US Gran Prix of Cyclocross schedule for 2006

2005 series winner Barry Wicks (Kona) (Image credit: Steve Medcroft)

Building on the success of the last two years, organizers and racers are gearing up for the 2006 Crank Brothers U.S. Gran Prix of Cyclocross. The six race series looks once again to attract the best racers from across North America to compete for the series overall championship and an automatic USA Cycling world championship berth.

“Thanks to Crank Brothers and all of our sponsors, we are able to continue to expand on the success of the U.S. Gran Prix in this our third year,” said Bruce Fina, marketing director of the U.S. Gran Prix. “In addition to the world-class racing, we have additional sponsors, four new venues and innovative community programs that reflect the growth and popularity of the sport in the United States. I anticipate this will be our best series ever.”

In addition to new sponsors, the 2006 U.S. Gran Prix will visit five ‘cross venues in different areas of the country - four of which are new this year. The series kicks off with two days of racing in Gloucester, Mass. on October 7th – 8th. Then it’s onto the first of the four new venues as the series travels next to Colorado with stops in Longmont on November 4th and Boulder on November 5th. The series will culminate in the Pacific Northwest with stops in Lakewood, Washington and in Portland, Oregon on November 18th and 19th respectively.

The organizers of the U.S. Gran Prix have also implemented two new initiatives focused on the people and communities that continue to drive the popularity of this sport. In addition to the Clif Bar venue sustainability program, organizers will also raise funds and awareness for the Fast Freddie Foundation (FFF) and local junior cycling teams. Founded by Fred Rodriguez, the mission of the FFF is “to support young cyclists in achieving their goals in cycling and beyond.” Additionally, every rider and spectator will have the opportunity to purchase a ‘Cool Tag’ which will enable them to offset the environmental impact of traveling to the race with the ultimate goal of making the series ‘Climate Neutral.’