USA Cycling announced Friday the 2021 National Downhill Series. Downhill racers will have the chance to compete in these internationally and domestically ranked races spanning coast-to-coast. This schedule is dependent upon the state of the pandemic and events reserve the right to make changes accordingly.
This year, the National DH Series is comprised of three competitions beginning March 11 with a return to the Tennessee National in Oak Ridge, Tenn. and concluding in September with the FOX US Open of Mountain Biking in Big Bear Lake, Calif. As the COVID-19 situation improves, additional events may be added to the calendar.
“We are optimistic and excited to return to racing at this year’s National DH Series after the cancellation of many 2020 races. With the challenges COVID-19 has created for event organizers, we are appreciative to currently have three great events back on the calendar and expect to expand in 2022 when things return to normal,” said Tara McCarthy, USA Cycling Director of National Events.
The National DH Series is comprised of the top gravity events in the U.S. and tracks the standings for elite riders in the fast-paced downhill discipline. Most events will have GROM and adult amateur races to round out their festival weekends. New in 2021, individual rider results will be tracked for the series in both Elite and Junior 17-18 categories and series champions will be crowned at the conclusion of the calendar.
“The mountain bike community is eager to get back to racing and so are we!,” said US Open Event Organizer, Clay Harper. “At the same time, we are aware of the challenges that may still be present with physical events and will remain positioned to make any necessary adjustments for the safety of our fans and athletes at the Fox US Open in September.”
The 2020 National DH Series champions were Steven Walton (Murrieta, Calif.) for the Pro Men and Frida Roenning (Knoxville, Tenn.) for the Pro Women.
Event | Date | Location |
Tennessee National | March 11-13, 2021 | Oak Ridge, TN |
Mountain Creek Spring National | May 28-30, 2021 | Vernon, NJ |
The Fox US Open of Mountain Biking | September 25-26, 2021 | Big Bear Lake, CA |
USA Cycling works with event organizers from across the country to create various calendars and series that feature bike racing across several disciplines and ability levels. These calendars often include event support, rankings tabulation and additional promotion. For a full schedule of events and updated standings throughout the season, click here.
Visit USACycling.org for more information on the athletes, events and membership programs, and follow @USACycling across all channels for the latest on Team USA.
