Team USA
Mountain Bike
Technical courses, knobby tires, and fierce competition. Check out the riders competing in Cross-Country XCO, Downhill, Marathon, 4X, and e-bike disciplines, and the programs that help Team USA dominate international events.
About Mountain Bike
Modern off-road cycling began in the late 1970’s in Northern California and today it serves as a popular form of both recreation and competition. Mountain biking encompasses many different formats including Cross Country, Short Track Cross Country, Marathon, Downhill, Dual Slalom, 4-Cross, and E-Bike on the national and international stage.
Join The Team
The objective of the mountain bike pathway is to move our talented young athletes from the grassroots programs forward to the international podium of the elite ranks. The focus for the Junior and U23 ranks will be to develop the necessary skill sets and physiological adaptations required to excel at an international level through exposure to international competition, targeted skills training, effective coaching, and talent identification. In addition, USA Cycling will continue to support its current group of elite professional athletes in their pursuit of top international results.
Here's a look at how you can enter the Olympic Development pathway and work your way on to Team USA:
Join The Olympic Development Academy
USA Cycling’s Olympic Development Academy (ODA) for mountain bike is the best comprehensive mountain bike development program in North America for junior and U23 athletes. The ODA will provide inclusive access to world-class athlete development that will allow athletes to progress technically, tactically, physically and mentally while developing character and leadership skills. The team will include a full-time coach and professional support staff at all ODA competitions and camps. Academy athletes will receive Olympic-level coaching and support that will provide the opportunity for each athlete to reach their full potential and to be champions on and off the bike.
2022 XCO Schedule
| Date | Event | Location |
| March/ April | U.S. Training Camp | TBD |
| March/ April | U.S. Skills Camp | TBD |
| April 18-24 | Oz Trails U.S. Pro Cup p/b Experience Fayetteville | Fayetteville, AR |
| May 19-23 | Englewood Open C1 | Englewood, WI |
| June 9-13 | Missoula HC | Missoula, MT |
| July | Nationals Prep Camp | Winter Park, CO |
| July | USA Cycling National Championships | Winter Park, CO |
| August 3-22 | Europe Racing Block | Sittard, Netherlands |
Downhill MTB Schedule
Launching in 2023
Programs & Cost
There are three different options for the Mountain Bike Program:
MTB Academy Team* - $10,000
3 domestic training camps + 4 domestic racing events + 3-week European race camp
+ access to cycling and strength & conditioning coaching, nutritionists, and sports psychologists
MTB Hybrid Program* - $6,000
One domestic training camp + 3-week European race camp
MTB European Race Camp* - $5,000
3-week European race camp
*Additional Fees
- Olympic Development Academy Clothing - $500
- Transportation to and from events. All on-site logistics will be covered.
Scholarship are also available. Apply here.
Want to join the Olympic Development Academy?
APPLY NOW
What is the National Team?
USA Cycling is proud to support our National Team athletes who champion the sport of cycling and are the ultimate ambassadors for Cross-Country and Downhill Mountain Biking. USA Cycling will support National Team elite athletes with logistical and team support upon request. Each athlete on the national team will receive unique support to best address each athlete’s needs in terms of timing and type of resources. USA Cycling will work with our elite athletes’ trade teams to help maximize the combined resources. Our goal is to ensure that our top riders have everything they need to perform at the highest level.
For criteria on how to qualify for the national team and information on the levels of support, click here for Cross-Country, and click here for Downhill.
