USA Cycling and Visit Bend have announced the next phase of their long-term partnership to bring national championship bike racing to Bend. After months of planning, USA Cycling announced today that the 2015 and 2016 USA Cycling Cross-Country & Enduro Mountain Bike National Championships will be hosted in Bend, Oregon at Mt. Bachelor.
The event will take place on the third weekend in July of both years. “Bend has proven to be a premier destination for national caliber bike racing,” said Micah Rice, USA Cycling’s vice president of national events. “The Bend community has enthusiastically embraced our partnership, and continually proves they share USA Cycling’s commitment to hosting challenging, safe, and world-class bike races.” The event is expected to attract approximately 1,300 individual racers and 3,000 total attendees to Bend each year. The event is currently being hosted at Bear Creek Resort in Pennsylvania, and was previously hosted in Sun Valley, Idaho in 2011 and 2012.
USA Cycling Announces Six Locations for 2015-16 National Championships”Bend’s long-term partnership with USA Cycling has been extremely positive for our community,” said Chief Executive Officer of Visit Bend Doug LaPlaca. “Every USA Cycling event hosted in Bend introduces our city to new visitors who fall in love with the Bend lifestyle. We are honored to continue our work with the USA Cycling family.”
USA Cycling announced six locations for 2015-16 USA Cycling national championships. The exact dates of the events will be announced as soon as possible in 2014.The 2015-16 USA Cycling Amateur & Para-cycling Road National Championships will be in North Lake Tahoe, Calif.
This beautiful area of the country with challenging courses is sure to attract many competitors as USA Cycling returns to Northern California.“We are pleased to be working closely with USA Cycling for the 2015 and 2016 USA Cycling Amateur & Para-cycling Road National Championships.
Hosting this prestigious race at North Lake Tahoe will be a true win-win for everyone involved,” said Andy Chapman, chief marketing officer for the North Lake Tahoe Chamber/Convention and Visitors Bureau/Resort Association. “Renowned for its spectacular mountain vistas and crystal clear lake, Lake Tahoe’s pristine setting is the perfect environment for athletes to both push themselves and to relax and rejuvenate after they race.
We’re looking forward to great events in 2015 and 2016.”In 2015 and 2016, the USA Cycling Cross-Country Mountain Bike and Enduro National Championships will be held on Mount Bachelor in Bend, Ore. As a response to the feedback USA Cycling received from competitors and the mountain bike advisory committee, Enduro races will replace the Super D competition at these events. Bend has proven time and again to be a spectacular venue for USA Cycling national championship events.
The new trails at Mount Bachelor will provide exciting racing for competitors and spectators alike.”Bend’s long-term partnership with USA Cycling has been extremely positive for our community,” said Chief Executive Officer of Visit Bend Doug LaPlaca. “Every USA Cycling event hosted in Bend introduces our city to new visitors who fall in love with the Bend lifestyle. We are honored to continue our work with the USA Cycling family.”
The 2015 and 2016 USA Cycling Marathon Mountain Bike National Championships are slated to be in Columbia County, Ga., just outside Augusta. The 2015 competition will mark the first time this stand-alone event will be held east of the Mississippi River.
The great expanse of trails in Wildwood Park in Appling, Ga., will serve as the setting of one of the more grueling mountain bike national championships.“The Columbia County Convention and Visitors Bureau is honored to have been selected to host the 2015 and 2016 USA Cycling Marathon Mountain Bike National Championships,” said Randy DuTeau, the executive director of the Columbia County Convention and Visitors Bureau.
“The event will be based out of Wildwood Park in Appling, Georgia, and held in conjunction with the Wildwood Outdoor Festival along the shores of Clarks Hill Lake. Having hosted the IMBA World Summit in 2010, and being designated a bronze level IMBA Ride Center in 2012, our region has become a true destination for mountain biking. We are certain the national championship participants will appreciate our trails and warm southern hospitality when they visit Columbia County for the nationals.”
