USA Cycling announces domestic road calendars

The Nature Valley Grand Prix will be among the races on the 2013 USA Cycling National Racing Calendar. (Photo by Matthew Moses)

Riders will compete for standings points tabulated for individual riders as well as teams. Following each week of racing, USA Cycling will post updated standings on each respective calendar page as well as distribute to media.

The 2013 USA Cycling National Racing Calendar (NRC), the premier season-long domestic road cycling series sanctioned by USA Cycling, will be comprised of 11 contests. The calendar begins in California with the Redlands Bicycle Classic in Redlands, Calif., on April 4-7. The following week, the men will ply their trade in Cambridge, N.Y., with the Tour of the Battenkill on April 14 before contesting the Joe Martin Stage Race p/b Nature Valley with the women in Fayetteville, Ark., from April 25-28. From May 1-5, the men and women are slated to compete in the SRAM Tour of the Gila in Silver City, N.M. After a brief respite, the NRC shifts to Philadelphia for the American Cycling Classic on June 2 before the women travel across the country for the Exergy Tour in Idaho from June 5-9. The men rejoin the fray from June 12-16 for the Nature Valley Grand Prix in Minneapolis, Minn., before returning to Philadelphia for the Keystone Open on July 7. From July 16-21, the NRC will be in Bend, Ore., for the Cascade Cycling Classic before going to Elk Grove, Ill., for the Tour of Elk Grove from Aug. 2-4. The calendar culminates in Doylestown, Pa., with the Thompson Bucks County Classic on Sept. 14.

The 2013 USA Cycling National Criterium Calendar (NCC), which increases to 27 races in just its second year, will showcase the country’s top criterium-only events, highlighting the best criterium racers on American soil. The 2013 edition of the NCC begins with the Old Pueblo Grand Prix in Tucson, Ariz., on March 9 before the men cross the country to Tampa, Fla., for the Cigar City Brewing Criterium on March 16. The NCC remains in Florida for the Delray Beach Twilight Festival on March 23 before traveling north for the Presbyterian Hospital Invitational Criterium in Charlotte, N.C. on April 13. The following week brings the NCC to Anniston, Ala., for the Sunny King Criterium on April 20. The first two multi-day events highlight the NCC as riders will contest USA CRITS Speed Weeks Round 1 and 2 in South Carolina and Georgia from April 17-May 1 and May 2-5. The men are slated to compete in the Dana Point Grand Prix of Cycling in Dana Point, Calif., on May 5 before the women rejoin the competition for Tour de Grove in St. Louis on May 11. The criterium action moves to Wilmington, Del., for the Wilmington Grand Prix on May 18. A pair of New Jersey races are featured as the men will compete in the Middle Earth Tour of Somerville on May 27 before they contest the Base Camp Intl. p/b Verizon Wireless on May 30. The Glencoe Grand Prix in Glencoe, Ill., will feature the men and women on June 1 before they travel to Tulsa, Okla., for the Saint Francis Tulsa Tough from June 7-9. On June 8-9, riders will compete in Arlington, Va., in the Air Force Cycling Classic before the men compete in the Skyscraper Harlem Cycling Classic on June 16. Riders move to the Midwest for the Tour of America’s Dairyland in Wisconsin from June 20-23 and the Herman Miller Brickyard Classic on June 29 in Grand Rapids, Mich. The men are slated to contest the Iron Hill Twilight Criterium in West Chester, Pa., on July 6 before crossing the country to compete in the Chevron Manhattan Beach Grand Prix in California on July 7. Both the men and women are scheduled to compete in the Exergy Twilight Criterium in Boise, Idaho, on July 13 before the Prairie State Cycling Series in Illinois from July 18-21. On Aug. 17, the riders are slated to compete in Vail, Colo., in the Tour of Vail Criterium before contesting the Chris Thater Memorial in Binghamton, N.Y. on Aug. 24-25. The final month of the calendar, September, features three races as the men will contest the Bucks County Classic Criterium in Doylestown, Pa., on Sept. 15. The men and women are slated to compete in the USA CRITS Finals in Las Vegas on Sept. 19 before the calendar concludes in Boston with the TD Bank Mayor’s Cup on Sept. 19.