Team SmartStop-Mountain Khakis again won the USA CRITS team title.(Image credit: Dejan Smaic / SportifImages)
Erica Allar (RideClean-Parentit.com) tops the women's USA Crits series leaders podium(Image credit: Jon Safka/Cyclingphotos.ca)
The Vanderkitten women celebrate taking the team title for the USA Crits series.(Image credit: Elizabeth Hatch)
The USA Crits series will return with 10 races, a prize list of $50,000 and live streaming from the events for the 2013 season, organizers announced today.
The criterium series will include the Illinois Glencoe Grand Prix for the first time, and will also take in the 10th edition of the Presbyterian Hospital Invitational and the 30th edition of the Chris Thater Memorial in Binghamton, New York.
Traditional events such as the Terrapin Athens Twilight Criterium, Tour de Grove, and the Iron Hill Twilight Criterium will return, and the series will culminate in a Las Vegas finale on September 20, during the Interbike trade show.
"The Series brings together a combined tradition of racing totalling 150 years of this uniquely American style of bike racing." said series founder Gene Dixon. "The events feature eight exciting nighttime races plus the former National Championship venue in Glencoe and the 30th Chris Thater Memorial."
All 10 of the races will also be included in the USA Cycling National Criterium Calendar, but Dixon sees value in having a series that focuses on a smaller number of events.
"We are excited about being able to bring a strong focus to 10 of the 41 outstanding race days that make up the NCC. With all our events placed within the NCC schedule, the series now allows consistent access to USA Crits events to teams that traditionally have not focused on criterium racing. This just furthers the development of new icons within our sport."
New for 2013 is live streaming, courtesy of new sponsor SmartStop Self Storage.
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2013 USA Crits Championship Series
March 9: Old Pueblo Grand Prix, Tucson, Arizona March 23: Delray Beach Twilight, Delray Beach, Florida April 13: Presbyterian Hospital Invitational, Charlotte, North Carolina April 27: Athens Twilight, Athens, Georgia May 11: Tour de Grove, St. Louis, Missouri June 1: Glencoe Grand Prix, Chicago, Illinois July 6: Iron Hill Twilight Criterium, West Chester, Pennsylvania July 13: Exergy Twilight Criterium, Boise, Idaho August 25: Chris Thater Memorial, Binghamton, New York September 20: USA CRITS FINALS, Las Vegas, Nevada
