are a big part of that.

progrt (Feb 28, 2010 at 18:01)

to be honest, MSC didn't want to be a part of the GRT this year, so that decision wasn't my or USAC's call. However, if it had conflicted with the US Open again, we probably wouldn't have been there anyhow. ..but that's not to say we wouldn't want to be there again

We are trying to have the national series reflect the best courses here in the states, PLUS offer UCI points to help US racers take the next step to the Pro class. it's a building process. A lot of the stops this season will be attracing A LOT of high caliber pros.. US & International.

[Reply]

pictureman1 (Feb 27, 2010 at 22:52)

is that boicy?

progrt (Feb 28, 2010 at 18:01)

yup

[Reply]