NMBS Round #4 to head to Angel Fire Resort

Next weekend, May 23-28, the National Mountain Bike Series (NMBS) makes its fourth stop of the 2007 calendar at the Angel Fire Resort in New Mexico.

The event is the 19th annual Chile Challenge, although it's the first year the event is included in the NMBS. The Chile Challenge is one of two new events brought into the series for 2007; the other was the Firestone Classic (NMBS #2) in Santa Barbara, California. The two events split the NMBS points across the disciplines after the Sonoma NMBS was cancelled. The Chile Challenge awards NMBS points to the gravity events (mountain cross and downhill) while the Firestone Classic awarded NMBS points only for the endurance disciplines.

In addition the NMBS-sanctioned gravity events, the Chile Challenge will offer a full suite of endurance events, including a cross country, a short track, and a super D. The race doubles as the second stop on the Mountain States Cup Series.

At 11,000 feet elevation, Angel Fire previously hosted the World Cup in July of 2005. While many top gravity racers are expected to attend the late May event, most endurance pros will be in Offenburg, Germany contesting the World Cup.

After Angel Fire, Deer Valley, Utah will host round #5 of the NMBS, a joint gravity and endurance disciplined event.