Madison Prepares for Cycling’s Best, Brightest and Most Promising

Nearly 1,000 of the nation’s best amateur cyclists and para-cyclists will put their wheel to the line this week in and around Madison, Wis., to compete for a coveted Stars-and-Stripes jersey at the 2013 USA Cycling Amateur & Para-cycling Road National Championships.

Five days of racing begin on Wednesday, July 3, at the Blue Mound State Park, west of Madison, with road races for under-23 men and junior women age 15-18. The Fourth of July will see 35 national titles awarded in the time trial, held east of Madison in Waterloo.  The road races pick up again on Friday at Blue Mound State Park with the U23 women, men 15-18, and the category 1 men – who represent the top level of amateur men’s road cyclists in the nation. The action moves back to Waterloo on Saturday for road races in the para-cycling categories in addition to the junior men and women age 10-14. Sunday’s criteriums in downtown Madison conclude the event, where fast-paced racing will take riders around the Wisconsin state capitol on a four-corner, one-kilometer course.

“Madison is a perfect fit to host the 2013 USA Cycling Amateur & Para-cycling Road National Championships, not only geographically but particularly after hosting the 2013 USA Cycling Cyclo-cross National Championship in January,” commented Rachel Leif, USA Cycling national events manager. “USA Cycling and The Madison Area Sports Commission have built a great relationship that we hope to continue to build for years to come.”

In addition to racing, this event will also see U.S. Paralympics announce their 2013 UCI Para-cycling Road World Championships team on Friday, July 5. On Saturday, a collegiate recruitment fair will be held at the Madison Concourse Hotel from 6 to 9 p.m. Representatives from many of the top collegiate cycling teams in the country will be present to offer juniors and U23 riders the chance to learn more about these programs.

This event consistently showcases future American pro team riders and Olympic hopefuls, and nowhere is that more on display than in the U23 races. Many of the top contenders in the men’s and women’s U23 events compete internationally for the USA Cycling National Development Program, and those interested are encouraged to be watching.

For more information on the event, including course maps, a schedule of each day’s races, results and photos, visit the 2013 USA Cycling Amateur & Para-cycling Road National Championships event page. Look for updates from Madison on the USA Cycling Facebook and Twitter channels, or follow on Twitter with the hashtag #RoadNats. For media credentials or to learn more about live coverage opportunities, please contact Jesse Hammond, USA Cycling’s new media manager, at jhammond@usacycling.org.