The new Valmont Bike Park in Boulder Colorado promises to be the site of racing events for many years to come.(Image credit: Dave McElwaine/trailwatch.net)
The duel is on between Jeremy Powers (Rapha-Focus) and Ryan Trebon (LTS/Felt)(Image credit: Lyne Lamoureux)
Todd Wells (Specialized) runs away from the rest of the race at the cyclo-cross national championships(Image credit: Dave McElwaine/trailwatch.net)
Newly crowned US champion Jeremy Powers (Rapha Focus) races in the stars-and-stries jersey for the first time.(Image credit: www.ispaphoto.com)
USA Cycling announced today the host cities of future cyclo-cross national championships, awarding one year each to Boulder, Colorado, to Austin, Texas and to Asheville, North Carolina for 2014, 2015 and 2016, respectively.
Due to the high quality of bids each city will host the national championships for just one year instead of the proposed two year contract. In a press release USA Cycling's Managing Director of National Events Micah Rice explained why each city was awarded just one year.
“The decision to award one-year contracts for the championships will also help foster cyclo-cross racing in three distinctively different parts of the country.”
USA Cycling states that Boulder's Valmont Bike Park, with its permanent cyclo-cross course and facilities, was an obvious choice. Michael Eubank, the City of Boulder’s Valmont Bike Park director described the 2014 national championships as the Super Bowl of cycling.
“Valmont Bike Park was specifically designed and built to accommodate daily recreation users as well as USA Cycling racing events,” said Eubank, “and we can't wait to bring this event to Colorado."
The 2015 championships will be contested in Austin's Zilker Park, located near downtown Austin. Matthew Payne, executive director of the Austin Sports Commission told USA Cycling, “This event will be another chance to showcase our dynamic city to cyclo-cross athletes all over the country.”
The cyclo-cross championships in 2016 are going to be held on the Biltmore Estates, in Asheville, North Carolina. Built in 1895, the Biltmore Estates sits on 8,000 acres which includes a vineyard and an equestrian center.
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Tim Hopkin, one of the race promoters, describes the 2016 championship venue.
“The infrastructure (at the Biltmore Estates) is all right there in a confined area,” says Hopkin. “It’s on a beautiful piece of land and they’re (the Biltmore) excited to host it.”
Hopkin, considered the father of cyclo-cross in the Southeast, along with accomplished cyclo-cross racer Will Black, will be part of the course design team.
Lately the Southeast has been the focus of cyclo-cross. The UCI Masters Cyclo-Cross World Championships were just held in Louisville, Kentucky and will host them again in 2013 along with the UCI Cyclo-Cross World Championships.
