USA Cycling announces its 2009 Club of the Year winners
Colorado Springs, Colo. (December 18, 2009) --USA Cycling has announced the recipients of its annual Club of the Year awards. Nine USA Cycling-sanctioned clubs received recognition for outstanding programs throughout the 2009 season and will receive complimentary renewal fees for the 2010 racing season.
Clubs were judged on several key areas including race promotion, membership composition, instructional clinics and seminars, club activities, charitable contributions, and racing performance.
Of the more than 2,200 USA Cycling member clubs, 70 applied for the awards program.
Three primary clubs were recognized based on membership size (Division I = 76+ members, Division II = 30-75 members and Division III = 1-29 members), while six more were awarded Club of the Year designations in specific categories – Collegiate, Mountain Bike, Track, Best New Club, Women’s, and Junior/High School.
Receiving the Division I Club of the Year designation was the Century Road Club Association (CRCA) (New York, NY). With women, juniors, and masters-specific programs, as well as coaching and officiating activities, there is something for all 641 of the club’s members. CRCA’s Spring Bear Mountain road race, which is considered an important event in the northeast, drew 700 riders in 2009. In addition, the Division I club promotes nine other events throughout the year, offers several clinics, and hosts activities like the Mengoni Kid’s Ride, annual club party, world championship viewing party, and Tour of Flanders party. CRCA’s efforts to give back to the community included supporting the Central Park Conservancy, NYC’s Transportation Alternatives, New York Alzheimer’s Association, the Lance Armstrong Foundation, the American Lung Association, Proud Parents, and the Harlem Academy. For more information, visit www.crca.net.
Cross Creek CyclingClub (Fayetteville, NC) took the top honor in Division II for the second year in a row. In 2009, the club hosted its first cyclo-cross race – the Dragon Cross CX, as part of the NCCX Winter Series. Cross Creek also promoted or co-promoted the Tour de Moore Road Race, the Dragon’s Challenge Individual Time Trial, and the North Carolina State Criterium Championship. The group held adults and juniors skills clinics, a cyclo-cross training series, and a K-5th grade Bicycle Rodeo. It also took part in several initiatives that benefitted the community in 2009, including the Wounded Warrior Project, Crankin for Crohn's Ride, Cumblernad County Special Olympics, Moses Mathis - the Bicycle Man, Ride without Limits, 3rd annual Bike Ride for Sam, and the Lance Armstrong Foundation. For more information about this club, visit www.crosscreekcyclingclub.org.
The Division III Club of the Year title was bestowed upon CycleLife powered by Specialized (Baltimore, Md.). In just its second year, it promoted and co-sponsored its first USA Cycling-permitted event – the Juniors’ Day Out & Maryland Special Olympic Fall Games in September. The group also ran a half dozen bike clinics which covered basic bike racing skills and co-promoted two events devoted to women’s cycling. The Division III club also found itself involved in the advocacy of safer cycling legislation throughout the year. Check out the team website here: http://team-cyclelife.blogspot.com.
Active Knowledge (Albuquerque, NM) picked up the award for Mountain Bike Club of the Year. The club’s goal is to continuously offer children of all ages the opportunity to be involved with mountain biking. Active Knowledge not only conducted training rides, road rides, and weekly running sessions, but also hosted the New Mexico School Practice Race Series to introduce new racers to the sport. This series was attended by 10-25 riders per week. The group also established and promoted the five-race New Mexico Schools Mountain Bike Series and the eight-race New Mexico Cyclo-cross Series, in addition to promoting the New Mexico State Cyclo-cross Championships. In 2009, the club’s 24 members were involved with the American Lung Association fundraiser, a local fundraising tour called Day of the Tread, as well as Trips for Kids Rio Grande. For more information, visit www.activeknow.com.
USA Cycling chose Marian University (Indianapolis, Ind.) as Collegiate Club of the Year. The 31-member squad sent riders to Collegiate Mountain Bike Nationals for the first time ever in 2009, proving its commitment to be competitive in all four disciplines of collegiate cycling. From a hosting and promoting standpoint, the squad was involved with the 13th annual Midwest Cycling Classic, the first-ever MWCCC Track Regional Championships, and a November cyclo-cross race. The school club also offered seven power booster classes at the Marian University Cycling Center while community work included being involvement with the Major Taylor Velodrome Clean-up, Indiana Bicycle Summit, Pedal for Peace, and the Indiana Corporate Challenge Time Trial. For more on Marian’s cycling program, go to http://www.marian.edu/ATHLETICS/SPORTS/CYCLING.
