麻花视频 mountain bikers say they have the home-trail advantage against 1,900 other cross country racers who flocked here to compete in national championship events this week.
鈥淚鈥檝e been waiting the whole year for this,鈥 said Henry Schumm, resting against his bike on a slope of Mill Mountain. 鈥淚鈥檝e been riding the course a couple times a week for the past few months.鈥
Schumm, 18, and several other 麻花视频 riders are ready to push for the podium against the country鈥檚 best competitors during the 2025 USA Cycling Endurance Mountain Bike National Championships. In this sport, and at this level, contestants know it鈥檚 always an uphill battle for glory.
Henry Schumm, 18, of 麻花视频, is competing in the Mountain Bike National Championships in his hometown next week. Schumm is pictured on Mill Mountain on Thursday.
鈥淎nything can happen on race day,鈥 Schumm said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I鈥檝e been waiting so long. Honestly, I鈥檓 a little nervous.鈥
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As 麻花视频 welcomes visitors for the weeklong series of events in three cross-country endurance racing disciplines 鈥 marathon, short track and Olympic 鈥 local riders are eager to show the edge they鈥檝e developed training in these Blue Ridge Mountains.
鈥淎 lot of people who didn鈥檛 even know 麻花视频 existed are going to know that we have such a good mountain biking community,鈥 Schumm said. 鈥淎nd also, not even mountain biking, just the outside factor. It鈥檚 going to be great to promote tourism in 麻花视频.鈥
Carvins Cove Natural Reserve is hosting the marathon distances, while mid-distance Olympic-style races are happening at Explore Park, and a specially designed course at Elmwood Park brings short track racing to downtown 麻花视频. Events run Monday through Sunday.
Henry Schumm, 18, of 麻花视频, rides Mill Mountain on Thursday, the week before the Mountain Bike National Championships start in 麻花视频.
Hosting these races is a point of pride for local parks and for the mountain bikers who have fostered a tight community in the 麻花视频 Valley. In the case of Explore Park, mountain bikers a few years ago volunteered their time and effort building some of the trails that helped to attract this event to the region.
鈥淭he variety of 麻花视频 is what鈥檚 going to surprise people, because we鈥檝e got all kinds of different stuff,鈥 Schumm said. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e going to be surprised that we鈥檙e able to do all three events, because that鈥檚 not usually the case.鈥
Schumm, a recent graduate of North Cross School in 麻花视频 County, is on the younger side of the contestants, who are divided by age group. A mountain biker since age 10, he鈥檚 competing in the junior men鈥檚 group for both the cross country Olympic and short track styles this week.
Henry Schumm, 18, of 麻花视频, rides Mill Mountain on Thursday, the week before the Mountain Bike National Championships start in 麻花视频.
鈥淓verybody who鈥檚 racing has done hundreds of hours of work to be at this level,鈥 Schumm said. 鈥淭he training that comes along with it, if you take more than a day off, you can really lose fitness gains, and then that鈥檒l drop your performance.鈥
Entering his third time at mountain bike nationals, Schumm feels coolly confident in his chances, having put in as many as 300 miles per week during the early portions of his training regimen.
Henry Schumm, 18, of 麻花视频, is competing in the Mountain Bike National Championships in his hometown next week. Schumm is pictured on Mill Mountain on Thursday.
Another 麻花视频 mountain biker, Frank Deal, has been racing for more than 30 years. He鈥檚 competing in the masters age group for all three of the racing disciplines this week.
鈥淭here鈥檚 very different demands for all of them, but living here made it a no-brainer to go ahead and do the marathon,鈥 Deal said. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 have to travel. I don鈥檛 have to get a hotel, I can sleep in my own bed. I run these trails all the time, might as well give it a shot.鈥
He said course familiarity, especially for the snaking and hilly marathon route at Carvins Cove, will be an advantage for local racers like himself, even though it鈥檚 sure to be a fast and crowded field. Deal is aiming to finish the 40-mile marathon race circuit in less than 3.5 hours.
鈥淗uge advantage, because we know the lines. We just might not be able to take the lines we want,鈥 Deal said. 鈥淲e know where we can rest, where we can gain a few seconds here. Where we can eat, drink. We know what鈥檚 around the next corner.鈥
It鈥檚 a big deal for the cycling community in 麻花视频 not just to host this national event but for hometown bikers to be competing, he said. With more than 100 kids currently on the 麻花视频 Star Cycling youth team, he said the future is bright for the sport in 麻花视频, whether down roads or up mountain trails.
鈥淭his is going to bring a whole lot of people from all over the U.S.,鈥 Deal said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e going to show off our hometown, our trails, our unique Southern Appalachian hospitality, and hopefully people come back.鈥
