USAC published an official recap of the promoters summit held in Colorado on April 23-25, 2010, which was heavily discussed on Sunday’s controversial post based on one attendee’s account. Although it’s clear there are differing opinions on the topics discussed, the off-season dialogue and attention are much needed. The event should become an annual affair – so we’ll be able to count on some ‘cross excitement each spring even if the Men’s Journal attention isn’t repeated.
Colorado Springs, Colo. (April 27, 2010) — USA Cycling hosted its first annual Cyclo-cross Promoter Summit at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs on April 23-25.
The summit offered attendees the opportunity to share best practices and to discuss the future direction of the cyclo-cross discipline that has enjoyed such dramatic growth over the past five years. The group, which was represented by promoters, team representatives, sponsors, officials, USA Cycling staff and Geoff Proctor, who is a member of the UCI Cyclocross Commission, focused its attention on the national cyclo-cross calendar; event standards; national championships and the historic, upcoming UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships in Louisville in 2012 and 2013.
“Thanks to the efforts of our hard working promoters and dedicated riders and the coordinated efforts of the UCI and USA Cycling, the United States now hosts more internationally sanctioned ‘cross races than any other country in the world,” said Steve Johnson, USA Cycling Chief Executive Officer. “This dramatic and exciting growth has created new challenges so it was long overdue that we brought together a group of leaders from cyclo-cross to focus on how we nurture and grow ‘cross racing in the U.S. We look forward to continued dialogue and more participation at the Cyclo-cross Promoter Summit next year.”
USA Cycling invited all of the organizers of the UCI sanctioned cyclo-cross events in the United States as well as all members of the USAICO forum to attend the three-day event.
“I am very thankful to USA Cycling for putting this weekend together and to our fellow promoters for participating,” said Joan Hanscom, promoter of the USGP series and the upcoming UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships. “It was a great opportunity for us to participate in a dialogue about the growth and development of the sport. With such a strong cross-section of the cyclo-cross racing community at the table, from UCI Commissaire Randy Shafer to uber-grassroots promoter Brad Ross, we were able to address some important issues from many angles. With our involvement in the upcoming World Championships in Louisville as well the USGP, we are very interested in the sustainable growth of the sport and improving the quality and caliber of racing in the U.S. for all racers. This meeting was an important first step in the planning process.”
Over the day and a half meeting, attendees were briefed on the activities of the UCI Cyclo-cross Commission; presented with an update on the USA Cycling cyclo-cross athlete development program, and discussed officials’ event reporting and evaluation. The group also participated in round table discussions on national calendar development; national championship scheduling; potential national championships and masters world championship eligibility criteria, potential call-up procedures, and methods to improve all levels of cyclo-cross racing in the U.S.
USA Cycling staff presented the idea of conducting a time trial at the Cyclo-cross National Championships to create the call-up procedures for the non-elite category riders. The top eight finishers in each category will continue to be called up first. The time trial will offer all participants (for those categories that are not seeded by UCI points), the opportunity to vie for start position via a time trial held on a separate course. All participants, whether they choose to compete in the time trial or not, will retain the right to compete in the their race category with those opting not to contest the time trial called-up behind the last time trial qualifier. The final details on the time trial rules, schedule, process and the time trial course set up will be established and announced by July 1.
Any and all discussions pertaining to the UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships are preliminary as the International Cycling Union (UCI) retains all rights to final decision making on world championship policy.
