The elite men's podium with Logan Binggeli centre donning the stars and stripes as the new national champion.
(Image credit: Eddie Clark)
Aaron Gwin showed some blazing speed on Saturday with a nearly 12-second margin over the field in his qualifying run.
(Image credit: Eddie Clark)
Logan Binggeli put in some extra practice runs on race day due to the torrential downpour that soaked the course over night.
(Image credit: Eddie Clark)
Mitch Ropelato won his second medal with a quick third place ride.
(Image credit: Eddie Clark)
Logan Binggeli uses his moto skills to pull a tear-off over the hip jump.
(Image credit: Eddie Clark)
Even after a crash in his race run, Aaron Gwinn was fast enough to finish in second.
(Image credit: Eddie Clark)
The new US downhill national champion, Logan Binggeli.
(Image credit: Eddie Clark)
The 2011 USA Cycling Mountain Bike Gravity National Championships concluded Sunday in Beech Mountain, North Carolina, with the downhill national championships. An overnight downpour was slow to clear, leaving the course muddy. The dampened course didn't affect the spirit of the fans as an outstanding crowd, including an estimated 300 spectators in the rock garden, energized the riders.
Logan Binggeli (KHS Bicycles) descended into a stars-and-stripes jersey, beating Aaron Gwin (Trek World Racing) by nearly four seconds in the men's pro downhill. Mitch Ropelato (SPS North America), who topped the men's pro dual slalom podium Saturday, earned the bronze medal.
"It means everything. Everything has now paid off since I've gotten on a bicycle." Binggeli said of winning his first national title. "It's a dream come true. Titles are what you train for and to finally have one, I'm super pumped."
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