To: USA Cycling
USA Cycling: Move Cyclocross National Championships Back to December
As amateur bicycle racers and even as professionals, the recent USA Cycling move of the cyclocross National Championships to January does nothing to help promote participation. To the contrary, it actually detracts from the participation. It is difficult for the amateur racer to carry training through the holidays and then plan a lengthy vacation trip early in the new calendar year. For those few top US professionals who are actually looking toward the world championships, would they not be better served spending their time training for the race in Europe, along with the rest of the world's top racers? Let's make it easier for all of us and move the National Championships back where they belong.
Why is this important?
The move of the USA Cycling cyclocross National Championships from December into January has made it difficult for many competitors to attend. By being held in the winter in the US, the options for a suitable host location are also limited. Travel during the winter months is also made more difficult by the potential adverse weather conditions. All of these factors combined with the date being right after the holidays makes the move of the race from December to January, counterproductive.