Kintner and Ropelato win US dual slalom titles

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The 2011 USA Cycling Mountain Bike Gravity National Championships continued Saturday in Beech Mountain, North Carolina with the dual slalom competition. The day started overcast and foggy, but slowly cleared, leaving the racers to compete in cool temperatures under partly cloudy skies.

When the professional riders assumed center stage Saturday, Mitch Ropelato (SPS North America) and Jill Kintner (edBull-Transition Racing) topped the men's and women's podiums.

Kintner, who won the national title in the women's professional four cross in 2010, earned the stars-and-stripes jersey.

"It means a lot," Kintner said of winning the national championship. "I'm a little bit sick, but I've been feeling good riding my bike."

Ropelato had previously won the national championship in four cross in 2009.

"The fans were good," Ropelato said of the many fans who flocked to watch. "They're exciting. They kept us going real fast all day."

In the elite men's race, 18-year-old Neko Mulally (Trek World Racing) qualified ninth, but came back to place second in the race while Cody Kelley earned the bronze medal.

In the junior men's 14-and-under competition, Joseph Foresta, who won the downhill national title among the 10-and-under competitors in 2010, added a dual slalom jersey to his closet. Luca Shaw (North Carolina Cyclo-cross) topped the junior men's 15-18 podium, winning the race after qualifying with that group's best time. Thomas Wilkinson, who qualified sixth among men 19-29, rebounded to win the race. William Murray (Charlotte, N.C.) earned the top spot of the men's 30-39 podium while Andy DeVault narrowly qualified in the top spot and hung on to win the race among men 40-and-over.

After qualifying in the top spot among amateur women, 23-year-old Caroline Westray took home the stars-and-stripes jersey.

In the day's category 2/3 competition class races, Davis Nonno won the junior men 18-and-under race while Gus Michaels posted the fastest time among men 19-29. In the men's 30-39 competition, Bryan Morgan descended fastest while Kurt Dressler was the fastest among men 40-and-over.

The event will culiminate on Sunday with the national championship downhill races.

Full Results