Believe it or not there are things happening in the MTB world that have nothing to do with Interbike this week.

Chris Eatough is retiring. Yep, the man who won six straight 24 Hour Solo championships will call it quits after racing 24 Hours of Moab this month. Eatough has been a professional racer for 10 years and his retirement plans call for working for sponsor Trek doing product testing while offering coaching services on the side. The highly recommended movie 24 Solo features Eatough and his attempt at a 7th straight 24 Hour Solo title that takes place at the 1996 Olympic MTB course outside Atlanta. We’ll miss you Chris!

Trek working on Chicago Olympic bid. President Obama isn’t the only heavy hitter working to bring the Olympics to the Windy City in 2016 – Trek Bikes is doing a little lobbying and planning of its own. Chi-town’s Olympic plans call for cycling events to take place in and around Madison, WI including MTB events at the Tyrol Basin ski area which Trek officials helped scout for the committee. We’ll keep our fingers crossed!

10 day MTB stage race in the Himalaya. The Hercules Mountain Biking Himachal claims to be the third toughest mountain bike race in the world after Trans Alps and Trans Rockies but I’m not sure how official that claim is. Everything is tougher in a third world country where access to simple things like clean drinking water can be a challenge and the fact that only 12 of the 70 competitors are from outside India tells you something about the difficulty of this race.

The route is quite tough and passes through trails on lofty mountains and gurgling streams. The expedition will not only enable the participants to test their skill, strength and spirit but also enable them to enjoy the countryside beauty of the state.

Plus, any race that also bills itself as an “expedition” has gotta be a real challenge

As we head into the weekend there are a few cool things happening:

Chicago is gunning to host the Olympic Games in 2016 but one problem: Chicagoland is flat as a pancake. Case in point: The original road cycling course was rejected because it was just too easy. Instead, word is the mountain biking event would be held in Blue Mounds, WI near Madison. The Trek company has to be salivating over the prospects…

Downhillers, looking for a free ride to the top? Check out Brundage Mountain Resort in Idaho where they’re offering free lift rides all day on July 2 as part of the summer season opening. The mountain boasts a 4-person high speed lift to the top of the 7,640 foot-summit which I’m sure beats pedaling all the way up Free is a heck of a value too considering that a regular daily pass is $25 (though that’s still a heck of a bargain).

Did you know the National MTB Championships are being held in Colorado for the first time EVER? It’s hard to believe but it’s true. You can catch the action July 16-19 at SolVista Basin Resort which is not too far from Winter Park. While SolVista is one of Colorado’s lesser known resorts, the Granby Mountain Bike Park located on site boasts 10 trails and a pump track. Get more info on the official site.