National Technical Commission

The National Technical Commission (NTC) serves in an advisory function to the Technical Director and to the Chief Executive Officer of USA Cycling on issues relating to rules and regulations, officiating at the national level, and to communicate national policies relating to officiating to district- and regional-level organizations. NTC members serve a number of different roles, particularly in officials training and education, evaluation, mentoring, and administration of USA Cycling's disciplinary policies.

Dot Abbott National Technical Commission 200X200

Dot
Abbott

Skykomish, WA
Background

Dot Abbott is an international commissaire in Road and Cyclo-cross, and previously also in Track. She has served many years as the Commissaire's representative on the USA Cycling Cyclo-cross Committee and now fills that same roll on the Pro Committee. Dot has been a long-term developer of local officiating, proponent of officiating best practices and frequent contributor to educational materials for our Official's Training Programs. Dot is extremely active in the international cyclo-cross community. An official since 1988, Dot came to the NTC in 2016.

Her other interests are woodworking and making fine furniture (Sky Valley Studio) and enjoying the outdoors of the Pacific Northwest.

Some of her career highlights:

  • Junior and Elite Road World Championships
  • WT events: Eneco Tour, Tour de Pologne, Montreal, Tour of California, Philadelphia
  • Junior and Elite World Track Championships, PanAm Championships and World Cups
  • Multiple Cyclo-cross World Championships, World Cups and PanAm Championships
  • Multiple Paralympics and World Championships for Road and Track
  • The first woman to be assigned as President of a UCI World Championship at the Cyclocross Worlds in Hoogerheide, BEL in 2014, and again in Fayetteville, USA 2022.
Tobin Behling National Technical Commission 200 X200

Tobin
Behling

Telluride, CO
Background

Tobin began racing mountain bikes in 1994, promoting races in 1998, and officiating in 2000. He is currently a UCI Elite National Commissaire for Mountain Bike and served on the TMBRA ( Texas Mtn. Bike Racing Assoc. ) board of directors from 1998-2018. After a career in information technology, he settled in Telluride, Colorado where he is a ski instructor in the winter and a mountain bike instructor in the summer.

Officiating Highlights Include:


  • Mtn. Bike World Cup - Snowshoe, WV
  • Enduro World Series
  • Sea Otter Classic - Monterrey, CA
  • Pikes Peak Apex - Colorado Springs, Co
  • Paul's Dirty Enduro - Ganaraska - Ontario, CAN
Michael Donovan National Technical Commission 200X200

Michael
Donovan

Albuquerque, NM
Background

Michael Donovan has been an avid cyclist and advocate for cycling for most of his adult life, and comes to the Technical Commission with a broad experience as an event organizer and as an official for Mountain, BMX and Road cycling events. He has been a USAC official since 1994 and a UCI International Commissaire for mountain biking since 2005 and BMX since 2013.

Steve Eppel National Technical Commission 200X200

Steve
Eppel

Davenport, IA
Background

Steve started his officiating career in 1989 and has been fortunate to become a Road and Cyclocross International Commissaire. He works races close to home or far away and is happy to help in any capacity. He believes in developing people and continuous improvement. Steve has worked with local and regional officials, assigners, and race organizers to that end. Steve was honored to have joined the NTC in 2014.

Outside of officiating, Steve is an architect who works for Fortune 100 company where he leads a corporate capital improvement program and a team of facility engineers with global responsibilities. In the past he has was responsible for leading new factory, warehouse, and office construction projects around the world. But he would really rather be spending time with his family and friends, cycling, hiking, or doing other outdoor activities.

His top five career events include:

  • UCI Road World Championships - Richmond
  • UCI Cyclocross World Cups and World Championships
  • Tour of Britain
  • Tour of California
  • Tour of Utah
Chuck Hodge NTC

Chuck
Hodge

Lakespur, CO
Background

Chuck is a UCI International Road Commissaire, and has worked in race management for over 30 years. He has managed the technical team for many UCI races, including the Amgen Tour of California, Tour of Missouri, Tour of Utah and the 2015 World Road Championships.

As a commissaire he has worked a variety of international events, including the Olympics and World Championships. He served as the Technical Director and then Chief of Racing and Events for USA Cycling for seven years before returning to work for himself.

Noreen Landis Tyson Ntc

Noreen
Landis-Tyson

Colorado Springs, CO
Background

Noreen has rejoined the NTC in 2019, having been one of the original NTC members with a focus on track officiating. She is an international commissaire on the track and a national commissaire on the road.

Noreen "grew up" as an official at the Olympic Training Center velodrome in Colorado Springs, serving as one of the first officials at the track when it was built in 1983. Noreen takes great joy in teaching officials the ins and outs of track officiating, especially in the role of secretary as well as the flow of a well-managed and spectator worthy event.

When not officiating, Noreen is the CEO of CPCD, a non-profit in Colorado Springs that provides early childhood education for young children living in poverty. She also enjoys spending time with her husband, daughter (who is also an official), and grandson.

Her Top Five Events:

  • First woman appointed as the starter to a World Cup or World Championships (Milton World Cup in 2019)
  • First woman appointed as the PCP for a Track World Championships (2020 - Berlin)
  • First woman appointed as the PCP for the Olympic Track Competition (Tokyo)
  • Favorite US events are Junior National Track Championships
Zach Maino National Technical Commission

Zach
Maino

Seattle, WA
Background

Zach began his officiating career in 2013 and is a Track International and Road Elite National Commissaire. Prior to officiating he was a category 2 road racer and participated in national development camps.

As an NTC Member, his focus is on collaboration among all cycling stakeholders, and cares deeply about development and education of officials at every level.

Away from races he works in clinical research managing pediatric cancer trials. In his free time he loves to drink coffee, ride his road bike, play hockey, hike, and travel the world.

His top five events:

  • UCI Nations Cup - Cali, COL
  • Amgen Tour of California
  • Paracycling Track National Championships
  • Tour of Utah
  • 3 Jours d’Aigle
Tom Nee National Technical Commission 200X200

Tom
Nee

Larchmont, NY
Background

Tom has been a UCI International Commissaire in road and track since 1986 and was the first American commissaire to be selected to the Tour de France, along with many other accomplishments here and abroad.

His top five career events are:

  • Tour de la Communauté Européenne (Tour de l'Avenir)
  • Tour de Trump / Tour Dupont
  • Worlds (Track, Road, Cyclocross / Elite, Juniors)
  • Tour de France
  • Tour Down Under

When not enjoying cycling, he enjoys time with his family, helping out with their math homework in French, and spending time exploring the pavé trails on a mountain bike near his family's secondary residence in Brussels.

Membership

  • Nationally recognized officials representing all disciplines (road, track, cyclo-cross, mountain bike, BMX) that are appointed by the Technical Director, subject to the approval of the USA Cycling CEO
  • Total membership: 8-11 members
    • Member representation across the country
    • National, Elite National or International commissaires designations

Roles and Responsibilities

  • Input and advice on national officiating appointments
  • Officials education and training
  • Discipline — Administration of disciplinary policies (general investigations, panels, and appeals)
  • Officials review panels and evaluation
  • Officials disciplinary processes (in addition to administration of general disciplinary policies)
  • Mentor programs (on-site and individual)
  • Officials evaluation
  • Officials recognition
  • Management of the Regional Technical Commissions
  • Nomination of officials for international commissaire seminars
  • Rules & Procedures Document for the NTC

Meeting Minutes