‘Cross fans in North American have have been on an emotional roller coaster with all the rumors of a UCI Cyclocross World Cup on this continent. First there was the 2007 plan to host a weekend in Rhode Island from GSD Event Productions, lead by Lyle Fulkerson, Richard Fries, and Tom Stevens. That plan from GSD (which stands for “Getting Shit Done”) was later delayed to 2008 but still did not make this year’s calendar. Then there were the cyclingnews.com reports of rumors that Cross Vegas is seeking an upgrade to World Cup status for the ’09 season (the promoters have told Cyclocross Magazine these reports were untrue). So we’re not taking your emotions lightly when reporting the latest installment in this ongoing story.
This time, the source is the UCI. As reported on their website, the Canadian Cycling Association’s Chief Executive Lorraine Lafrenière visited the UCI headquarters recently, and during this visit, she and UCI President Pat McQuaid discussed the possibility of not one but two UCI Cyclocross World Cup events here in North America.
The UCI reports that “[t]alks were also held concerning the possibility of Canada jointly organising a UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup event with the United States – the two legs to be held on two consecutive weekends.”
While attending a European World Cup is a unique ‘cross experience, one can only hope with the weak dollar and struggling economy, more ‘cross fans will have the opportunity to watch cyclocross at its highest level here on the continent next season. But if past stories are any indication, don’t hold your breath.
