2023 Cyclocross National Championships Returns to Louisville, Gravel Nationals Coming

The 2022 USA Cycling Cyclocross National Championships, Hartford, CT just wrapped but USA Cycling already has announcements for next year.

Are we headed to Reno again? The last time we were in Hartford, CT was in 2017 and then we moved to Reno, NV in 2018 in January and then to Lousiville in December 2018.

So maybe West Coast racers were hoping for a return west, perhaps to Reno again, but Cyclocross Nationals will be jumping straight back to Louisville and skipping Reno outright. Of course, Nationals depends on promoter bids, and Louisville’s team is the winner again.

Clara Honsinger took the holeshot on Sunday. U23 Women. 2018 Cyclocross National Championships, Joe Creason Park, Louisville, KY. © A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine

2023 Gravel Nationals Coming

Buried in the announcement is a TBD location and date for the 2023 Gravel National Championships. We told you it was coming, even if it was seven and a half years ago, on April 1.

In 2015, USA Cycling said there’s “no clear role that we have” but the governing body is hoping to change that in 2023.

It’s a fun time to revisit the comments in this post and our interview with Derek Bouchard-Hall, the CEO of USA Cycling at the time:

CXM: Let’s just touch back on gravel for a second since you mentioned it. Those events are not just the definition of grassroots—they are also rides that have grown extensively without USA Cycling. What do you think USA Cycling has to offer those events?

DBH: I heard that we should really look into regulating it.

No really, at the risk of sounding sycophantic, I think that the fake article you [guys] did on gravel events was one of the best April Fool’s Days ever.

CXM: Oh, it caught your attention?

DBH: I remember reading it halfway through and thinking that this might actually be something that is plausible. But in all seriousness, I think that to date, there’s no clear role that we have, but we have to look in the value propositions that we can offer promoters and race directors.

And then there’s this Facebook comment thread:

Here’s the rest of the announcement from USA Cycling.

USA Cycling announces the first round of dates and locations for 2023 with six more events to be announced in a subsequent release.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – After an exciting year of racing across all disciplines, USA Cycling is pleased to announce the dates and locations of multiple national championships that will take place in 2023.

Pro Road Nationals will return to Knoxville, Tenn. June 22^nd-25^th for the final year of a successful 7-year agreement. “It has been an incredible achievement and honor to host USA Cycling since 2017,” said Kim Bumpas, President of Visit Knoxville. “This will be the last year of our current agreement, and we will warmly welcome the riders back in the future. We’ve become very close with USA Cycling, and are looking forward to seeing 2023’s exciting event here in Knoxville.”

Collegiate Road Nationals will head to Albuquerque, N.M. in May. “Albuquerque was proud to host successful 2021 and 2022 USA Cycling Masters Road events and the city is honored to be selected for the 2023 and 2024 Collegiate Road National Championships,” said Tania Armenta, President & CEO of Visit Albuquerque. “We can’t wait to welcome back USA Cycling athletes, along with their friends and families, and showcase the Southwestern hospitality for which we are known.”

Heading into the summer, Visit Virginia’s Blue Ridge will host Amateur Road Nationals in Roanoke, Va. June 13^th-17^th where athletes will be tested on the breathtaking hills of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Junior, Elite, and Para Track will head to the west coast July 5^th-9^th for an incredible week of racing at the VELO Sports Center in Carson, Calif. Masters Track will go to Rock Hill, S.C. August 8^th-13^th. Collegiate Track will be held at the Valley Preferred Cycling Center in Trexlertown, Pa. September 14^th-17^th. Frederick, Md. will host Gran Fondo Nationals on September 17^th. Madison Track Nationals will be returning to the Lexus Velodrome in Detroit, Mich. November 10^th-12^th.

The BMX season will kick off with Collegiate BMX Nationals taking place in Bakersfield, Calif. in March. Elite BMX Racing Nationals will be heading to Tulsa, Okla. in early May at the new Hardesty National BMX Stadium.

To conclude the 2023 season, Cyclocross Nationals will return to the 2018 venue at Joe Creason Park for a week of racing in Louisville, Ky., continuing the CX Nationals reunion tour.

“Louisville has a long history of hosting international and national cycling events. We are honored to have the opportunity to again host this national championship with elite athletes, officials, and spectators converging on Louisville from across the U.S.,” said Louisville Sports Commission Vice President of Sports Development Greg Fante.

“This event provides an excellent opportunity to showcase our community and will generate significant economic impact through inbound sports travel, which is especially welcome during the winter months.”

Director of National Events, Tara McCarthy, said, “We’re excited to be returning to some tried and true venues where the racing has always been of the highest caliber. Our partners in those cities always work with us to provide a top-notch event experience for participants. We’re also excited to be working with new venues like Chewacla State Park home of the 1988 NORBA Nationals.”

Nick Carter grabs the holeshot at Joe Creason Park, the site of the 2018 and now 2023 Nationals. Junior Men 17-18. 2018 Cyclocross National Championships, Louisville, KY. © A. Yee / Cyclocross Magazine

“For so many of our members, racing in a National Championship is the peak of their season. We’re encouraged by the growth we’ve seen in participation in 2022, and we’re excited for this trend to continue in 2023,” said Brendan Quirk, President & CEO of USA Cycling.

A list of dates and locations can be found below.

In addition to the aforementioned events, USA Cycling will soon be announcing the dates and locations for Endurance Mountain Bike, Gravity Mountain Bike, Masters Road, Collegiate Mountain Bike, Marathon Mountain Bike, and the first-ever Gravel National Championship. Initial details are below:

• Endurance Mountain Bike and Gravity Mountain Bike will be two separate events in 2023 and are slated to take place on alternating weeks in mid-July.
• Masters Road will take place in August, Ga. in Fall 2023.
• For the first time ever, Marathon Mountain Bike will be headed to Auburn, Ala. in Fall 2023.
• Collegiate Mountain Bike is slated for October 12^th-15^th, with a location to be released soon.
• The dates and location for the inaugural Gravel National Championship will be released soon.

Visit USACycling.org for more information on the athletes, events, and membership programs, and follow @USACycling across all channels for the latest on Team USA.

For more information, contact Tara McCarthy at [email protected].

ABOUT USA CYCLING (usacycling.org)

USA Cycling is the national governing body for the sport of cycling in the United States and oversees the disciplines of road, track, mountain bike, cyclocross, and BMX.  With a mission to develop the sport of cycling in the United States and achieve sustained international racing success, USA Cycling supports cyclists at all levels, from brand-new racers to seasoned professionals. USA Cycling has a membership of 80,000, sanctions over 2,000 events annually, and is a proud member of the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) and the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC). More information is available at usacycling.org.

See all our 2022 USA Cycling Cyclocross Nationals coverage here.

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