Jeremy Powers at Worlds. Bart Hazen
The USA Cycling Professional Cyclo-cross Calendar (Pro CX) kicks off its 2013-14 edition on September 7 and will run through January 5, all the while spotlighting the top ‘cross races in the United States. New for this season, a $40,000 prize purse will be split between the top 20 riders in each of the men’s and women’s standings at the conclusion of the season. With 45 dates on the domestic calendar, there are ample opportunities for the best cyclocross racers to score points and climb the standings to earn a share of a $40,000 purse.
The calendar, which has at least one event in 19 different states around the country, begins on Sept. 7 with the first of two consecutive days of Nittany Lion Cross in Breiningsville, Pa. It continues with Starcrossed: A Rapha Super Cross Event in Redmond, Wash., on Sept. 14. Also on that date, the first of two Catamount Grand Prix races will be in Williston, Vt. The second race in Vermont will be the next day. On Sept. 18, riders will compete under the stars in Las Vegas, Nev., in Clif® Bar CrossVegas. The Trek Cyclo-cross Collective Cup in Waterloo, Wis., and Charm City Cross in Baltimore, Md., will each be held on Sept. 21 and 22. The action remains in the northeastern United States the following weekend as riders will compete in the NEPCX Grand Prix of Gloucester 1 and 2 in Gloucester, Mass., on Sept. 28 and 29 before the focus shifts to Providence, R.I. on Oct. 5 and 6 when riders will compete in Providence Cyclo-cross Festival.
The spotlight moves to Colorado as riders vie for points in the Colorado Cross Classic and Boulder Cup in Boulder, Colo., on Oct. 12-13. The following weekend, Rochester, N.Y., will be the site of Full Moon Vista Cyclocross at Ellison Park on Oct. 19-20. The Pro CX circuit continues to go west as riders will compete at Spooky Cross Weekend Days 1 and 2 in Pomona, Calif., and Gateway Cross Cup in St. Louis, Mo., on Oct. 26-27. The HPCX in Jamesburg, N.J. is also scheduled for Oct. 27.
There are five races the following weekend as riders can compete in Massachusetts in the NEPCX-The Cycle-Smart International 1 and 2 on Nov. 2-3 or they can travel to the greater Cincinnati area to compete in three races. On Nov. 1, the focus will be in Covington, Ky., where riders will compete in Cincy3 Darkhorse Cyclo-Stampede before traveling to Mason, Ohio, to contest Cincy3 Lionhearts International-Cross After Dark on Nov. 2. The action that weekend concludes in Cincinnati, Ohio, where riders will compete in Cincy3 Harbin Park on Nov. 3. The following weekend, the riders return to the site of the 2013 UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships, Louisville, Ky., to contest the Sophisticated Living Derby City Cup on Nov. 9-10. In the middle of November, the Pro CX action will be in Iowa City, Iowa, as the Jingle Cross Rock-Rock 1, 2 and 3 are slated for Nov. 15-17.
Soon after gobbling down their Thanksgiving turkey, riders will travel to East Meadow, N.Y., to compete in Supercross Cup 1 and 2 on Nov. 23 and 24. The week after Thanksgiving will feature bi-coastal action as the Baystate Cyclo-cross will be in Sterling, Mass., while the CXLA Weekend: Days 1 and 2-Cross after Dark in Los Angeles are slated to be on Nov. 30 and Dec. 1. There is action on both coasts on the weekend of Dec. 7-8, as riders will score points in Warwick, R.I., in the NEPCX-NBX Gran Prix of Cross-Days 1 and 2 and Deschutes Brewery Cup in Bend, Ore., on Dec. 7. The calendar includes a pair of races in Hendersonville, N.C., on Dec. 14-15, the North Carolina Grand Prix – Races 1 and 2 – before concluding at the Kingsport Cyclo-cross Cup in Kingsport, Tenn., on Jan. 5.
The Pro CX tracks standings winners among elite men, elite women and juniors men. Riders in those categories accumulate standings points by placing within the top 15 of the races on the Pro CX. There are six races ranked by the UCI as C1 on the Pro CX where the standings points available to riders are tripled.
Those six races are listed below:
- Sept. 18 Clif® Bar CrossVegas Las Vegas, Nev.
- Oct. 5 Providence Cyclo-cross Festival Providence, R.I.
- Nov. 2 Cincy3 Lionhearts International-CAD Mason, Ohio
- Nov. 9 Sophisticated Living Derby City Cup Louisville, Ky.
- Nov. 17 Jingle Cross Rock-Rock 3 Iowa City, Iowa
- Dec. 7 Deschutes Brewery Cup Bend, Ore.
Also of note, 12 events will hold separate races for juniors men. Those races are the Providence Cyclo-cross Festival in Providence, R.I., on Oct. 5-6, Spooky Cross Weekend (Days 1 and 2) in Pomona, Calif., on Oct. 26-27, Cincy3 Lionhearts International-Cross After Dark in Mason, Ohio, on Nov. 2, Cincy3 Harbin Park in Cincinnati, Ohio, on Nov. 3, both days of the Sophisticated Living Derby City Cup in Louisville, Ky., on Nov. 9-10, CXLA Weekend (Days 1 and 2) in Los Angeles on Nov. 30 and Dec. 1, Deschutes Brewery Cup in Bend, Ore., on Dec. 7 and the calendar finale, Kingsport Cyclo-cross Cup in Kingsport, Tenn., on Jan. 5, 2014.