MEET THE TEAM
Olympics
July 23 - August 8, 2021: Tokyo, Japan
USA Cycling Games Athlete Selection Criteria - Updated October 29, 2020
USA Cycling Games Staff Selection Criteria - Updated October 29, 2020
For more official documents, please visit: Olympic Games - Mountain Bike
World Championships
May 2, 2021: Graz, Austria - Eliminator
Eliminator MTB World Championship Selection Document - Discretionary Petition Form
For more information, please visit: UCI Mountain Bike Eliminator World Championships
August 24-29, 2021: Val Di Sole - XCO, XC Short Track, XC Relay, Downhill, e-MTB, 4X
Cross-Country MTB World Championship Selection Document - Discretionary Petition Form
Downhill MTB World Championship Selection Document - Discretionary Petition Form
E- MTB World Championship Selection Document - Discretionary Petition Form
4-Cross MTB World Championship Selection Document - Discretionary Petition Form
For more information, please visit: UCI Mountain Bike World Championships
For more information, please visit: UCI 4X World Championships
October 2, 2021: Isola d'Elba, Italy - Marathon
Marathon MTB World Championship Selection Document - Discretionary Petition
For more information, please visit: UCI Mountain Bike Marathon World Championships
World Cups
XCO
Round 1: 08-09 May - Albstadt, Germany
Round 2: 15-16 May - Nove Mesto, Czech Republic
Round 3: 12-13 June - Leogang, Austria
Round 4: 03-04 July - Les Gets, France
Round 5: 04-05 September - Lenzerheide, Switzerland
Round 6: 18-19 September - Snowshoe, USA
Downhill
Round 1: 22-23 May - Fort William, UK - canceled 4/1/21
Round 2: 12-13 June - Leogang, Austria
Round 3: 03-04 July - Les Gets, France
Round 4: 14-15 Aug - Maribor, Slovenia - updated 3/9/21
Round 5: 04-05 September - Lenzerheide, Switzerland
Round 6: 18-19 September - Snowshoe, USA
For more information, please visit: UCI Mountain Bike World Cup
For more information on UCI World Cup Athlete Eligibility, Event Registration Process, and Athlete Petition Process: Click here
Continental Championships
March 20-21, 2021: Sapiranga, Brazil - Downhill
March 24-28, 2021: Salinas, Puerto Rico - Cross-Country
Pan American Continental Champs Petition Form XCO
XCO Pan Am Championship Selection Document
UCI Junior Series XCO
UCI Athlete Entry System and Criteria
According to new UCI requirements, all athletes competing in a 2021 UCI Junior Series XCO race outside of their country of residence must have at least 10 UCI points (in Europe) and 1 UCI point (outside of Europe) in the latest UCI XCO individual junior ranking, or belong to a UCI Elite MTB Team or UCI MTB Team. Riders who meet either of these criteria should register for the event independently via the event registration site.
For athletes who do not meet the above criteria:
- When a UCI Junior Series event is taking place outside the N. American continent, USA Cycling may approve a maximum of 5 supplementary athletes for each junior category (17-18 men & women).
- When a UCI Junior Series event is taking place within N. America continent, USA Cycling may approve a maximum of 10 supplementary athletes for each junior category (17-18 men & women).
- When a Junior Series event is taking place within the United States, it is the discretion of the event organizer with USA Cycling to determine the number of supplementary American athletes that will be allowed to register.
To apply to be a supplementary athlete: UCI MTB Junior Series Entry Petition
Please note: All supplementary athletes must still enter the competition independently of USA Cycling via the event registration site before the entry deadline.
UCI Junior Series Supplemental Athlete Guiding Principles
When considering supplemental athlete starting positions, USA Cycling will use the following guiding principles when approving starting positions: Prior results in UCI international competitions, UCI Junior Series events, USA Cycling’s National Championships and top level domestic events.
UCI Junior Series Event Deadlines
- UCI Junior Series event supplementary athlete applications will close 8 weeks prior to the UCI Junior Series event you are petitioning for.
- Please include in your petition the event in which you are applying for.
- USA Cycling will notify all supplementary athletes of their selection 8 weeks prior to the UCI Junior Series event.
For the UCI Junior Series events, click here.
For UCI Special Provisions for the 2021 MTB season, click here.
Selection Committees
USA Cycling is responsible for selecting the athletes who represent the United States in the highest level of international competition. For more information on the general selection process, click here.
Podium Bonus
Did you just have a top result in the World Championships or Olympic Games? You may be eligible for a bonus from the USOPC and USA Cycling. Click here to learn more.
Jim
Miller
Chief of Sport Performance
Background
A successful professional cyclist in his own right, Jim coached several cyclists on the side and eventually retired from racing in 1999 to focus solely on his flourishing coaching career. After developing several notable cyclists, he originally came to USA Cycling to run the women’s road program in 2002. After earning Coach of the Year distinctions from the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee in 2003 & 2004, Jim was promoted to director of endurance programs, overseeing the development of American junior, U23 and women endurance athletes in road and track cycling. After making significant strides toward the USA Cycling National Development Program’s goal of developing the next generation of American cyclists, was named Vice President of Athletics in 2010. In 2017 Jim left USA Cycling to become the Vice President of Business Development for Training Peaks. Unable to resist the Olympic call, he came back to USA Cycling in 2020 as the Chief of Sport Performance.
In his spare time Jim also provides day-to-day training programs for athletes such as 2018 Mountain Bike XCO World Champion Kate Courtney, and international stars like Tejay van Garderen and Ben King. He has earned the International Olympic Committee’s highest honor for coaches, the Order of Ikkos, twice, both for coaching 3-time Olympic Champion Kristen Armstrong to victory.
A native of Casper, Wyo., Jim also earned a Bachelor’s degree in exercise physiology from Colorado State University. Miller resides in Colorado Springs, Colo., with his wife and two children.