Another top cycling event eyes Bend for national title races
Published: February 03. 2009 4:00AM PST
Just six weeks after winning a bid to host the 2009 National Cyclocross Championships, the cycling spotlight is once again shining brightly on Bend.
Organizers representing a local steering committee said on Monday that Bend is in the running to host the 2009 and 2010 USA Cycling Junior, U23 & Elite Road National Championships.
Other host sites reportedly being considered include Walla Walla, Wash., and a collection of communities in the Seattle area.
According to USA Cycling communications director Andy Lee, the Colorado Springs, Colo.-based organization is expected to announce a site decision sometime this week.
Should Bend be selected, dates for the road cycling championship would be July 28-Aug. 2.
Organizers said the event would be expected to draw up to 1,000 racers and 2,000 additional visitors to the area, including family members, support staff, media and racing officials.
Late last December, USA Cycling awarded the 2009 and 2010 National Cyclocross Championships to Bend. The 2009 dates for that event are Dec. 10-13.
“For a town the size of Bend to host one national championship event is an incredible opportunity,” said Doug La Placa, president and CEO of Visit Bend, who was instrumental in securing the cyclocross championship. “And for us to (possibly) host two national championships each year for the next two years is just an extraordinary situation, just incredible for the local economy and a lot of fun for everybody.”
According to La Placa, landing the event would mean that Bend would be home to an unprecedented two national cycling championships in the same year.
The Junior, U23 & Elite Road National Championships crown national champions in three road cycling disciplines: criterium, time trial and road racing. Eligible to compete are elite-level men and women ages 23 and older, elite-level men and women ages 19 to 22, and boys and girls in four junior age divisions (10-12, 13-14, 15-16, 17-18).
The road race championship would arrive on the heels of Central Oregon’s Cascade Cycling Classic, one of the longest-running stage races in the U.S, which this year is scheduled for July 22-26.
Chad Sperry, race director for the Cascade Cycling Classic, has been tapped to organize the road cycling championship should the event come to Bend.
Heather Clark can be reached at bulletinheather@gmail.com.
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