Cincinnati, Ohio — USA Cycling’s new Midwest Regional Cyclocross Championships for Masters and Juniors is coming to Cincinnati on December 3. The one-day championship event will see age Group racers from Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota, Minnesota, Missouri and Iowa will be competing for the first-ever opportunity to add the title “Midwest Champion” to their cyclocross palmarés. The championships will be run as an open event in in which any USA Cycling licensed competitor may participate with the championship medals and jersey’s being awarded to the highest-placing eligible racers. Championship Medals will be awarded for Category 3 and 4 Masters winners, while Juniors and Elite (Category 1, 2) Masters will compete for both the medals and the coveted championship jersey. As an officially recognized USA Cycling single-day Championship, Midwest Champions receive the honor of wearing their championship jerseys in all sanctioned cyclocross races for the following year. Non-championship open categories will also be on the program for riders not eligible for the age group championships.
The Kingswood Park venue is ideally suited for a championship event, which is why it was also chosen as the site for the following day’s Season Finale for the Zipp OVCX Cyclocross Tour presented by Papa John’s on December 4; giving visiting racers a value-packed two-day racing weekend. Located in Mason, Ohio, just north of Cincinnati, Kingswood Park is surrounded by restaurants and other attractions within a five-mile radius. The official race hotel, the Marriott Cincinnati Northeast is located less than two miles from the race venue. Special rates apply for those who mention the race when making their reservation and shuttle serve between the hotel and the race venue, making rental car unnecessary for the weekend.
For the past four years, members of the 7 Hills Racing and Zephyr Wheel Sports have been quietly and deliberately adapting Kingswood Park into one of the premier cyclocross facilities in the U.S. An abandoned, formerly vacant, golf course with typical golf course design features enhancing the naturally rolling terrain and wooded sections, the venue has been turned into a municipal park and is a cyclocross course designer’s paradise. Local government is supportive of cyclocross at the otherwise under-utilized facility; the park now hosts four races annually as well as twice-weekly open practice sessions that begin in mid-summer. Kingswood is also the home of the Queen City Wheels/Lionhearts Junior Racing Team, a team of 52 junior racers from the age of 7 to 17.
Both the Midwest Regional Championships and the following day’s Zipp OVCX Tour Finale will utilize the chip timing and scoring system that has proven so successful in the Zipp OVCX Tour this season, with quicker, more accurate results and a wealth of additional data that riders and coaches can analyze, including lap times for every lap by every rider in every class. Though not UCI sanctioned, the courses will also meet international specifications.
For non-racing family members, the venue and the race hotel provide plenty of Holiday vacation options within a 3 mile radius. From shopping and dining at Deerfield Town Center within walking distance of the Marriott, to seasonal delights such as Sharon Wood’s drive-through Christmas light display and the huge Holiday train display at the Cincinnati Museum Center. The cyclocross courses at Kingswood Park also have a reputation for being extremely spectator friendly, so family members will be able to constantly monitor the progress of their loved ones throughout their championship races.
Details on the Midwestern Regional Cyclocross Championships for Masters and Juniors, and the following day’s Zipp OVCX Tour Finals, can be found on BikeReg.com. Additional information, including details on the racer’s discount at the Marriott and local holiday delights, can be obtained by contacting the Race Director, Cory Green, at [email protected].
