Top-level mountain bike racing returns to Angel Fire resort in Northern New Mexico this weekend as the Mountain States Cup’s premier event, the Chile Challenge, celebrates its 20th birthday. And as a fitting double-decade present, the 2008 Chile Challenge boasts a plethora of awards and titles for both gravity and cross-country racers.

Topping that list is the pro national championship in the Mountain Cross discipline for both men and women. Mount Snow, Vermont, hosts the July 16-20 USA Cycling national mountain bike championships; however the venue has been unable to construct a suitable course for mountain cross.

For 2008, USA Cycling agreed to hold a mountain-cross national title, which is contested at the world championship level. Angel Fire received the bid to host the national championships for the event, as the venue owns a massive mountain cross course leftover from 2005, when it hosted a stop on the UCI World Cup.

On Sunday, May 25, the nation’s top gated racers will take to the course to battle for the first stars and stripes jerseys to be awarded in 2008. The men’s race should feature a heated battle between reigning champ Chris Hearndon (Cane Creek) and, California strongman Rich Houseman (Yeti-Fox) and 2004 world champ Eric Carter (Mongoose). Reigning champ Melissa Buhl (KHS) comes into the women’s race as the heavy favorite, with reigning world champ Jill Kintner preparing for the 2008 UCI world BMX championships.

In addition to the jersey, the Chile Challenge boasts UCI C2 status for mountain cross and downhill, making the race a national team qualifier for both juniors and elite gravity racers hoping to attend the 2008 UCI world championships, held June 17-22 in Val de Sole, Italy. All of the weekend’s gravity events — including Super D — also award points toward the National Mountain Bike Series (NMBS) overall. Finally, the gravity and cross-country races are included in USA Cycling’s National Mountain Bike Calendar.