Cincinnati, Ohio — Zipp Speed Weaponry, the Indianapolis-based manufacturer of world-class wheels and other racing bike components, will once again be the title sponsor of the Midwest-based Zipp OVCX Cyclocross Tour in 2011. According to Mitch Graham, Director of the regional series that encompasses Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana, “Zipp is an exciting international company – we’re excited to have them as both a regional neighbor and the OVCX title sponsor. We’re extremely happy that Zipp is expanding their support like this, and that their support will celebrate and benefit the working-class OVCX-racers this season.”
Andy Paskins, Marketing Manager of Zipp Speed Weaponry, said the decision to spin-off the Zipp OVCX Tour’s traditional high-profile UCI dates and focus entirely on regional, masters and developmental athletes had no effect on the company’s sponsorship decision. “Zipp not only sponsors the top road and cyclocross pros,” said Paskins, “but also the local series and racers that represent our loyal customer base.”
In announcing the renewal of Zipp’s OVCX title sponsorship, Graham and Paskins also released details of a new sponsorship program, which gives the Zipp OVCX Tour’s local racers the opportunity to experience the kind of factory support normally normally provided only to Zipp-sponsored pro riders. Dubbed the “Zipp-Sponsored OVCX Athletes of the Week”, the new program will reward the best weekly performances by the OVCX’s grassroots riders. According to Graham, “We’ll pick one woman and one man each week with the previous week’s best performances in any category, all the way down to Cat 4. We have two sets of Zipp 303 Cyclocross wheels that the selected riders can use for one race and get to experience the support that superstar pros like Tim Johnson and Meredith Miller enjoy.” Graham continues, “What rates as a best performance in the eyes of the judges will be a fairly arbitrary decision. It could be somebody who showed tremendous improvement, such as a rider who finished 4th place in Cat 3. Or it could be for other noteworthy reasons. I would look to reward riders who are loyal Zipp OVCX Tour riders – ones that don’t miss many races, ones that are ambassadors for the sport, ones that work hard.”
In addition to the weekly program, Zipp will also continue its tradition of donating a complete set of wheels for the “Zipp Raffle” at the Zipp OVCX end-of-season awards ceremony. The random drawing raffle is open to all riders who compete in a specified number of Zipp OVCX races throughout the 2011 season and is typically one of the highlights of the season-ending award ceremonies. Zipp Speed Weaponry also has yet another program to give riders the opportunity to race on the world’s fastest cyclocross wheelsets for the entire season. Called “purchase”, the program is geared toward results-oriented racers who don’t leave anything to chance and want a guarantee that they will be riding Zipp wheels throughout the upcoming season. Details can be found at www.Zipp.com, including a search feature to locate local Zipp dealers. For more information on the upcoming Zipp OVCX Cyclocross Tour, including rules and rider’s manual, see www.OVCX.com.
2011 Zipp OVCX Cyclocross Tour Schedule:
Zipp OVCX Tour Season Opener:
September 18: Fisherman’s Park; Louisville, Kentucky
Zipp OVCX Tour Indy Double Weekend:
September 24: Brookside Cup; Indianapolis, Indiana
September 25: St. Marys Cyclocross; Indianapolis, Indiana
Zipp OVCX Tour Dayton Doubleheader:
October 1: Gearfest; Dayton, Ohio
October 2: John Bryan Classic; Dayton, Ohio
Zipp OVCX Tour One-Day Classics:
October 9: Gun Club ‘Cross; Cincinnati, Ohio
October 16: Bloomingcross; Bloomington, Indiana
October 30: Storm the Greens; Louisville, Kentucky
November 20: Promotion Cross; Lexington, Kentucky (Kentucky State Championships)
Zipp OVCX Tour Finale:
December 4: Kings CX; Cincinnati, Ohio
