News Shorts: USA Cycling announces 2016 pro mountain bike calendars

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Nino Schurter (Scott Odlo) wins the Sea Otter Short Track with a late race move(Image credit: Dave McElwaine)

The 2016 US Professional Mountain Bike Cross-Country Tour (Pro XCT) will include nine races and start March 12 in California, according to a schedule that USA Cycling released on Wednesday. The Pro XCT, which runs through mid-August, will also visit Montana, New Mexico, Wisconsin, Massachusetts and New York.

Bonelli XC #1 – San Dimas, Calif. March 12 - C3
Fontana XC – Fontana, Calif. April 2 - C3
Bonelli XC #2 (U.S. Cup) – San Dimas, Calif. April 9 - HC
Sea Otter Classic (U.S. Cup) – Monterey, Calif. April 16 - HC
Missoula XC (U.S. Cup) – Missoula, Mont. June 18 - HC
Chile Challenge – Angel Fire, N.M. June 23-26 - C1
WORS Cup – Portage, Wis. July 23 - C1
Boston Rebellion XC (U.S. Cup) – Walpole, Mass. July 30 - HC
Windham Pro XCT – Windham, N.Y. August 13-14 - HC

The Lotto Soudal Ladies team have announced several changes to its 2016 roster after a season the management saw promise from its riders and have acted to reinforce the strengthen to pursue more wins. The team enjoyed just three wins in 2015 with Anisha Vekemans winning a stage at the Trophée d'Or Féminin and Elena Cecchini defending her Italian national title along with claiming a stage at Festival Elsy Jacobs.

"It was a huge loss for us that Jolien D’hoore left the team. Before the season started I told the riders this would be a transition year, with a lot of young riders in the team. Still, we had a good season, with a lot of great results, although it would have been nice to win more. Our riders often animated the races, but couldn’t always finish it off. There was a fantastic team spirit, the girls were really close," said head of the team's sport department Dany Schoonbaert.

"Unfortunately, Elena won’t be riding for our team anymore next year," Schoonbaert said. "We already looked for some reinforcement. Claudia Lichtenberg will join the team. Her teammate Willeke Knol has signed with us as well, she already worked for Claudia in their current team [Liv Plantur, ed]. Claudia is a GC rider and has to make sure we play a role in international stage races. We are also pleased that Sofie De Vuyst will come to our team, she’s a rider for different terrains.

With qualification for the Rio Olympic Games in the team pursuit becoming almost impossible after the men's team failed to make any of the finals in the first round of the Track World Cup in Cali, Colombia, Belgium will not field squads at the remaining two World Cups or the World Championships. Kenny De Ketele, Jasper De Buyst, Gijs Van Hoecke, Moreno De Pauw and Jonathan Dufrasne made up the Belgian team pursuit squad.

"This achievement was made possible through a partnership between the team and the entrepreneur João Paulo Diniz, who in recent years has given us great support. Our goals were common and, therefore, we align everything to ensure the procurement of this license," said team manager Benedito Tadeu Azevedo Júnior. "After a few years at Continental level, being the only Brazilian team to appear at Pro Continental level in Latin America is a source of great pride for all of us involved with cycling. It is a sign that we are on a right path, increasingly looking to popularise and professionalise cycling in Brazil."