Series of European MTB race camps announced for summer 09
Colorado Springs, Colo. (Feb. 23, 2009) - As a part of its mountain development program, USA Cycling will be hosting a series of European race camps in the spring/summer of 2009. The U23 and junior cross-country camps will be based in Kirchzarten, Germany, each running for a three-week period. All interested parties must complete and return petitions for one of the three camps to USA Cycling National Mountain Bike Development Director Marc Gullickson no later than April 1. Click here for more information.
The first camp will run May 7 – 25 and will be open to U23 riders only. While the second and third camps, May 28 – June 15 and June 18 – July 6, will be open to both U23 and junior 17-18 riders. All riders who are eager to improve through international competition are encouraged to use these camps as a primary development tool.
“These camps bring our cross-country mountain bike development program in line with USA Cycling’s philosophy of focusing on developing our top young riders through international race experience,” explained Gullickson. “This plan will provide European mountain bike racing opportunities to a larger number of riders so that the World Championships isn’t the first experience a young rider has racing outside of the U.S. In an effort to fill the World Championship team with medal capable riders, it is important to give these athletes an opportunity to prove they can compete and win against top international fields in advance of their selection to the World Championship squad. The camps will be an important stepping stone for young mountain bike riders to reach the top level of elite racing.”
Levels of financial support will vary per rider qualifications. Full financial support will be offered only to 2008 USA Cycling Cross Country National Champions in the U23 Men and Junior Men 17-18 age categories. Riders who qualified for automatic nomination to the 2008 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships, and will still be competing in the same age category, will only be required to pay round trip air fare to Europe. All other attendees will be required to pay round trip air fare as well as an $850.00 camp fee.
All interested riders should petition for a specific camp using the mountain bike race camp petition form which can be found at the following link: http://www.usacycling.org/forms/mtb/09MTB_DevCamp_Petition.doc. This form should be e-mailed directly to Marc Gullickson at mgullickson@usacycling.org on or before April 1. Riders will be selected based on past international and domestic race results as well as performance at the 2008 USA Cycling National Mountain Bike Talent ID Camp.
One non-funded spot will also be awarded to the top finishing 21-22 year-old who places inside the top 10 in the Sea Otter Classic’s pro men’s cross-country race. One additional non-funded spot will also be awarded to the top finishing 19-20 year-old who places inside the top 20 in the Sea Otter Classic’s pro men’s cross-country race. A third non-funded spot will also be awarded to the winner of the Sea Otter Classic’s junior men’s cross-country category one race on April 19.
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 and sanctioning body, USA Cycling consists of 64,000+ members, including 57,000 competitive cyclists, 1,500 coaches, 4,000 student-athletes, 2,200 officials, 350 professional cyclists, and 200 certified mechanics. USA Cycling also sanctions 2,500 competitive and non-competitive organized cycling events throughout the United States annually, as well as 1,800 clubs and teams. Associations of USA Cycling include the United States Cycling Federation (road, track & cyclo-cross), the National Off-Road Bicycle Association (mountain bike), the BMX Association, the National Collegiate Cycling Association and the United States Professional Racing Organization. USA Cycling is also responsible for the identification, development, support and promotion of American cyclists through various athletic initiatives and programs including the USA Cycling National Development Team, the USA Cycling Women’s National Team, the USA Cycling Junior Development Team, Talent Identification and Regional Development Camps, domestic and international race calendars, direct athlete funding and support programs, and educational camps and seminars. USA Cycling also fields and supports U.S. National Teams for various international events, including the Olympic Games, World Championships, Pan American Games, Continental Championship and World Cups across all levels and disciplines of competitive cycling. USA cycling further supports grass roots and locally-based initiatives through its 32 Local Associations and comprehensive network of licensed and certified coaches and officials. Additionally, USA Cycling conducts National Championship events for amateur and professional cyclists, awarding more than 600 national titles annually to men and women in junior, U23, masters, elite, professional and paralympic categories throughout the various disciplines of competitive cycling. To learn more about USA Cycling, visit www.usacycling.org. For media-related or general inquiries, please contact USA Cycling Director of Communications, Andy Lee at 719-866-4867 or alee@usacycling.org.
This Article Published 2009-03-23 10:30:42
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