USA Cycling prepares for int'l competition

USA Cycling staff is busy preparing the Belgium-based USA Cycling House for its first residents of the European road season. On the track, the nation's top athletes are getting ready to ride for world titles with a USA Cycling women's camp taking place in Germany. Meanwhile, back in the States, USA Cycling is developing the next crop of BMX greats with a U23 Development Camp in Chula Vista, Calif.

ROAD

USA Cycling staff has been busy preparing the USA Cycling house in Izegem, Belgium, for the resident athletes who will begin arriving as early as the 11th of this month.

From mounting tires and building bikes, to unpacking and organizing clothing and equipment; and from cleaning and servicing team cars, to stocking the kitchen and heating the house, there is plenty to do.

"It's really all about making sure we have everything in place when the riders arrive," explains USA Cycling Logistics and Operations Director James Stanfill. "Once they arrive, it should be day-to-day business."

Participants in USA Cycling's National Development Program will begin filling the empty bedrooms this month as the early European road race season gets underway.

Centrally located within driving distance of dozens of major European races, the USA Cycling house in Izegem serves as a service course for USA Cycling, not to mention a home away from home for over a hundred young cyclists throughout the year.

Visit the National Development Program's webpage for the full men's road race schedule.

TRACK

Last week, USA Cycling named its team for the upcoming Track World Championships. The women on that team are leaving the U.S. this week for a USA Cycling Worlds Prep Camp in Buttgen, Germany. Good luck to the following ladies as they train to race for world titles:

Sarah Hammer (Temecula, Calif./OUCH)
Lauren Tamayo (Asheville, NC/OUCH)
Dotsie Bausch (Irvine, Calif./OUCH)
Jennie Reed (Seattle, Wash./OUCH)
Cari Higgins (Boulder, Colo./Peanut Butter & Co TWENTY 12)

Visit the UCI Track World Championships webpage for more info on the event.

BMX

USA Cycling is hosting a U23 BMX Development Camp for BMX riders at the Olympic Training Center Supercross Track in Chula Vista, Calif.

The camp began on March 7th and will run through the 12th.

The following riders are participating in the camp:

Alex Anthony (Saugus, Calif./Rennen-Speed)
Ashley Verhagen (Simi Valley, Calif./Crupi-Pro Gate)
Austin Hiatt (Fresno, Calif./SE Bikes)
Corey Reid (Avondale, Ariz./Felt-Dan's Comp-Alius BMX)
Dani George (Palmdale, Calif./Supercross)
Jared Garcia (Victorville, Calif./QSI-S&M-Monster)
Johnny Woodmansee (Buckeye, Ariz./Fly-Estrella Mtn Cyclery)
Jordan Miranda (Bakersfield, Calif./Clayborn-Monster)
Justin Posey (Winston Salem, NC/Dan's Comp)
Keeley Kortman (Grand Rapids, Mich./Speed-TLD)
Kory Cook (Tustin, Calif./Redman-Rockstar)
Nathan Padilla (Lakewood, Calif./Supercross)
Nick Koehler (Tustin, Calif./Speed)
Rusty Nesvig (San Diego, Calf./Intense BMX)
Shelby Stacy (Bakersfield, Calif./Speed)
Tommy Zula (New Carlisle, Ohio/DK Bikes)
Tyler Faoro (Coral Springs, Fla./Profile Racing)

Click here to check out USA Cycling's complete BMX Development Program schedule.

Photos from top to bottom: An empty room awaits a new resident or two at the USA Cycling House in Izegem, Belgium (Photo by James Stanfill); Each wheel at the USA Cycling House in Belgium undergoes a pre-season exam, and the tires are changed if necessary. (Photo by James Stanfill); Dani George is one of the young women training on the Supercross Track at USA Cycling's U23 Development Camp this week.

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