New Races, Venues Highlight 2009 Zipp OVCX Tour Schedule
May 8, 2009; Conshohocken, PA, USA: The Zipp OVCX Cyclocross Tour has announced an expanded 2009 schedule with several new and “upwardly-mobile” events – including one at what some observers are already calling one of the most impressive cyclocross venues in the world: Covington Kentucky’s stunning Devou Park. Based on initial appearances, it appears that, in the Midwest, cyclocross truly is “the New Golf” as fully one-third of this year’s events will be held on former or current golf courses. Louisville Kentucky, the racing capital of the Ohio Valley, is famous for Champions Park, a former golf course turned cyclocross course which will again host three races, including two rounds of the USGP. Another abandoned golf course in the Cincinnati suburbs hosts the 2009 season opener on September 20 as the CycleSport Cyclocross relocates to Landen Ohio from its former home in a “typical suburban soccer park” in Loveland.
But it is the stunning Devou Park and its city-owned golf course managed by Billy Casper Golf that has insiders shaking their head in astonishment. The Darkhorse Cyclo-Stampede will open this year’s Cincinnati International Cyclocross Festival on a new Matt Bell-designed course based at the park’s Behringer-Crawford history museum that incorporates several holes of the city’s premier public golf facility as well as the park’s spectacular panoramic overview of downtown Cincinnati. The change in venue comes as a result of the political backing of the City of Covington’s government, which saw the positive impact of last year’s first cyclocross festival and lobbied festival organizers to bring one of the festival dates to Covington. “The park has just absolutely fabulous terrain,” says Zipp OVCX Tour Director Mitch Graham. “And the city is 100% behind the race. They’re providing resources that most cities wouldn’t be able to give to a bike race even if they wanted to.”
Other new venues include additional races in Indianapolis and Bloomington Indiana, and the relocation of the races in Columbus Ohio. Columbus’s Infirmary Mound course, previously used for the smaller Cap City Series, steps up to the big leagues for the first time, but there’s no doubt that it will be “on par” with the other quality venues on the Zipp OVCX Tour.
2009 Zipp OVCX Cyclocross Tour:
September 20: CycleSport Cyclocross – Landen, Ohio
October 4: Tour de Louisville – Louisville, Kentucky
Cincinnati International Cyclocross Festival:
October 9: Darkhorse Cyclo-Stampede – Covington, KY (UCI)
October 10: Java Johnny’s – Middletown, OH (UCI)
October 11: BioWheels/United Dairy Farmers Harbin Park – Fairfield, OH (UCI)
October 18: DRT Consulting Cross – Bloomington, IN
USGP Weekend:
October 24: Papa John’s Derby City USGP #1 – Louisville, KY (UCI)
October 25: Papa John’s Derby City USGP #2 – Louisville, KY(UCI)
November 1: Gun Club Cyclocross – Cincinnati, OH
November 8: Promotion Cross – Lexington, KY
November 15: Infirmary Mound/Cap City Cross – Columbus, OH
Indy Weekend:
November 21: Southeastway Cross – Indianapolis, Indiana
November 22: Brookside Cross Cup / IN State Championships – Indianapolis, Indiana
November 29: John Bryan State Park / Ohio State Champs – Yellow Springs, OH
Zipp OVCX Finale:
December 6 Storm the Greens / Kentucky State Champs – Louisville, KY
