Mary McConnelough is the leader in points with 160. Alison Dunlap joined in the chase later in the year, and she did it in big ways. The multi-champion won Waco’s cross country and then took the Maxxis Cup International in Gouveia (Portugal) a week later. Alison won half the points Mary earned in just two major one-day races (E1 class). Mary also won three regular one-day races (E2, an E1, and a stage race (D2 class). Shonny Vanlandingham was Alisons Luna Chix teammate and finished second at the Maxxis Cup.
Jeremiah Bishop, who was also competing in the Maxxis Cup, gained 35 points more by finishing second at the E1-rated Ultimate Dirt Challenge, Rincon, Puerto Rico. Bishop’s points lead over Jeremy Horgan Kobelski grew to 148 to 90. Horgan-Kobelski was also defeated by Bishop at the first major test of the year, at Waco’s E1 cross country National.
Todd Wells, a newly signed GT-Hyundai driver, won the Ultimate Dirt Challenge. Third, fourth, and fifth place went to Chris Eatough (Trek-VW), Barry Wicks(Kona-Clarks), and Adam Craig (Giant-Pearl Izumi).
Todd Wells and Adam Craig, Sue Haywood, Shonny Vanlandingham, and Shonny Vanderlandingham all have outside chances of filling one Olympic spot. Respectively, they have earned 69 points, 22, 124, and 40 UCI Points. Alison doesn’t stress about Trek-VWs Haywood who raced in the early season events of Cyprus where Dunlap was absent. She has 44 points. Because she is more likely to earn UCI points than Mary or Sue before July 12. Even if she does not, she still has the potential to win more medals than any other American cross-country rider.
Los Angeles will be the site of the Olympic Flame’s passage on June 16th. Atlanta on the 18th. New York on the 19th.
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