Olympians and national champions are headed to Montana for this weekend's Hammer Nutrition Missoula XC. The USA Cycling Pro Cross-Country Tour's (Pro XCT) penultimate contest, Missoula will showcase brand new national champions and Olympians, including hometown favorite Sam Schultz (Subaru-Trek).

Current Pro XCT leaders Colin Cares (Kenda-Felt) and Monique 'Pua' Mata (Sho-air-Specialized) and expected to battle it out with a strong contingent of riders including several national champions and Olympians.

Subaru-Trek coming off an outstanding showing last weekend at USA Cycling Mountain Bike National Championships will be bringing two new national champions and two Bronze medalists to the Hammer Nutrition Missoula XC at Marshall Mountain on July 14, at Marshall Mountain. Hometown favorite, defending Missoula XC champion, Men’s National Elite Champion and London 2012 Olympic US Team Member Sam Schultz will be leading the Subaru-Trek squad into Missoula along with  Mens’s U-23 National Champion Russell Finsterwald, Women’s National Elite Bronze Medalist Heather Imriger and Men’s National Elite Bronze Medalist Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski.

Specialized Racing will be bringing three Olympians and three National Titles to the Missoula XC. Todd Wells Men’s Elite National Short Track Champion and London 2012 Olympic US Team Member, Lea Davison Women’s Elite National Short Track Champion and London 2012 Olympic US Team Member along with Max Plaxton Men’s Elite Canadian National Champion and London 2012 Olympic Canadian Team Member will be leading the charge for the Specialized Mountain Bike Racing Team.

“This will be the first head to head meeting of US and Canadian National Champions with Schultz and Plaxton and a North American Olympic preview for London in the men’s field," said Ben Horan, race director of the Hammer Nutrition Missoula XC at Marshall Mountain. Horan added, “We are really excited about the Elite women’s field with so many current and former National Champions and Olympians racing. It is going to be very competitive in both the Women’s and Men’s Elite Fields this weekend, we are really pumped to have such talented racers come to Missoula!”