January 16/20 11:42 am - Pan Am Cross Championships Awarded to Arkansas for 2020-2021

Posted by Editoress on 01/16/20
 

Fayetteville, Arkansas, has been selected to host the 2020 Pan-American Cyclocross Championships. For the past two years, the event was held in Midland, Ontario.

The two-day annual event will be held November 7-8 at Centennial Park at Millsap Mountain in Fayetteville, Arkansas, which also will host the 2022 Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) Cyclocross World Championships on January 29-30, 2022.

"FayetteCross 2020" will feature races each day for riders of all abilities, from beginner to expert. The event combines fun recreational racing with top-level spectating opportunities. Final race schedule and registration information will be available in early summer.

The selection was made by Pan-American Cycling Confederation (COPACI). The organization encompasses 43 nations from North America, South America and the Caribbean, spanning from the Arctic Circle to Tierra del Fuego.

The "Pan-Ams" offer championship titles for elite racers and masters athletes (35 years and older). The event will provide an opportunity for both elite and amateur racers to compete for the coveted Pan-Am Champion jersey that is awarded to winners of each category. Also, UCI points are awarded for the Pan-American Championships that are valuable for international ranking and start position at races.

"Continental championships are exciting and the pinnacle of midseason racing," said Race Director Brook Watts, president of Parkven Productions. "We're thrilled to be able to host this important weekend of racing and showcase this very special, bike-friendly region."

Fayetteville 2022, the group behind the 2022 UCI World Championships, is partnering with Experience Fayetteville, the convention and visitors bureau for Fayetteville, to host FayetteCross 2020. Parkven Productions is managing the event.

Experience Fayetteville CEO Molly Rawn said, "COPACI's selection of Fayetteville for the Pan-American Championships confirms the preeminent position of Fayetteville and our region as a cycling center. We're uniquely suited to host events of this scale, and the Pan-Ams will be a great way for both visitors and residents to get excited for the 2022 World Championships."

FayetteCross 2020 will offer more than Pan-Am Championships racing action. The event will feature food and beverages, plus activities for kids, all in the beautiful outdoor setting of Fayetteville's newest park, which is currently undergoing renovations by Fayetteville Parks and Recreation.

In addition to the amateur and elite racing titles, new in 2020 for the event will be two relay races in which co-ed teams of five racers can compete.

Watts explained, "On Saturday, we'll offer both a fun relay race and a pro relay race. It's a great way to gather your friends or training buddies and see how you match up against others. And, racers for the Pan-Am categories on Sunday now have a way to preview the course under race conditions on Saturday."

Watts, who was instrumental in first bringing the continental championships to the Pan-American Cycling Confederation in 2014, remarked, "More points are awarded in the continental championships than in any event, excluding the world championships; that makes it a tremendous opportunity for Pan-American racers. Watts continues, "For years, I saw racers garner massive amounts of points in European championships while the racers on our continent gained none. So, I worked closely with other racer organizers in the United States and Canada to establish the Pan-Ams."

Complete race details, including hotel information, can be found at FayetteCross.com.

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