X-Fusion adds additional cash to U.S. Nats

USA Cycling announced on Tuesday that X-Fusion has signed on as the title sponsor for its 2006 National Mountain Bike Championships this summer.

Scheduled for July 13-16 in Sonoma, Calif. as part of the Infineon Technologies Cougar Mountain Classic and expected to welcome approximately 1,500 competitive off-road cyclists from across the United States, the USA Cycling Mountain Bike National Championships brought to you by X-Fusion X-Fusion represents the culmination of the domestic mountain bike season as over 150 national titles will be on the line across a wide spectrum of ages, abilities and disciplines.

X-Fusion's support of the event, along with a supplemental contribution from Infineon Raceway, also means a $25,000 prize purse is up for grabs in the 12 men's and women's pro events. Competitors in the pro ranks of the Cross Country, Short Track, Mountain Cross, Downhill, Marathon and Super D will compete for a $1,000 cash prize to compliment his or her stars and stripes jersey, gold medal and title of national champion. Additional cash prizes will be paid out five deep - $500, $250, $150, and $100 respectively. An additional $1,000 bonus will be on the line for any pro rider that wins two national titles over the weekend.

With the new qualification system underway for the 2008 Olympic Games, the USA Cycling Mountain Bike National Championships brought to you by X-Fusion also plays an integral part in the number of start positions the United States will receive in the sport of mountain biking in Beijing. As a UCI-recognized national championship event, the winner of the men's and women's Cross Country disciplines receive 110 UCI points each – a figure that directly factors into the depth of the United States' presence at the 2008 Games.