Cyclocross Magazine broke the news in December on the expanded USGP schedule and addition of the Wisconsin weekend, but the official announcement and schedule has just been released. See below.
Saratoga Springs, NY – The series that stoked the exponential growth of cyclocross in the United States – the U.S. Gran Prix of Cyclocross – has announced its dates for the upcoming season. The 2009 Series returns for a third year to Louisville, KY, Mercer Co., NJ and Portland, OR. The USGP is also pleased to announce its expansion to a fourth weekend of racing with the addition of the Planet Bike Cup in Madison, WI to its lineup.
“We are incredibly happy with how the 2009 season of the USGP is shaping up,” said Bruce Fina, Executive Director, US Gran Prix of Cyclocross. “The addition of the Planet Bike Cup is tremendous for the Series. Madison has a great cycling community and the Planet Bike Cup was already a wonderful event. We are thrilled to have added such a strong early season weekend of racing to our schedule.” Fina continued, “Besides adding we strongly believe that returning to the same three world class venues in 2009 enables the Series and the sport to grow. Last year, our second in these same venues, we saw bigger fields, bigger crowds and we expect more of the same in 2009. Combined with the continued strong support of our sponsors and a start-list of top elite athletes we are expecting that the USGP will maintain its distinction as the premier cyclocross series on this side of the Atlantic.”
Renee Callaway and John Ericsson, the founders of the Planet Bike Cup share Fina’s enthusiasm, “We’re excited to have this opportunity to partner with the USGP. It’s an exciting opportunity to highlight Wisconsin cyclocross and bring the best possible racing to the MIdwest. We’re excited that the Midwest’s elite racers have the opportunity to showcase how they stack up with the best in the country in front of the home crowd.”
The 2009 USGP schedule features eight full days of top-level professional and amateur racing. The Series kicks off September 26 and 27 with the Planet Bike Cup in Madison, WI, followed by the Derby City Cup on October 25 – 26 in Louisville, Kentucky. The Series then continues on to with the Mercer Cup in Mercer County, NJ on November 14 and 15 before returning to Portland, Oregon for the for the traditional series finale on December 5 and 6 – just one week before the US National Cyclocross Championships in Bend, OR.
