October 15, 2009 (Louisville, KY) – The series that stoked the exponential growth of cyclocross in the United States and in the Ohio Valley – the U.S. Gran Prix of Cyclocross – returns to Louisville, KY for it’s third consecutive season on October 24th and 25th downtown at Champions’ Park.
“We are incredibly thrilled to be returning to Louisville. It’s become one of our favorite events in the Series” said Bruce Fina, Executive Director, US Gran Prix of Cyclocross. “The cycling community here embraces the event and it’s tremendous to be a cornerstone in the growth of the sport regionally.” Fina continued, “We love returning here each year – we’ve had great support from Papa John’s enabling us grow – each year we’ve seen bigger fields, bigger crowds and we expect more of the same in 2009. Combine the continued strong support of our national sponsors such as SRAM, Stanley, Clif Bar, Selle Italia and Bob’s Red Mill with a start-list of top elite athletes we are confident that the USGP Derby City Cup will remain a vibrant weekend on the US and international scene for many years to come.”
The USGP weekend is comprised of top level professional men’s and women’s fields featuring the sport’s top competitors including defending ’08 USGP Champion Tim Johnson, defending ’08 National Champion, Ryan Trebon, along with fellow cyclocross superstars Jeremy Powers, Jamie Driscoll, Barry Wicks, Jesse Anthony, Troy Wells, Andy Jaques-Maynes, and newly crowned Canadian National Champion Geoff Kabush. The pro women’s fields are equally stacked with the powerhouse LUNA squad brining defending ’08 USGP Champion Katerina Nash and her teammates Georgie Gould and the newly un-retired former Mountain Bike World Champion Alison Dunlap. Canadian National Champion Alyson Sydor, Amy Dombrowski, Sue Butler, Laura Van Guilder, Kelli Emmet, and Meredith Miller round out the field.
Cyclocross action begins on Thursday evening at 5:00pm when cyclocross guru Simon Burney and pro Amy Dombrowski host a clinic at the race venue designed to take amateur athletes through the race course, strategies and the elements they will face on Saturday and Sunday when racing. Friday afternoon features the annual Clif Bar Kids’ Clinic with Troy Wells and Brady Kappius. The Kids’ Clinic is free for all participants aged 10-16 but pre-registration is required. People interested in participating in the clinics or registering to race can do so online at http://www.bikereg.com/events/register.asp?EventID=9186.
The fun continues Friday evening with a Number Presentation Party at the BBC Tap Room’s brewery in downtown Louisville that runs from 6:00pm to 8:30pm. The event is open to the public and athletes wishing to pick up their number for Saturday’s race, register to race on Saturday or rub elbows with the pros can do so while enjoying the BBC’s fine microbrews.
Racing begins on Saturday and Sunday at 8:30 with the amateur categories and builds throughout the day until the Pro Women take to the course at 1:45pm. The Pro Men race begins at 3:00pm. Papa John’s Pizza, BBC, and Cycler’s Cafe will be on hand all day both days to provide food and fun to the racers and spectators alike.
The 2009 USGP features eight full days of top-level professional and amateur racing. The Series kicked off September 26 and 27 with the Planet Bike Cup in Madison, WI, followed by the Derby City Cup presented by Papa John’s on October 24 – 25 in Louisville, Kentucky. The Series then continues on to with the Mercer Cup presented by Knapp’s Cyclery in Mercer County, NJ on November 14 and 15 before returning to Portland, Oregon for the for the traditional series finale The Stanley Portland Cup on December 5 and 6 – just one week before the US National Cyclocross Championships in Bend, OR.
For more information on the USGP, visit www.usgpcyclocross.com or contact Joan Hanscom at [email protected].
