The final Jeep 48Straight mountain biking race series will be a great dual-slalom race. This race features a star-studded line-up that could set new standards for world-class competition.
Greg Minnaar and Brian Lopes will be participating in the race. The Madonna Inn is behind them. Swanguen and Cameron Zink will be joined by Olympian Adam Craig, Cam McCaul, Cam Strait and Cameron Zink. Also, Shaun Palmer, a former mountain bike gravity star and former France Cycling national champion, and Cody Warren, Petr Hanak, J.D.
Points leader Cody Warren. John Ker photo.
After a decade of retirement, Palmer is reportedly returning to professional mountain biking. Palmer, who was 51 years old when he started mountain biking professionally, had a successful snowboard career that reportedly led to five World Championships and a slew X Games medals. He quickly became a top-ranked mountain bike racer, winning major downhill and dual slalom competitions. He was amazing! He was good enough to win a silver medal in downhill at 1996 Mountain Bike World Championships. This was in Cairns (Australia), and Nicolas Vouilloz took the gold.
After winning the Jeep 48Straight snowboard race series on CBS last spring, Palmer was invited by CBS to compete in the October 25th race. Palmer shocked many young Olympic medalists by beating them in the Jeep 48Straight boardercross series, which was made for television.
The purse money for the Oct 25th dual-slalom race is huge. First place in the final race will be awarded. Second place will be given to third. Fourth place will be awarded. The high-payout prize money for the women’s purse is still available. Fionn Griffiths, Kathy Pruitt, Melissa Buhl are the top three competitors in that race. The race will award the winners of the women’s and men’s series with cash prizes, keys to new Jeep Cherokees, and large cash bonuses from Paul Mitchell (the maker of popular hair-care products).
CBS Television will broadcast the epic dual-slalom race on Saturday, November 1, after an NFL football game (check local listings). Mountain Bike Action will be covering the race in its February issue.
