Jeep King of the Mountain Athletes in SLO

[JKOMracer]

For the second straight year, the Jeep® King of the Mountain Series (www.jeepsports.com) will launch the Mountain Biking World Professional Championships in San Luis Obispo, where 16 of the world’s top racers – including local athlete Travis Collins - will compete for the richest cash purse in the industry.

This year’s event will continue the proud tradition of attracting the world’s top professional racers, including defending Jeep King of the Mountain World Professional Champions Wade Bootes and Katrina Miller, both of Australia. The complete rosters include:

Men’s Roster
• Bas de Bever (NED) – 2003 World Cup Champion
• Wade Bootes (AUS) – Defending JKOM Champion and 2004 World Cup Champion
• Eric Carter (USA) – Winner of 8 NORBA titles and #1 overall at 2004 World Championships
• Michel Prokop (CZE) – #1 overall at 2004 World Cup Series
• Mike King (USA) – Former overall World Champion, 2004 JKOM runner-up
• Chris Powell (USA) – Medalist at 2004 U.S Championships, 8th at World Championships
• Brian Lopes (USA) – MTB career victories leader with 15 titles – 9 on the NORBA National circuit, 4 on the UCI World Cup circuit and 2 prestigious World Championships

Women’s Roster
• Anneke Beerten (NED) – #1 overall at 2004 World Cup Series
• Fionn Griffiths (GBR) – 2-time World Cup silver medalist and 2003 NORBA Champion
• Jill Kintner (USA) – 70 career BMX titles, 2004 NORBA Champion, 2005 Sea Otter Champion, 7 in past 3 years since taking up the sport of mountain bike racing
• Tara Llanes (USA) – 4-time Winter X medalist, 2004 Sea Otter Champion, 2004 World Cup silver medalist
• Katrina Miller (AUS) – Defending JKOM Champion, 2-time World Champion, 4-time NORBA Champion
• Vanessa Quin (NZE) – 2004 International Cycling Union World Champion

While this elite field of international professional racers – six women and six men – have already been pre-qualified to participate in the Jeep King of the Mountain Series, the balance of the 16-athlete field – two men and two women – will qualify for each event in the Series based on points earned in National Off-Road Bicycling Association (NORBA) events. Travis Collins of San Luis Obispo and Marla Streb of Los Osos have already qualified.

World Professional Champions are crowned based on a system of cumulative points earned throughout the Jeep King of the Mountain Series. An elite field of international professional racers – six women and six men – will be pre-qualified to participate in the World Professional Mountain Biking Championships. The balance of the 16 athlete field - two men and two women - will be invited from the local community or based on results from other national and international mountain bike competitions, allowing these wild card entrants a chance to compete against the best of the best for the coveted title.