It’s my pleasure to update you from Colorado Springs, where I have been working daily to ensure that we are making the most of this 2019-2020 cyclocross season. We are excited about the energy building throughout the season, and I hope you are as excited as I am to continue elevating our game this fall.
Throughout the last nine months I have been pressing into the community and learning about the needs and desires of our race organizers, club managers, athletes and other members. It has been extremely beneficial for me to connect with so many people, and I am constantly learning of new ways we can support our community. During this season I will continue to connect with more people and work to set a course to provide amazing experiences to our members.
Under the leadership of our new CEO, Rob DeMartini, our entire organization is inspired to adapt to the changing cycling environment. Every team in the organization is empowered to implement progressive programs, and it is our daily goal to provide the best service possible to our community.
In an effort to increase communication and transparency, I’ve started a communication group for our cyclocross athletes. I’ve also created a new Development Pool to include more young athletes in our pipeline. By being connected to our programs and coaching staff, we hope that these young athletes will realize opportunities that are continually expanding.
This summer, I attended USA Cycling’s three Regional Cyclocross Talent ID camps. We added one camp this year, and we hosted a record number of 68 excited young athletes, over three times as many as last year!
It was inspiring to meet all the athletes, including the 21 young women who attended these camps. They comprised 31% of the total number of athletes at the camps. This growth in young women’s participation is encouraging, and speaks to the incredible growth and opportunity for all women in cyclocross.
I was really proud of all the kids who showed up to learn, have fun, go hard and take the next step in their journey in this sport. Their investment and motivation encourages me to continue to expand the opportunities possible through cyclocross.
Six athletes from the three Talent ID camps qualified for a supported racing trip to the Jinglecross/Iowa World Cup weekend as one of the new programs that USA Cycling is offering through the MudFund. This was an exciting opportunity for all of these young athletes, and it was a great reward for the commitment and professionalism that they showed at the camps.
The primary goal of the revitalized Development Program is to provide opportunities for young athletes in the sport of cyclocross. This year, for the first time, USA Cycling held a mid-season development camp in Bentonville, AR. The purpose of this camp was to provide many of our top development athletes with a high-level learning experience. This was one of the first steps that USA Cycling is taking in preparing our athletes for the Fayetteville 2022 World Championships.
We are also providing several well-supported European racing trips development athletes this fall and winter. These trips serve as both valuable learning experiences and progressive development opportunities for our athletes. While we continue to support growth and participation in the US, we also strive to provide viable paths for our athletes to succeed in this sport. In light of the caliber of athletes we have in the Development Program, it is prime time to provide these kinds of opportunities to our young athletes.
The primary reason we are able to provide these opportunities is through the support of the MudFund and especially the Rapha Foundation. The funding we’ve received this year is truly a game-changer, and this significant boost in our support for cyclocross athletes will provide them with the platform they need to succeed.
With the implementation of this new support for cyclocross, there’s no better time to join the party as we lay the groundwork toward Fayetteville 2022! We are gearing up for a massive cyclocross celebration at the USA Cycling Cyclocross National Championships in Tacoma, WA on Dec 10th-15th, 2019. We hope you join us as we cheer on all of our aspiring juniors, brilliant collegiate racers, experienced veterans and passionate elite athletes.
The cyclocross community is strong, tight-knit and vibrant, and it is because of this that we have such an amazing sport in the US. As a valuable member of our community, I invite you to join us in our mission to elevate our riders to the top step in this sport. You can participate in several different ways.
- Share your experiences by using the hashtag #USACX on social media.
- Join USA Cycling with a 2XCX membership
- Send me a message at cyclocross@usacycling.org sharing what you love about cyclocross and how we can help elevate your experience.
- Donate to the Mudfund and help support Team USA, our developing athletes and grassroots racing.
This sport is more fun with friends, and it’s my desire to include as many people as possible in sharing the joys of cyclocross.
Thanks for reading,
Jesse Anthony, USA Cycling Cyclocross Manager
