Twenty-two national titles up for grabs in Oregon

Colorado Springs, Colo. (July 22, 2009) – Over 700 riders are set to converge on the cycling-friendly community of Bend, Ore. next week as the USA Cycling Junior, U23, Elite, and Paralympic Road National Championships come to town July 28 – Aug. 2. 

The USA Cycling Junior, U23, Elite, and Paralympic Road National Championships will kick off on Tuesday, July 28, with road races in the junior men’s and women’s 10-12, 13-14, and 15-16 categories. The older juniors, as well as the U23 and elite cyclists, will contest their road races over the following two days. All categories will compete in the race against the clock on Friday, July 31, and the event will wrap up over the weekend with criteriums in downtown Bend.

Twenty-two national titles will be on the line as participants compete for Stars-and-Stripes jerseys in the criterium, time trial, and road race events over the six-day period.

Headlining the event will be the elite women’s time trial and road race. A deep field of some of the world’s top female cyclists will duke it out on Thursday, July 30, over 107 kilometers of a rolling road race course with a few steep pitches. Then on Friday, they’ll race the clock for 35 kilometers of gradual climbing. Among the favorites expected to contend for national titles are second-place overall finisher in the 2009 Women’s Giro, Mara Abbott, (Boulder, Colo./Team Columbia HTC), current National Racing Calendar leader Alison Powers (Boulder, Colo./Team Type I), Kori Seehafer (Louisville, Colo./Team Lipton), defending national road race champ Brooke Miller (Santa Cruz, Calif./TIBCO), Tina Pic, (Buford, Ga./Colavita-Sutter Home presented by Cooking Light) and Shelley Olds (Scotts Valley, Pa./ProMan).

Another highlight in Bend will be the U23 men’s racing. In addition to the road race and time trial, this group will also contest 60 kilometers on a four-corner criterium course in downtown Bend on Aug. 2. Spectators can expect some exciting action from riders like 2008 Olympian Taylor Phinney (Boulder, Colo.) and current National Development Team standout Tejay Van Garderen (Superior, Colo./Rabobank Continental Team).

For schedules, rules, course maps, and more information about the event, click here.

If you can’t make it to Bend… be sure to stay tuned to www.usacycling.org for coverage, results, photos, and more.

If you are a member of the media and plan to cover The USA Cycling Junior, U23, Elite, and Paralympic Road National Championships, please contact USA Cycling Communications Manager Keri Kahn at 719-231-2041 or kkahn@usacycling.org.

About USA Cycling   

Recognized by the United States Olympic Committee and the Union Cycliste Internationale, USA Cycling is the official governing body for all disciplines of competitive cycling in the United States, including road, track, mountain bike, BMX, and cyclo-cross. As a membership-based organization, USA Cycling consists of 64,000+ licensees including 1,500 coaches, 4,000 student-athletes, 2,200 officials, 1,800 clubs and teams, 350 professional cyclists, 200 certified mechanics, and 34 local associations. The national governing body sanctions 2,500 competitive and non-competitive events throughout the U.S. each year and is responsible for the identification, development, and support of American cyclists through various initiatives and programs. Additionally, USA Cycling conducts national championship events for all categories of amateur and professional cycling. To learn more about USA Cycling, visit www.usacycling.org.