Trek’s Katie Compton on her way to winning the 2012 USGP Sun Prairie © Amy Dykema
When we first started looking into all four of the USGP race weekends after the USGP disbanded, it initially seemed like the race in Sun Prairie was in the most trouble. However, it was the Fort Collins race that was unable to secure the funding needed to keep the race for 2013. In the meantime, the folks of Madison were slowly working to secure Trek once again as a title sponsor, and despite downgrading to a C2 race, the organizers are still offering C1 payouts. Not only that, the payouts will be equal for men and women. And so, on September 21 and 22, Waterloo, Wisconsin, will host the first edition of the Trek CXC Cup, an UCI C2 event. After four years as a key stop in the USGP CX series Madcross Promotions LLC, led by the founding promotional team of Renee Callaway and JP Ericsson, has taken back the reigns of the Midwest’s top cyclocross event, and are planning one of the largest US races of 2013.
The Trek CXC Cup will be held on the grounds of Trek Bicycles Global headquarters in Waterloo, Wisconsin, which is located a short distance between Madison and Milwaukee. The race will feature equal pay for elite men and women, a Fun Zone for families and fans, and the great food and beverages racers have come to expect at Wisconsin events.
“Our Saturday event will feature a C1-sized prize list for men and women, so our turn out should be great,” said Co-Director JP Ericsson. “And when we say equal pay out we mean it. The weekend’s purse for men and women, all $21,000 of it, is the exact same size, and goes the exact same depth for both fields.”
In addition to the professional events, amateur races for USAC-licensed riders will be held on both days. With 600 participants riding on Saturday and Sunday in previous years, the Trek CXC Cup will be one of the largest cyclocross events in the Midwest.
“The folks at Trek love cyclocross and they really know how to have a good time and put on a great event,” said Trek-sponsored racer, and national champion, Katie Compton. “I have heard a little bit about the course, and have a feeling it will be hard, but super fun to ride.”