The 2015 and 2016 USA Cycling Gravity Mountain Bike National Championships will utilize the course used for the 1996 UCI Downhill Mountain Bike World Championships at Mammoth Mountain in California. With its long and storied history of gravity mountain bike racing, Mammoth Mountain has proven to be an extremely popular stop on the USA Cycling Professional Gravity Tour (Pro GRT).
“Mammoth’s long history with the sport dates to the 1980s, when the Kamikaze Downhill ignited mountain bike racing,” said Bill Cockroft, senior vice president, Mammoth Mountain and member of the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame. “Since then, our bike park has continued to evolve and is once again leading the sport’s progression.
We have the history, experience, terrain and passion to put on great national championship events in 2015 and ’16.”In 2015 and 2016, the USA Cycling Collegiate Mountain Bike National Championships are slated to be at Snowshoe Mountain in West Virginia. The trails at Snowshoe have served as the backdrop for top-tier mountain bike racing for nearly 25 years. It is certain to provide the right mix of terrain to suit collegiate competitors nationwide.
“Snowshoe Mountain is excited to host the country’s top collegiate riders here on our challenging terrain in October,” Dave Dekema, the director of marketing for Snowshoe Mountain, said. “Having witnessed the championship event several times before, I know firsthand it brings out the greatest displays of college team pride, character and competitiveness amongst a very talented group of student-athletes. There’s no question Snowshoe will be ready to match that with a best-in-class race venue across all disciplines.”
In 2015-16, USA Cycling returns to Greenville, S.C., for the USA Cycling Professional Criterium National Championships. Greenville, which was the site of its professional road national championships from 2005-11, has a strong history of hosting professional national championships and is an extremely popular area for cyclists.“Our award winning downtown is an ideal venue for the USA Cycling Professional Criterium National Championships and we are honored to be the host city for this prestigious competition,” said Greenville Mayor Knox White.
“We look forward to welcoming the field of elite athletes and making the 2015-2016 championships the most exciting yet.” “Greenville, South Carolina’s emergence as a recognized and talked about cycling destination combined with proven category event experience and an incredibly passionate local cycling community makes for a standout championship for the athletes and the fans,” President of VisitGreenvilleSC Chris Stone said. “We look forward to sharing our enthusiasm for cycling and the great outdoors as we welcome and celebrate the 2015 and 2016 USA Cycling Professional Criterium National Championships in Greenville, South Carolina.”
The announcement means an extension to USA Cycling’s event hosting partnership with Bend. By the end of 2016, Bend will have hosted an unprecedented 12 USA Cycling events over an eight-year period. “Bend’s long term partnership with USA Cycling has been extremely positive for our community,” said Doug La Placa, CEO of Visit Bend. “Every USA Cycling event hosted in Bend introduces our city to new visitors who fall in love with the Bend lifestyle. We are honored to continue our work with the USA Cycling family.” Chad Sperry with Breakaway Promotions will serve as Operations Director for both events.
To add icing to the cake, USA Cycling has also awarded Bend, Oregon the 2014 USA Cycling Promoters Summit, which will happen in the fall of 2014. This meeting of national caliber bike race promoters will bring approximately 100 event professionals to Bend from around the country.
For details about upcoming races or a complete schedule of events, visit www.usacycling.org. About Visit Bend: Visit Bend is a non-membership, non-profit economic development organization dedicated to promoting tourism on behalf of the City of Bend. We’re a leading provider of information on Bend, Oregon hotels, restaurants, activities, and Oregon vacation planning.
To learn more or to order a complimentary Official Visitor Guide to Bend, contact Visit Bend at 1-800-949-6086 or visit www.visitbend.com.
About USA Cycling:
Recognized by the United States Olympic Committee and the Union Cycliste Internationale, USA Cycling is the official governing body for all disciplines of competitive cycling in the United States, including road, track, mountain bike, BMX and cyclo-cross. As a membership-based organization, USA Cycling comprises 66,500+ licensees; 2,200 clubs and teams; and 34 local associations. The national governing body sanctions 2,650 competitive and non-competitive events throughout the U.S. each year and is responsible for the identification, development, and support of American cyclists. To learn more about USA Cycling, visit www.usacycling.org.
