The rooty, rocky trails at Mount Snow Resort in West Dover, Vermont, are hosting the 2007 USA Cycling national mountain-bike championships July 17-22. An estimated 2000 off-road racers will contest national titles in cross-country, short-track, downhill, dual slalom and super D. And co-sponsor X-fusion suspension has put up $20,000 in prize money for the professional events.

Mount Snow has a storied history in hosting top-level fat-tire races. The resort was a regular stop on the UCI World Cup during 1992-97 and hosted its first NORBA national in 1990. Thomas Frischknect and Lisa Muhich took victories that year in the cross-country; NORBA downhill racing was first held at Mount Snow two years later.

Fast forward to 2007 and the list of Mount Snow winners reads like a who’s-who of American off-road racing — Furtado, Tomac, Wiens, Juarez, Matthes, Dunlap, McConneloug, Herbold, King, Giove, Streb, Lopes, Cullinan, Carter — just to name a few.

But 2007 marks the first time the resort has hosted USA Cycling’s national-championship weekend. California’s Mammoth Mountain hosted the event during 2004-05, and Infinion Speedway in Sonoma, California, took over in 2006 after record snowfall kept Mammoth’s slopes closed well into July.

The departure from the dry, dusty courses in California to Mount Snow’s wet, rooty trails will undoubtedly affect all of the professional races. Riders with supreme technical abilities will hold a major advantage.

Colorado’s climbing specialist Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski (Subaru-Gary Fisher) dominated the men’s cross-country field at the high-altitude, climb-heavy Mammoth course. In Sonoma it was power rider Ryan Trebon (Kona-Les Gets) who sped away on the wide-open, non-technical course for the win.

Both will be looking to score big at Mount Snow. However most eyes will be on Maine native Adam Craig (Giant), arguably the best technical rider in the men’s field. The former junior downhill racer currently leads all American men in both the UCI and World Cup standings, and is hot off a big win at the July 13 Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Also in the mix will be Virginian Jeremiah Bishop (Trek-Volkswagen) who missed the June World Cup races in Québec due to sickness. And Coloradan Todd Wells (GT) gave up his spot for the Pan American Games to recover and train for nationals. Rounding out the list of favorites is talented all-rounder Barry Wicks (Kona-Les Gets) of Santa Cruz, California, the defending short-track national champ.

Californian Mary McConneloug (Seven-Kenda) is a two-time winner at Mount Snow, and won the cross-country race in 2006 when the event hosted a stop on the National Mountain Bike Series. Known for her technical abilities, McConneloug finished second at the Pan Am Games after a series of crashes and mechanical failures.

The technical course could favor North Carolina’s Willow Koerber (Subaru-Gary Fisher), who took a cross-country victory at Mount Snow in 2004. So far the American has finished on the podium at World Cup races twice in 2007.

Defending national champ Georgia Gould is currently undefeated on the NMBS circuit. The Fort Collins, Colorado, resident owns the fitness to power away from the women’s field — the question is whether she owns the technical skills to survive Mount Snow’s terrain.

Looking to challenge for the win will be talented climber Heather Irmiger (Subaru-Gary Fisher) and reigning short-track champion Susan Haywood (Trek-Volkswagen). And newly crowned marathon national champ Shonny Vanlandingham (Luna) has both the stamina and skill to pull out a big result.

In downhill racing, reigning champion Duncan Riffle (Honda-Iron horse) will be looking to improve on what has been a disappointing World Cup campaign — he sits 49th in the standings. The 20-year-old Santa Barbara native claimed a morale-boosting win at the NMBS round in Deer Valley, Utah, and will look to defend his jersey against 2005 champ Cody Warren (Foes) and Luke Strobel.

Defending women’s downhill champion Tara Llanes (Giant) stepped away from full-time mountain-bike racing in 2007, pursuing BMX competition and holding mountain-bike clinics. The veteran off-road racer will have to fend off Kathy Pruitt (Jamis) and World Cup regular Melissa Buhl (KHS).

The 2007 national championships will not hold a traditional mountain-cross event, and will instead award a stars-and-stripes jersey for dual slalom. The decision was made after Mount Snow resort balked at the idea of building a mountain-cross course, whic, traditionally requires more man hours and dollars to build than dual slalom.

The change in events might suit defending NMBS gated-racing champ Rich Houseman (Yeti-Fox), who missed much of the early season to a shoulder injury. But Houseman will have to face off against defending national champion Eric Carter (Mongoose) and World Cup leader Brian Lopes (GT).

In the women’s race, defending national champion Jill Kintner (GT) will likely be absent, instead preparing for the BMX world championships. In her absence, Buhl and Llanes should challenge for the jersey.

Stay tuned to VeloNews.com for news and updates from the 2007 USA Cycling national mountain-bike championships.

2007 USA Cycling National Mountain-Bike Championships
July 17-22, 2007
Mount Snow, Vermont

Friday, July 20
2 p.m. – Pro women’s cross-country
5 p.m. – U23 men’s cross-country; U23 women’s cross-country; junior expert men’s cross-country; junior expert women’s cross-country

Saturday, July 21
8 a.m. – Single-speed cross-country; observed trials
2 p.m. – Pro men’s cross-country
7 p.m. – Pro men’s and women’s dual slalom

Sunday, July 22
9 a.m. – Super D
2 p.m. Junior expert men’s short track
3:30 p.m. Pro women’s downhill
4:15 p.m. Pro men’s downhill
5 p.m. Pro women’s short track
5:45 p.m. Pro men’s short track