Fayetteville, Arkansas receives more cycling accolades

Fayetteville, AR has received more accolades and recognition from cycling’s governing body, the UCI.

Bike City Designation

Faytetteville announced earlier today that is has been awarded the designation of Bike City by the UCI. Fayetteville is the first city in the U.S. to receive the designation and joins other cities and regions around the world that have been recognized for their commitment to developing the sport of cycling at all levels.

Mayor Lioneld Jordan said, “I am thrilled and honored that Fayetteville has been named a UCI Bike City. This is a powerful affirmation of the work Fayetteville has done for decades – and continues doing – to make cycling accessible for everyone.

“I want to congratulate the other UCI Bike City designees and express my gratitude to UCI for giving us this incredible distinction. We are so proud to be the first city in the United States to achieve the UCI Bike City Label designation.”

Fayetteville received the designation for their commitment to cycling through a Bicycle Master Plan, and for serving as host for professional events like the Joe Martin Stage Race, FayetteCross and the future 2022 UCI Cyclocross World Championships.

“The variety of cycling opportunities in and around our Fayetteville trails is one of the many reasons visitors come to Fayetteville year-round,” said Molly Rawn, CEO of Experience Fayetteville. “I am tremendously proud of our city’s long-standing commitment to cycling and am excited about the impact this recognition will have.”

2021 World Cup Event

In preparation for hosting the 2022 Cyclocross World Championships, Fayetteville has also added the 2021 FayetteCross event to their 2021-2022 Cyclocross World Cup Schedule.

The event is scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 13 and will be held at the 228-acre Centennial Park, home of the 2022 UCI Cyclocross World Championships.

As a World Cup, FayetteCross 2021 will offer a preview of the championship course and an opportunity for spectators to see the world’s best racers compete before the 2022 UCI World Championships set for Jan. 29-30, 2022. The event, which will feature athletes from more than 25 countries, is being held in partnership with Experience Fayetteville, the city’s convention and visitors bureau.

“I can confidently say there is no other cyclocross course like this in the United States, perhaps anywhere,” said Brook Watts, FayetteCross race director. “We have been building this course for the past 16 months, with each meter of the course dedicated to bringing the best out of this beautiful Fayetteville mountainside.”

“It has daredevil chutes, a lung-busting climb challenging off-camber sections plus a 38 step climb that will test the racers. And, to the delight of spectators, most of the course is accessible with ease, even the wooded sections.”

Experience Fayetteville CEO Molly Rawn said, “Fayetteville is ready to show the world its newest world-class course and welcome both racers and spectators to enjoy our bike-friendly community and all the fun experiences to be had during their stay.”