For the sixth consecutive year, the Track Club of the Year award went to Hammer Racing Team (Littleton, Colo.). The club annually promotes its Hammer Time Trial Day on the track so that beginners can expose themselves to the sport, and in 2009, the club added Hammer Sprint Day. The masters track club conducts weekly training rides and sessions, a season kick-off bash, year-end team banquet, and a Hammer Team party. The club’s 29 members also volunteered for the Special Olympic bicycle races in Colorado Springs and received the team award at Masters Track Nationals. For more on this club, go to www.hammerracingteam.com.
The Women’s Club of the Year award went to Sound Velo Cycling Club (Seattle, Wash.) Welcoming 18 new members in 2009, Sound Velo is the home club for 80 women and is one of the largest women’s cycling clubs in the Pacific Northwest. Among many other things that the club accomplished in 2009, it co-hosted the “Women’s Intro to Cycling Rides,” and also managed both the Garmin Category 4 Women’s Race Series and the Volkl Category 3 Women’s Race Series in Washington State. To learn more about the 2009 Women’s Club of the Year, visit http://soundvelocycling.com.
Voted the Best New Club of the Year was Thumbprint Racing (Seattle, Wash.). Founded under the principle of giving back to the community, the new club identified two non-profit organizations as Title Sponsors: International Justice Mission and Farestart. Team members help raise awareness and funds for the two worthy causes. In 2009, Thumbprint was involved with race promotion for both the Kirkland Downtown Criterium and the FSA Grand Prix. For more about Thumbprint Racing, visit www.thumbprintracing.org.
In the Junior/High School Club of the Year contest, Red Zone Cycling (Louisville, Ken.) grabbed the top honor for the second year in a row. In 2009, the 63 members of the this junior-only club were involved with things like the Tour of the Red River Gorge, the USA Cycling Masters Road National Championships, and the Louisville Cyclo-cross Association. They also volunteered for the Olmstead Conservancy and the Mayor’s Hike and Bike. With scheduled rides, parties, membership drives, fundraising activities, and plenty of team travel to events like the USA Cycling Road National Championships– Red Zone Cycling is a great place for Louisville kids to get involved with cycling. For more, visit www.redzonecycling.com.
Congratulations 2009 USA Cycling Club of the Year recipients!
Division I Club of the Year: Century Road Club Association (New York, NY)
Division II Club of the Year: Cross Creek Cycling (Fayetteville, NC)
Division III Club of the Year: CycleLife powered by Specialized (Baltimore, Md.)
Mountain Bike Club of the Year: Active Knowledge (Albuquerque, NM)
Collegiate Club of the Year: Marian University (Indianapolis, Ind.)
Track Club of the Year: Hammer Racing Team - Littleton, Colo.
Best New Club of the Year: Thumbprint Racing (Seattle, Wash.)
Women’s Club of the Year: Sound Velo Cycling Club (Seattle, Wash.)
Junior/High School Club of the Year: Red Zone Cycling - Louisville, Ky.
This Article Published December 18, 2009
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Colorado Springs, Colo. (December 18, 2009) -- USA Cycling has announced the recipients of its annual Club of the Year awards. Nine USA Cycling-sanctioned clubs received recognition for outstanding programs throughout the 2009 season and will receive complimentary renewal fees for the 2010 racing season. 
Cross Creek Cycling Club (Fayetteville, NC) took the top honor in Division II for the second year in a row. In 2009, the club hosted its first cyclo-cross race – the Dragon Cross CX, as part of the NCCX Winter Series. Cross Creek also promoted or co-promoted the Tour de Moore Road Race, the Dragon’s Challenge Individual Time Trial, and the North Carolina State Criterium Championship. The group held adults and juniors skills clinics, a cyclo-cross training series, and a K-5th grade Bicycle Rodeo. It also took part in several initiatives that benefitted the community in 2009, including the Wounded Warrior Project, Crankin for Crohn's Ride, Cumblernad County Special Olympics, Moses Mathis - the Bicycle Man, Ride without Limits, 3rd annual Bike Ride for Sam, and the Lance Armstrong Foundation. For more information about this club, visit www.crosscreekcyclingclub.org
USA Cycling chose Marian University (Indianapolis, Ind.) as Collegiate Club of the Year. The 31-member squad sent riders to Collegiate Mountain Bike Nationals for the first time ever in 2009, proving its commitment to be competitive in all four disciplines of collegiate cycling. From a hosting and promoting standpoint, the squad was involved with the 13th annual Midwest Cycling Classic, the first-ever MWCCC Track Regional Championships, and a November cyclo-cross race. The school club also offered seven power booster classes at the Marian University Cycling Center while community work included being involvement with the Major Taylor Velodrome Clean-up, Indiana Bicycle Summit, Pedal for Peace, and the Indiana Corporate Challenge Time Trial. For more on Marian’s cycling program, go to http://www.marian.edu/ATHLETICS/SPORTS/CYCLING.