Bike magazine’s first annual Video and Reader’s Choice Awards drew some 1,200 people to honor mountain biking’s best athletes, filmmakers, and photographers in Monterey during the Sea Otter Classic, April 16. In the Best Female Mountain Biker category, Seven Cycle’s Mary McConneloug bested such off-road notables as Marla Streb (second) and Alison Dunlap (third) for the top spot.
Though Mary’s race schedule did not allow her to attend the event in person, the announcement of her win was greeted with thunderous applause as longtime friend and fellow racer, Jeff Jungsten, accepted the award in her honor.
“It was completely nerve-wracking,” reported Jungsten. “Everyone was expecting to see Mary take the stage, and here I come—this guy nobody knows. People were totally cool, though. It was a really exciting event.”
McConneloug is the reigning U.S. National Champion and a top contender in the hotly contested bid for the single spot open to U.S. women mountain bikers for the upcoming 2004 summer Olympics.