This year’s edition of the race took place over four days, at two separate venues, Rossignol Ranch and Marshall Mountain. The race was attended by talented racers from all over the country, with some attendants from other countries as well. The stage race consisted of a marathon race, time trial, XC race, and short track race, all held on separate days. The marathon race happened at the Rossignol Ranch, a beautiful many hundred acre ranch outside Lola. The other three stages were held at Marshall Mountain, outside East Missoula. Also in the mix, MTB Missoula managed to hold a six hour endurance race, The Homestead 6, at Marshall Mountain. So much going on, but thanks to superb race management by Ben Horan and crew, and top notch officiating, both for the UCI races and the USAC races, all went well! See our results page to see who won what for each race!
Join Flathead Cycling and Montana Cycling Association in once again honoring Ben Parsons by racing The Spirit Bear Classic on Sunday, June 16th, at Herron Park in Kalispell. See our events page for more info!
Fifty-Nine racers braved the winds on Sunday, May 19th, for the second year resurrection of this classic road race. The words for the day were definitely, “Hold on to that wheel!” Once again, a great time was had by all and MCA thanks race director, Alex Gallego, for the excellent job he is doing to promote road racing in Montana. Word on the street is that there might be a downtown Missoula crit added to this race next year…we can only hope!
Ivan Gallego leads a break from the chase group.
Bearmouth RR also hosted the USAC Montana State Road Race Championships this year!
Men’s Open State ChampsWonen’s Open State Champs
NICA is off and running in Montana! Follow the link below to get the latest news about middle school and high school mountain bike race teams in our state!
The Bearmouth Road Race is back for another year! The race will be held in Drummond on May 19. This year it is also hosting the Montana State Road Race Championships! If you have ever raced this event before, you know that the course is challenging and absolutely stunning! Classic Montana road racing at it’s best! Check out our events page for more info.
The Spirit Bear Classic XC mountain bike race in Kalispell has been changed from Saturday, June 15, to Sunday, June 16. More details on the race coming soon!
Missoula, MT- High School and Middle School mountain bike racing is launching this Fall! The Montana Interscholastic Cycling League (MICL) is now an official National Interscholastic Cycling Association (NICA) Project League. MICL has completed the required trainings and benchmarks to move forward with its inaugural high school and middle school race season. This August, young adults in grades 6 to 12 from across Montana will join 26 other states throughout the country with NICA leagues, providing a quality youth development program in the form of team-based mountain biking for student-athletes.
Currently, the Montana league is gearing up for its first Leaders’ Summit in Missoula, at the University of Montana, which will be held April 27-28. This is a full weekend of training for coaches and volunteers. MICL recognizes the importance of training coaches and volunteers to ensure quality leadership throughout the program and youth safety. The inaugural Leaders’ Summit will be led by NICA National staff for the benefit of the 70 participants registered from across the state. The Summit is shaping up to be an excellent kickoff for the organization, according to Montana League Director, Sam Schultz. “This is a great opportunity to bring potential coaches together to develop skills and get the knowledge needed to establish and support teams.” Excitement has been growing around the state and it’s going to be so good to get the early adopters into the same room and continue to build the community around it, states Schultz. If you’re interested in being involved, it’s not too late to join. Email sam@montanamtb.org for more info.
Montana coaches and team leaders will spend the rest of the Spring providing outreach to 6th-12th graders around Montana to join a local team and take part in weekly practices that will start in July. The season will culminate with a 4 race series starting in late August. Currently, there are teams formed in the Flathead Valley, Missoula, Hamilton, Helena, Butte, Bozeman, Big Sky, and Billings. Visit montanamtb.org/existing-team-map for a map of teams along with contact info for team leaders. The League is looking to expand into as many communities as possible and interested coaches should reach out to sam@montanamtb.orgfor more information about getting additional teams up and running.
The league also invites independent riders in Montana where a team might not be established. All registered riders are covered by NICA insurance and able to attend any practice held by nearby teams.
The 2019 race series is as follows: Race 1: August 24th- Crosscut Classic, Bozeman, MT Race 2: September 7th- Herron Hustle, Kalispell, MT Race 3: September 21st- Lolo Lift-Off, Lolo, MT Race 4: October 5th- Copper City Classic, Copper City, MT
The Montana League’s founding Board consists of dedicated community leaders throughout the state. MICL continues to invite individuals who are passionate about creating quality opportunities for youth in Montana to join this effort, mountain bike skills not required! If you are interested in volunteer opportunities for coaching, event support, logistical support, fundraising and more, please contact League Director, Sam Schultz at sam@montanamtb.orgfor more information.
About the Montana League: Web: montanamtb.org and nationalmtb.org Facebook: Montana Interscholastic Cycling League Instagram: @montanamtb
We are excited to announce the start of the 2019 race season in Montana! The formerly collegiate only omniums in Bozeman and Missoula are now open to all racers! Check the calendar for details on these two races, happening April 20 & 21. Next up will be the iconic Speedwagon gravel grinder in Polson, on April 28. The Bearmouth Road Race, which will be the Montana state championship road race, will be held in Drummond on May 19.
Come out to any or all of these events and support road racing in Montana!
This year’s edition of the iconic cyclocross race, Rolling Thunder, did not disappoint! From a run up fly over, to a cash strewn run up, the crowds were cheering wildly! A great time for those watching, and a great (type 2 fun) time for the racers! See our results page for all the deets!
