USA Cycling Wheels Up to the Start Line This Weekend in Tennessee

USA Cycling’s National DH Series starts this weekend in Oak Ridge, TN with the Tennessee National. This year’s Tennessee National brings racers back to Windrock Bike Park in Oak Ridge, Tenn. with the premier southeast mountain bike weekend. While everyone will have their eye on the elite downhill races, the weekend will also hold enduro, freestyle and youth competitions.

Local riders, like 2019 Tennessee National elite women’s winner and 2020 Overall National DH Series champion Frida Roenning (Knoxville, Tenn.) and reigning elite men’s downhill National Champion, Neko Mulally (Pisgah Forest, N.C.) will take the start in an effort to gain back their titles for the event from previous years. American DH superstars like Dakotah Norton (Knoxville, Tenn.), Luca Shaw (Hendersonville, N.C.), and Aaron Gwin (Murietta, Calif.), amongst others, will be competing on a technical sub-three-minute track. The race track which includes rocks, roots, which if the weather forecast holds true, should be muddy for finals on Saturday adding another level of difficulty.

The weekend’s cornerstone competitive events include the Elite and Junior, Men’s and Women’s Downhill final at 12pm ET on Saturday, and on Sunday the Pro Enduro race will be held. Amateur and youth riders will also have events throughout the week. New for 2021 the event will host Friday’s Red Bull Freestyle Jam slotted at the first big event of the weekend. The Freestyle Jam is expected to be a highlight for riders and spectators, including a big air competition with prizes for best trick and best whip. You can see the events full schedule here.

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 next stop in the National DH Series is the Mountain Creek Spring Nationals in Vernon, N.J. May 28-30, 2021.

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.

For more information, contact Tara McCarthy tmccarthy@usacycling.org

ABOUT USA CYCLING (usacycling.org)

USA Cycling is a proud member of the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) and United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC). Within the United States, USA Cycling is the national governing body for the sport of cycling and oversees the disciplines of road, track, mountain bike, cyclocross, and BMX. With a mission to develop the sport of cycling in the United States and to achieve sustained international racing success, USA Cycling supports cyclists at all levels, from those just beginning in the sport and participating in fun rides to seasoned professionals. The organization not only identifies, develops, and selects cyclists to represent the United States in international competition, but also supports amateur bike racing through grassroots development programs and the provision of critical infrastructure to run organized racing.

USA Cycling is headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2020. In 1920, the organization began as The Amateur Bicycle League of America and evolved to become the United States Cycling Federation in 1975 and ultimately USA Cycling, Inc. in 1995. USA Cycling’s 100,000+ members are comprised of racers and cyclists of all ages and abilities, coaches, officials, mechanics, and race directors.