01/28/2004 Press Release
ROAD PRO MICHAEL SAYERS PUTS HIS WEIGHT BEHIND NOR CAL HIGH SCHOOLS MOUNTAIN BIKE LEAGUE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — January 28, 2004
Contact: Matt Fritzinger fritz@berkeley.k12.ca.us Tel: (510) 325 6502 www.norcalhighracing.org
BERKELEY, California — Road pro Michael Sayers has opted to back the rapidly expanding Northern California High Schools Mountain Bike League with a sponsorship deal that includes cash and fundraising efforts during the season. League activities for 2004 will commence January 31, with rider camps and a hill climb time trial before the regular season point series kicks off February 22.
Sayers (34), who grew up near Sacramento, came relatively late to road cycling after having been a national team skier in his youth. In 2003 he led the Healthnet Team, presented by Maxxis, to prominence on the US pro circuit. Now he talks about how the Nor Cal High Schools Mountain Bike League mirrors his own sense of commitment and passion about development of cycle sport in the USA. "A lot of the reason I wanted to put money into the league has to do with my journey through the ranks of cycling in America. I didn't have a league available to me in high school. If there had been, I might have found cycling earlier than 20 years old.”
"A big part of me feels like I missed so much by not racing at a younger age. When I found this organization, I felt like it was the perfect place of us to develop young riders. USA cycling is hurting for good young riders. There are more and more programs out there to help develop these young riders, and since this program is from my home region of Northern California, I felt like this was the perfect place to put my support. America is so far behind other countries out there. The older, veteran riders need to support their local organizations in order to get American racing up to speed." Said Sayers.
The full list of sponsors of the League is as follows:
Clif Bar is the Berkeley-based organic energy and nutrition maker. CLIF BARS are a great-tasting, convenient source of energy for any activity (clifbar.com)
The Nicole Reinhart Memorial Foundation began after the tragic death of Nicole who died racing in an event where she was favored to win a $250,000 prize, BMC software donated the prize money to the Reinhart family who then started the foundation to benefit junior-aged cyclists (nicolesbench.com)
Gary Fisher is one of the founding fathers of mountain bikes, in 1974 his "klunker" was born in Marin County and Gary Fisher Bicycles remains one of the top names in recreational and racing mountain bikes. (fisherbikes.com)
The Pedaler in El Sobrante is proud to be one of the San Francisco Bay Area's finest and most comprehensive suppliers of bicycles and accessories to all bike enthusiasts. (theped.com)
Titec USA, Inc.is a leading OEM and Aftermarket supplier of bicycle components committed to crafting parts that will endure both trail and time. (titec.com)
The Northern Californa/Nevada Cycling Association (NCNCA) provides a year long calendar of quality road, MTB, cyclocross and track races as well as programs for novices who want to begin racing. (ncnca.org)
The USA Cycling Development Foundation (USACDF) is the non-profit fundraising arm of cycling for U.S. national and Olympic team young athlete development, and money raised by the Foundation supports athletes in all disciplines of competitive cycling. (usacdf.org)
Bay Trails Council Marin BTC is dedicated to the acceptance of mountain biking as a legitimate and environmentally sound use of the land. The BTC works to educate bikers, as well as other users, of local regulations and proper trail etiquette.
About Nor Cal High Schools Mountain Bike Racing League rweThe Nor Cal High School Mountain Bike League is a non-profit organization operating under the umbrella of the Nicole Reinhart Memorial Fund. It is open to students from both public and private schools. The league provides coaching and camaraderie to assist students achieve both competitive and non-competitive cross-country mountain biking goals in a safe and enjoyable manner. The calendar of 2004 events begins January 31st and includes weekend riding camps, summer riding camps, a 6-race series, and a coaches’ conference. League registration opens in December every year. www.norcalhighracing.org
2004 Nor Cal High Schools Series Dates:
January 31st/February 1st All League Riding Camp #1, Camp Tamarancho, Marin Co.
February 8th Hill Climb Time Trial (Location TBA).
February 14th/15th All League Riding Camp #2, Camp Tamarancho, Marin Co.
February 22nd MTB Challenge 2, Folsom Lake.
March 7th Iron Angels, Angels Camp.
March 21st Race 'X' (or MTB Challenge 3, March 14th)
April 4th Billycross High School Only Race, Lake Sonoma near Santa Rosa.
April 18th Sea Otter Classic, Monterey.
May 2nd State Championships, Walker Creek Ranch in West Marin Co.
July 5th to July 9th NORBA Regional Camp, Santa Cruz.
August 2nd to August 6th League Summer Camp, Camp Tamarancho, Marin Co.