In a first for USA Cycling, a Bentonville-area teenager will compete at the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships, taking place in the Valais region of Switzerland from August 30 to September 14.

Landrie McLain, a 17-year-old Bella Vista resident and Bentonville High School student, will race in the Junior Cross-Country Olympic category.

“I'm incredibly excited to represent USA Cycling at this year's World Championships,” McLain said. “I'm ready for Switzerland and can't wait to race!”

According to the event’s website, the Cross-Country Olympic race is the only mountain biking discipline in the Olympic Games. Riders compete on a short looped course with climbs, descents, and varied terrain. At this year’s championships, the loop is about 2.4 miles long, with roughly 360 feet of climbing each lap.

USA Cycling expanded its official presence in Bentonville in 2022 and now conducts much of its mountain bike training here. The team roster was announced Tuesday, August 12.

USA Cycling CEO Brendan Quirk said more local residents rising to the upper levels of competitive mountain biking can be expected in the years to come, due to local investments in mountain bike trails.

“The Olympians of 2032, 2036, 2040 will come from Bentonville because they have the best mountain bike infrastructure in the world in their backyard,” Quirk said. “Park City has the best ski jumps in the world, and that is why the whole Olympic team comes from Park City.”

McLain joined OZ Development, a local youth mountain biking team, in 2020 and moved to the Bear National Team earlier this year. She is also an accomplished road cyclist.