The end of April wrapped up with the first edition of the Piney Hills Classic UCI Mountain Bike Race in Ruston, La., and the 36th running of the Tour of the Gila in Silver City, N.M. Did you know Tour of the Gila has the largest number of officials assigned? The 2023 edition of the event topped the charts, with 36-assigned officials over the five-day UCI 2.2 and amateur stage race event.
May started with some southern hospitality as we visited Anniston, Ala., for the second stop on the American Criterium Cup at the Sunny King Criterium. Our collegiate athletes battled it out in Albuquerque at Collegiate Road Nationals, where we saw a significant increase in riders over the last several years, missing the 2019 unique rider mark by only 40 riders!
For those who haven’t heard, Chuck Hodge decided to leave USA Cycling earlier this month. His presence and guidance will be missed by all of us, but he will still be very engaged with our sport, so don’t be surprised when you run into him at your next event. He’ll be the one with a big smile on his face.
Thank you, Chuck, for all you’ve done for our organization and will continue to do for our sport!
Officials Webinar Schedule
Below you will find the tentative schedule for our upcoming webinars, all of which have been identified by your peers as areas of interest. As additional details and start times are finalized, they will be shared in future Tech Director Updates. We understand that some topics and times may not work for everyone. Join us if you can, or watch the recorded session when it’s convenient for you. Links for the recordings will be made available in the following month’s Tech Director Update or by visiting the Officials page on our website.
June 28
5 pm MT
Officiating a Stage Race
Members of the National Technical Commission, Tom Nee (IC) and Steve Eppel (IC), host a panel of chief referees from our larger stage races to share their experience. Find out how Chief Referees Ryan Fu, Jeff Poulin, and Ugur Tosun prepared for their roles in advance, as well as any challenges they faced on-site at the event.
Previous Webinar Recordings
Previous webinar recordings are made available on the Officials' webinar page, as well as USA Cycling’s YouTube channel.
Cyclocross National Assignments
For our cyclocross officials, the ComMgr assignment tool is now open for your requests for the upcoming cyclocross season. All the events are on the UCI calendar, so we will assign the key officiating roles as needed to meet their requirements (generally Cat A and higher). In addition, there may be some assistant judge and assistant referee positions available through your local association.
Not familiar with ComMgr? Check out how to access and use our national assignment tool here.
New Officials and Motor Referees
The list of new officials continues to grow! Everyone is excited to start contributing to their new roles but may need some guidance on how to get started in their state or local association. If you are the official’s assigner in your area, please reach out and welcome them to the community. You may find the complete list at the link below. Officials highlighted are those that completed their requirements since the last TD Update.
Education Opportunities for Mechanics
USA Cycling has been working with a core group of race mechanics to reinstitute the mechanics class moving forward. Our plans are to conduct a class in the Fall of 2023 at the USA Cycling offices in Colorado Springs. This class will be taught by those currently working in the field and is anticipated to be 3-4 days long. Final dates are currently being arranged to avoid conflicts with other events and our instructors’ schedules. While there is no prerequisite to attend this clinic, you must have a comprehensive understanding of bicycle mechanics prior to attendance as this program is designed to adapt and build these existing skills into an advanced team and race support programs. To receive more information on the clinic as it is finalized, please fill out the form linked below. We anticipate having the final details confirmed very soon and will send information out to those who have filled out the form by that time.
