NCCA Road Championships Set to Roll
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (May 7, 2003) -- The 2003 NCCA Road National Championships kick off Friday, May 9 in the San Francisco Bay area as the nation’s best collegiate cyclists will compete for the title of Collegiate National Champion. The action begins Friday with a criterium race on Treasure Island, followed by Saturday’s Team Time Trial in the East Bay suburb of Livermore and Sunday’s Road Race in Crockett.
Hosted by the defending Division I Overall Champion, Cal-Berkeley Cycling, this year’s National Championships highlight the unique, challenging, and scenic environment of the bay area. The criterium features a fast, six-corner course with dead flat topography, while the Team Time Trial will offer rolling hills and technical terrain. Sunday’s Road Race favors the powerful riders as the participants will navigate a 10.3 mile loop that includes 1700 feet of climbing per lap. The women will complete five laps for a total of 51.5 miles, and the men eight laps for 82.4 miles.
“This year’s event certainly offers interesting and challenging courses, and will certainly favor the stronger riders and teams,” noted Race Director Emily Dale.
Included in this year’s field will be Kate Maher from UC Berkeley who will be looking to defend her titles in the criterium, road race, and the overall omnium classification, however Maher emphasizes that her sights are set on team success rather than individual accolades. “The most important goal for us is to win the overall team classification, and there will definitely be a lot of strategy involved in doing so. We have a much stronger team this year and much more depth. The criterium this year will be tactical given the flat and windy course,” said Maher who already has a victory under her belt on the Crockett Road course as does her UC Berkeley teammate, Anya Hinkle.
On the men’s side, UC Berkeley’s Matt Dubberley, who doubles as a pro for the Sierra Nevada outfit, is considered one of the favorites in this weekend’s event. Dubberley, who recently placed third on the final day of the Sea Otter Classic, echoes Maher’s sentiments that individual accomplishments take a back seat to team triumphs. “The course suits our team pretty well, and our goal is to win every event. We have different riders with different abilities that are contenders capable of winning each event. The most important thing is that one of our guys wins, it doesn’t matter who”
In adtition to the title of National Champion, the participants will also be competing for in scholarship awards courtesy of the USA Cycling Development Foundation.
This weekend’s events begin at 10:00am on Treasure Island on the San Francisco Bay. Stay tuned to www.usacycling.org for complete coverage and results throughout the weekend.
Complete 2003 NCCA National Road Championships Schedule
May 9, 2003
Treasure Island, San Francisco, CA
10:00am Women’s Division II Criterium 50 min + 3 laps
11:15am Men Division II Criterium 70 min + 3 laps
1:00pm Men Division I Criterium 70 min + 3 laps
2:45pm Women Division I Criterium 50 min + 3 laps
May 10, 2003
Livermore, CA
Team Time Trial
May 11, 2003
Crockett, CA
Road Race
8:00am Women Division I – 5 laps
8:10am Women Division II – 5 laps
11:30am Men Division I – 8 laps
11:40am Men Division II – 8 laps
Hosted by the defending Division I Overall Champion, Cal-Berkeley Cycling, this year’s National Championships highlight the unique, challenging, and scenic environment of the bay area. The criterium features a fast, six-corner course with dead flat topography, while the Team Time Trial will offer rolling hills and technical terrain. Sunday’s Road Race favors the powerful riders as the participants will navigate a 10.3 mile loop that includes 1700 feet of climbing per lap. The women will complete five laps for a total of 51.5 miles, and the men eight laps for 82.4 miles.
“This year’s event certainly offers interesting and challenging courses, and will certainly favor the stronger riders and teams,” noted Race Director Emily Dale.
Included in this year’s field will be Kate Maher from UC Berkeley who will be looking to defend her titles in the criterium, road race, and the overall omnium classification, however Maher emphasizes that her sights are set on team success rather than individual accolades. “The most important goal for us is to win the overall team classification, and there will definitely be a lot of strategy involved in doing so. We have a much stronger team this year and much more depth. The criterium this year will be tactical given the flat and windy course,” said Maher who already has a victory under her belt on the Crockett Road course as does her UC Berkeley teammate, Anya Hinkle.
On the men’s side, UC Berkeley’s Matt Dubberley, who doubles as a pro for the Sierra Nevada outfit, is considered one of the favorites in this weekend’s event. Dubberley, who recently placed third on the final day of the Sea Otter Classic, echoes Maher’s sentiments that individual accomplishments take a back seat to team triumphs. “The course suits our team pretty well, and our goal is to win every event. We have different riders with different abilities that are contenders capable of winning each event. The most important thing is that one of our guys wins, it doesn’t matter who”
In adtition to the title of National Champion, the participants will also be competing for in scholarship awards courtesy of the USA Cycling Development Foundation.
This weekend’s events begin at 10:00am on Treasure Island on the San Francisco Bay. Stay tuned to www.usacycling.org for complete coverage and results throughout the weekend.
Complete 2003 NCCA National Road Championships Schedule
May 9, 2003
Treasure Island, San Francisco, CA
10:00am Women’s Division II Criterium 50 min + 3 laps
11:15am Men Division II Criterium 70 min + 3 laps
1:00pm Men Division I Criterium 70 min + 3 laps
2:45pm Women Division I Criterium 50 min + 3 laps
May 10, 2003
Livermore, CA
Team Time Trial
May 11, 2003
Crockett, CA
Road Race
8:00am Women Division I – 5 laps
8:10am Women Division II – 5 laps
11:30am Men Division I – 8 laps
11:40am Men Division II – 8 laps
This Article Published May 7, 2003 For more information contact:
