USA Cycling Road Development Race Series

  
  


The women's 15-16 breakaway

Overview

USA Cycling's Road Development Race Series, which marks its 23rd year in 2015, has provided opportunities for aspiring junior riders across the United States. Through the hard work of event organizers and their staffs, this program has evolved into a nationally recognized junior and espoir-aged race series.

Program Goals

  • Grow and support road racing opportunities for juniors and U23 riders across the country
  • Identify and recognize potential cycling talent among junior and espoir athletes
  • Serve as an automatic qualifier for USA Cycling Regional Talent ID Camps

USA Cycling Regional Talent ID Camps

The focus of USA Cycling's Regional Talent ID Camps is skill development along with classroom sessions geared to improving the rider’s training. Camp staff usually includes a camp manager, a lead coach, assistant coaches, athlete alumnus, a mechanic, and ride leaders.

Each USA Cycling Regional Road Camp includes five days of activities, including field testing and other selection activities. The top-performers in the camps nationwide will be considered for an invitation to attend an annual USA Cycling National Talent Identification Camp.

Riders age 14 to 20 who finish in the top five in at least one Road Development Race Series event are automatically qualified to attend a USA Cycling Regional Talent ID Camp.

Juniors Classes and Categories

An official RDRS event should provide the following racing opportunities and separate scoring for the following age groups (racing ages used). If it is not feasible for an event to have all of the following, the emphasis should be placed on the categories that receive talent ID camp invitations*:

Male Female
 
9-12 9-12
13-14 13-14
15-16 15-18
17-18 17-18
19-22 (Cat 1/2/3 Espoir) 19-22 (Cat 1/2/3 Espoir)
 

*Juniors: Automatic regional talent ID camp invitations are based on competitive race results from the following: At least one top 5 finish from RDRS or other similar caliber road events, or one or more top 5 finishes from the Mountain Bike Development Race Series, American Mountain Bike Challenge (AMBC) or other similar MTB events, both in the 15-18 age groups, or by permission based on race resume from the previous 12 months of racing prior to any camp. 14-year-old racing age athletes are eligible for regional talent ID camps provided they have qualified racing in the 15-18 age group categories.

If a junior athlete raced in any 2014 RDRS or regional mountain bike event (AMBC or any other large event) after June 1, 2014, and placed top five in 15-16 or 17-18 categories, that athlete is automatically qualified to attend any regional talent ID camp in 2015.

For more information, please contact the USA Cycling Events Department.