Nothing says two-wheel adrenaline like a couple of mountain bikes that resemble engineless motorcycles launching over dirt jumps, tables, drops and kickers. Spectators can enjoy this unique brand of excitement this weekend when the best racers on the planet descend on Beaver Creek.Noon on Saturday, Sept. 1, will be the only time all year to see such an event around these parts, when the Jeep King of the Mountain 2007 World Professional Championships blow up at the Beav.The course will be visible from the base of the mountain - a Y-format, in which two racers begin at the top on separate start prongs and negotiate banked turns and jumps before their lines converge. At this point, they pedal like demons on one another's rear wheel or side-by-side while leaping over tabletops and rollers before seriously tapping fires for a sprint to the finish.The world's top-ranked racer, Brian Lopes of Laguna Beach, Calif., goes head-to-head with two-time King of the Mountain champion Michael Prokop of The Czech Republic. Vail's own Chris Del Bosco will also be putting his speed, talent and spine to the test. In the women's field, two-time defending champion Jill Kintner, ranked No. 1 in the world, will take on Anneke Beerten of The Netherlands (No. 2 in the world) and recently crowned U.S. National Champion Melissa Buhl of Chandler, Ariz. Because of the high-speed nature and inevitably spontaneous lead changes, the race could really be anyone's. The payout consists of a brand new 2008 Jeep Liberty and a big chunk of the $100,000 purse, so you can bet that every single armor-clad racer will be charging like explosives. For more info on the Jeep series, click here.
Video
Thrills and spills! Enjoy Plum's highlights from the 2006 Jeep King of the Mountain World Mountain Biking Championships at Beaver Creek.
Add your comments...