USA Cycling Season Starts Rolling April 4

The 2013 USA Cycling National Racing Calendar (NRC) is set to begin with the Redlands Bicycle Classic in California on April 4-7.

The eight-event calendar is the premier season-long domestic road cycling series sanctioned and owned by USA Cycling. With an overall ranking system that determines the best individual male and female cyclists, as well as the best teams in the U.S., the NRC features the nation's top Pro-Am road race events, and is open to both professional and amateur cyclists.

This year, the individual standings leaders will be easily identifiable as he and she will be wearing leaders' jerseys. The first leaders' jerseys will be presented during the final awards ceremony of the opening event of the NRC, the Redlands Cycling Classic. From that point forward, the jerseys will be mailed out to the current points leader after standings have been tabulated following each event. At the last event of the calendar, the Thompson Bucks County Classic for men and the Tour of Elk Grove for women, the jerseys will be awarded for the final time along with the overall winners' trophies.

In 2012, Carmen Small (Durango, Colo./Specialized-lululemon) surged to the top of the women’s standings, powering her team, Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies, to first place in the women’s team standings as well. Francisco Mancebo (ESP/5-Hour Energy p/b Kenda) topped the men’s standings while leading his team, Competitive Cyclist Racing Team, to the head of the men’s team standings.

In 2013, NRC points vary according to UCI or non-UCI inscription as well as multi- or single-day status. Points are also available to the top three riders in a stage for a multi-day race and to overall winners of the king of the mountain and sprint classifications.

After the Redlands Bicycle Classic opens the NRC the riders will contest the Joe Martin Stage Race p/b Nature Valley in Fayetteville, Ark., from April 25-28. From May 1-5, the riders are slated to compete in the Silver City Tour of the Gia powered by SRAM in Silver City, N.M. After a brief respite, the NRC shifts to Philadelphia for the Parx Casino Philly Cycling Classic on June 2. Ten days later, the NRC moves to Minnesota on June 12-16 for the Nature Valley Grand Prix in Minneapolis. The focus shifts to Bend, Ore., for the Bend Memorial Clinic Cascade Cycling Classic from July 16-21, before going to Elk Grove, Ill., for the Tour of Elk Grove (only women's race is on NRC) from Aug. 2-4. The calendar culminates in Doylestown, Pa., with the Thompson Bucks County Classic (only men's race is on NRC) on Sept. 14.