Podium finishes for Emmett, Craig, Beckingsale

Riders from the Giant Factory Off-Road Team and the Rabobank-Giant Off-Road Team rode to several podium appearances at this past weekend’s various MTB National Championship events around the world.

In the U.S., Factory Team rider Kelli Emmett led the way by winning her second National Championship in Super D. Racing in her home state of Colorado—where the U.S MTB Nationals were held at Sol Vista ski resort in Granby—Emmett scored a convincing win on her Giant Trance X Advanced SL bike. The course, lengthy by Super D standards, challenged racers with one tough climb followed by fast singletrack descending.

“The climb separated us pretty well this year,” Emmett told Cyclingnews.com after her win. “I was able to get around and away there, which was my strategy.”

Emmett’s fellow American racer Adam Craig, representing the Rabobank-Giant Off-Road Team, also made it to the podium in Colorado, scoring a bronze medal in the Short Track XC. Craig, who has been building his form after missing the first half of the season due to knee surgery, surged ahead in the final lap, moving up to finish third on his Anthem X Advanced SL.

Craig said his comeback is right on track and he’s looking forward to returning to Europe for the next group of World Cup races, starting this coming weekend in Switzerland.

Across the Atlantic in Great Britain, Factory Off-Road rider Oli Beckingsale rode to a silver medal in the British XC National Championships in Pippingford. Beckingsale was in a tight battle with his rival and fellow British Olympian Liam Killeen until a broken chain brought his medal hopes to a halt. Beckingsale still managed to stay in the race, and despite losing close to 5 minutes, he made the repair and passed more than a dozen riders to finish second.

The next few weeks will be big for all of Giant's off-road racers as they turn their attention back to World Cup and other international events for the remainder of the summer.