Jeep ® King Of The Mountain Professional Mountain Biking Race Bound for Breathtaking Telluride Ski Resort

July 16, 2003 , Auburn Hills, Mich. -  The Jeep® King of the Mountain (KOM) Series will host the second race of its inaugural year on Saturday, July 19, at Telluride Ski Resort in Colorado.

During the three-race series, eight teams of professional mountain biking racers from around the world will race down the one-of-a-kind Jeep “Y” course in hopes of winning a piece of the more than $100,000 purse.

The “Y” course was designed especially for the Jeep KOM Series and is the only competition worldwide that uses the unique track. In the “Y,” competitors go head to head on separate slalom courses before launching off a jump and merging into a shared course leading to the finish. It is a racing format that demands the technical precision to navigate slalom gates, the ability to handle large jumps with balance and control, and straight-ahead power to charge to the finish, providing a new level of excitement in mountain bike racing.

“As the first word in 4x4s, Jeep is in the business of helping people expand their boundaries and enjoy the challenges and inspiration presented by nature," said Jeff Bell, Vice President – Jeep. “The King of the Mountain Series and its athletes fit the Jeep brand; they are competitive events in which the racers must often challenge convention.”

The athletes are not the only ones who have the chance of walking away with something. While the race begins at 11 a.m., the public is invited to come to the event at 10 a.m. to check out the interactive expo area. It features prizes, food, music and demonstrations of the latest gear in mountain bike technology. Exhibitors will include Jeep, Eclipse Television and Sports Marketing, Paul Mitchell, Haro, MBS Mountain Boards and Bike Magazine.

In a progressive race format, athletes’ stamina will also be tested, as the mountain bikers tackle two runs, one on each track, until the winners advance to the finals. The time differential between the two racers in the first run determines the head-start time the leader receives at the beginning of the second run. Races are based on who wins the final head to head match up.

Teaming together to lead the U.S. defense at Telluride will be National Off Road Biking Association and Mountain Biking World Cup competitors Mike King and Jill Kintner on Team One USA, and Kirt Voreis and Melissa Buhl of Team Two USA. They will face a stiff test against an all-star cast of six other top international teams. At the inaugural race last week at Virginia’s Wintergreen Resort, Team France’s Cedric Gracia captured the men’s gold, as did his teammate, Sabrina Jonnier. They also earned $9,000 in prize money and the honor to wear the coveted black Paul Mitchell Leader’s bibs at Telluride Ski Resort’s Jeep King of the Mountain race on July 19. Mick Hannah and Tai Lee Muxlow of Australia Team Two, and Steve Peat and Tracy Moseley of United Kingdom’s Team One should prove to be fierce competitors for Gracia and Jonnier, with the UK and Australia each tied at second place, close behind Team France.

After the race in Telluride, the Championship race will move to Lake Tahoe, Calif., on August 23. In addition to bonus prize money, the stakes grow even higher in the race for the championship title, and the two- year lease on a brand new Jeep Wrangler X.

Jeep is the title sponsor for the Jeep King of the Mountain Series. Other partners include Mopar, Infinity, John Paul Mitchell Systems, Bike Magazine, Haro, Columbia Sportswear, and DeFeet International. Site sponsors include Wintergreen Resort, Telluride Ski Resort and Telluride Mountain Village Metropolitan Services.

For future television air dates and times, log on to www.jeepmtnbiking.com or www.jeepsports.com.