USA Cycling on Thursday announced its 2014 USA Cycling National Racing Calendar (NRC) and 2013 USA Cycling National Criterium Calendar (NCC). The premier domestic road cycling calendars sanctioned by USA Cycling, the sport’s national governing body, begin in the spring and continue into the fall staging races throughout the United States.
Riders will compete for standings points tabulated for individual riders as well as teams. Following each week of racing, USA Cycling will post updated standings on each respective calendar page as well as distribute to media.
The 2014 edition of the NRC boasts nine events, beginning April 3-6 with the Redlands Bicycle Classic in Redlands, Calif., and ending with the Thompson Bucks County Classic (men’s race only) in Doylestown, Pa., on Sept. 13.
The second event of the calendar is the Winston-Salem Cycling Classic in Winston-Salem, N.C., on April 17 before the focus shifts to Fayetteville, Ark., for the Joe Martin Stage Race p/b Nature Valley from April 24-27. The following week features the five-day Tour of the Gila in Silver City, N.M., from April 30-May 4. After a respite, the NRC action continues in Philadelphia where the women’s field will compete in the Philadelphia Cycling Classic on June 1 before heading to Minneapolis, Minn., to contest theNorth Star Grand Prix from June 11-15. A month after that race, the competition heads to Bend, Ore., for the Cascade Cycling Classic from July 15-20. The penultimate event of the calendar is the women’s race in Park City, Utah, the Tour de Park City onAug. 2.
The 16 events in a span of 182 days of the NCC begins March 22 when the action will be in Delray Beach, Fla., for the Delray Beach Twilight Festival and concludes Sept. 20, when the riders will toe the line in Boston to contest the TD Bank Mayor’s Cup. The 180 days in between will feature the fastest, most entertaining criterium racing in the country.
The second event of the calendar is the Sunny King Criterium in Anniston, Ala., on April 5. The following week is highlighted by the Charlotte-Belmont Omnium on April 12-13 in Charlotte and Belmont, N.C. The criterium racing continues in Winston-Salem, N.C. on April 18 as competitors will contest the Winston-Salem Classic Criterium before the men head to Dana Point, Calif., to compete in the Dana Point Grand Prix of Cycling on May 4. The Wilmington Grand Prix is the main event in Wilmington, Del., onMay 17 before the focus shifts to the men’s race in Somerville, N.J., for the Middle Earth Tour of Somerville on May 26 (Memorial Day). The ensuing weekend showcases the Glencoe Grand Prix in Glencoe, Ill., on May 31 before the spotlight focuses on Tulsa, Okla., for the Saint Francis Tulsa Tough on June 6-8. The criterium action returns to the east coast when riders compete in the two-day Air Force Association Cycling Classic in Arlington, Va., on June 7-8. Two weeks later, the competition moves to the Midwest as the Tour of America’s Dairyland takes center stage from June 21-22. The peloton continues to go west to compete in the Andersen Banducci Twilight Criterium in Boise, Idaho, on July 12. On July 27, the riders will be in Manhattan Beach, Calif., to compete in the Chevron Manhattan Beach Grand Prix. The action returns to the northeast on Aug. 23-24 when riders will compete in the Chris Thater Memorial in Binghamton, N.Y. The second-to-last race of the calendar is the Staenberg Group Gateway Cup in St. Louis on Aug. 28-Sept. 1.
The 2013 NRC individual standings winners were Francisco Mancebo (ESP/5-Hour Energy p/b Kenda), who topped the NRC men’s standings with 814 points and Alison Powers (Pinecliffe, Colo./NOW and Novartis for MS), who paced the NRC women’s standings with 1,108 points. Team Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies topped the NRC men’s team standings with 1,738 points while Team TIBCO-To the Top won dominated the NRC women’s team standings with 2,922 points.
Riders from UnitedHealthcare claimed the top four spots of the NCC men’s standings in 2013. Hilton Clarke (AUS) led the bunch with 1,544 points. Erica Allar (Tucson, Ariz./CARE4CYCLING powered by Solomon Corp) earned the top spot of the NCC women’s standings with 1,555 points. UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling rode away with the NCC men’s team standings with 5,352 points while CARE4CYCLING powered by Solomon Corp posted 2,216 points to win the NCC women’s team standings.
Ron Callahan is the chief cook and bottlewasher at Bike World News, doing everything from website design to bike reviews.