Nebraska Cycling News

Fort Collins, Colo. to Host Collegiate Cycling's Premier Road Event for First Time in History 
 
Colorado Springs, Colo. - The USA Cycling Collegiate Road National Championships will head to Fort Collins, Colo. for the first time in history, May 9-11. Nearly 500 student-athletes representing more than 60 colleges and universities from across the country will compete to win one of 18 cycling national titles.

Hosted by the 2008 Rocky Mountain Collegiate Cycling Conference DI champions, Colorado State University, the USA Cycling Collegiate Road National Championships will see men and women from Division I and Division II institutions compete for individual championships in three categories - criterium, road race and individual omnium. The collegiate squads will also fight for team titles in both the team time trial event and the prestigious overall (omnium) classification, which combines results from all races, both male and female.

As one of the few collegiate sports to equally weigh the male and female performances to determine an overall winner, defending champions Stanford University and Western Washington University will look to repeat their overall 2007 Division I and II crowns respectively.

Competition begins Friday, May 9 with the team time trial event at 8:00 a.m. starting and finishing at the intersection of I-25 and Owl Canyon Road. On Saturday, schools will compete in the road race competition which will start and finish at Colorado State University's Hughes Stadium. Sunday morning will feature criterium racing in Old Town Fort Collins.  

In addition to a national championship, the women's competition in Fort Collins will also serve as a qualifier for the Ryan Collegiate All Stars - a female composite team of eight different student-athletes from eight different schools who finish among the top of the final omnium standings. These select athletes will earn an invitation to the Nature Valley Grand Prix, one of the highest-ranked stage races on USA Cycling's National Racing Calendar held in and around Minneapolis, Minn., June 11-15. The final individual omnium standings at the USA Cycling Collegiate Road National Championships will determine the all-star squad that will compete alongside some of the nation's top pro women. In addition to an invitation to Minnesota, the team will receive housing, a travel stipend, clothing and the direction of a team manager throughout the week. For more information and complete qualification procedures, visit www.ryancollegiateallstars.com <http://www.ryancollegiateallstars.com/> .  

For more information on the event visit USA Cycling's National Championships page at www.usacycling.org <http://www.usacycling.org/> .  

2008 USA Cycling Collegiate Road National Championships

Fort Collins, Colo.

May 9-11

Individual National Championship Categories

Men's Division I Criterium

Men's Division II Criterium

Men's Division I Road Race

Men's Division II Road Race

Men's Division I Overall

Men's Division II Overall

Women's Division I Criterium

Women's Division II Criterium

Women's Division I Road Race

Women's Division II Road Race

Women's Division I Overall

Women's Division II Overall

Team National Championship Categories

Men's Division I Team Time Trial

Men's Division II Team Time Trial

Women's Division I Team Time Trial

Women's Division II Team Time Trial

Division I Overall

Division II Overall

Event Schedule

Thursday, May 8

Colorado Premier Training (CPT) wind tunnel tour: 10 a.m.- 4:00 p.m.

Aerodynamics seminar, Best Western University Inn: 7:00 p.m.- 9:00 p.m.

Packet pick-up, Fort Collins Hilton: 3:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m.

Event Promotion forum, Hilton Hotel (open to public): 5:00-6:00 p.m.

CollegiateCycling.com website forum, Hilton Hotel (open to public): 6:00-8:00 p.m.

Rider/Team meeting, Fort Collins Hilton: 8:15 p.m.

VIP party (open to public), Café Vine: 5:00 to 11:00 p.m.

Friday, May 9

Team Time Trial

8:00 a.m.

Start/Finish: Owl Canyon Road and I-25

Division I Women

Division II Women

Division I Men

Division II Men

Collegiate Board of Trustee forum, Hilton Hotel (Open to Public): 2:00-4:00 p.m.

United States Anti-Doping Association (USADA) presentation, Hilton Hotel: 2:00-3:00 or 3:00-4:00 p.m.

Team leadership meeting, Hilton Hotel (Open to public): 4:00-5:30 p.m.

Packet pick-up, Hilton Hotel: 7 p.m. - 8 p.m.

Saturday, May 10

Road Race

Start/Finish: CSU Hughes Stadium

Division I Women: 8:00 a.m. 50 miles (two laps around center rectangle, 10 mile circuit in Masonville)

Division II Women: 8:10 a.m. 50 miles  (two laps around center rectangle, 10 mile circuit in Masonville)

Division I Men: 11:00 a.m. 70 miles (four laps around center rectangle, 10 mile circuit in Masonville)

Division II Men: 2:30 p.m. 70 miles (four laps around center rectangle, 10 mile circuit in Masonville)

Banquet dinner & awards presentation, Hilton Hotel: 5:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m.

Sunday, May 11

Criterium

Old Town Fort Collins

Division I Women: 8:00 a.m. 60 minutes

Division II Women: 9:15 a.m. 60 minutes 

Division I Men: 10:30 a.m. 75 minutes

Division II Men: Noon 75 minutes

*Awards following final tabulations, approx. 2:00 p.m. 

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 <http://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 <mailto:alee@usacycling.org> .