October 9/14 12:12 pm - 2015 U.S. National Road Calendar Released

Posted by Editoress on 10/9/14
 

USA Cycling has announced its 2015 USA Cycling National Criterium Calendar (NCC) and 2015 USA Cycling National Racing Calendar (NRC) . The premier domestic road cycling calendars sanctioned by USA Cycling, the sport's national governing body, begin in March and continue through September with races across the United States.

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.

NCC
Increased from 16 to 19 events for 2015, the NCC begins March 21st, when the action will be in Tampa, Fla., for the Gasparilla Criterium and Action Sports Festival and concludes September 20th, when the riders will toe the line in Hartford, Conn., to contest the Connecticut Cycling Festival. The 183 days in between will feature the fastest, most entertaining criterium racing in the country.

The second event of the NCC calendar is the Sunny King Criterium in Anniston, Ala., on March 28th. The following week is highlighted by the Novant Health Invitational Criterium on April 11th in Charlotte, N.C. The criterium racing moves west to Dana Point, Calif., on May 3rd as competitors will contest the Dana Point Grand Prix of Cycling before heading to Wilmington, Del., to compete in the Wilmington Grand Prix on May 16th. The Tour of Somerville is the main event in Somerville, N.J., on May 25th, before the focus shifts to a two-race weekend on May 30th, with the Winston-Salem Classic Criterium in Winston-Salem, N.C., and the Glencoe Grand Prix in Glencoe, Ill. In early June, the spotlight focuses on Manhattan Beach, Calif., for the Chevron Manhattan Beach Grand Prix, and on Tulsa, Okla., for the Saint Francis Tulsa Tough on June 12-14.

The criterium action returns to the east coast when riders compete in the two-day Air Force Association Cycling Classic in Arlington, Va., on June 13-14. After a three-week break, the competition moves to Boise, Idaho, as the Andersen Banducci Twilight Criterium takes center stage on July 11th. The peloton continues to go west to compete in the Littleton Criterium in Littleton, Colo., on July 18th. On July 25th, the riders will be in Lake Bluff, Ill., to compete in the Intelligentsia Cup. The action returns to the northeast on August 15th when riders will compete in the Rochester Twilight Criterium in Rochester, N.Y., followed by the Chris Thater Memorial in Binghamton, N.Y., on August 22nd. St. Louis, Mo., plays host to the the TSG Realty Gateway Cup on September 4-7, before the penultimate race of the calendar, the TD Bank Mayor's Cup, takes to the streets of Boston, Mass., on September 19th. The NCC wraps up the following day with the Connecticut Cycling Festival in Hartford.

Luke Keough (Sandwich, Mass./UnitedHealthcare) clinched the men's title in the 2014 NCC men's standings while Erica Allar (Tucson, Ariz./Colavita-Fine Cooking) topped the NCC women's standings for the second straight year with 1,117 points. UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling rode away with the NCC men's team standings with 3,040 points while Colavita-Fine Cooking posted 1,963 points to win the NCC women's team standings.

NRC
The 2015 edition of the NRC boasts seven events, including three additional UCI races for both men and women, beginning April 8-12, with the Redlands Bicycle Classic in Redlands, Calif. The second event of the calendar is the Joe Martin Stage Race p/b Nature Valley UCI 2.2 event in Fayetteville, Ark., on April 23-26, before the focus shifts to Silver City, N.M., for the five-day Tour of the Gila, another UCI 2.2 race, from April 29th to May 3rd. The following week features the UCI 1.2 Winston-Salem Cycling Classic in Winston-Salem, N.C., on May 31st. The NRC action continues in Philadelphia where riders will compete in the Philly Cycling Classic, a UCI 1.2 race, on June 7th, before heading to Minneapolis, Minn., to contest the North Star Grand Prix on June 18-21. After a long respite, the NRC calendar ends with the Thompson Bucks County Classic (UCI 1.2 men's race only) in Doylestown, Pa., on September 12th.

The 2014 NRC individual standings winners were Travis McCabe (Tucson, Ariz./Team SmartStop p/b Mountain Khakis), who topped the NRC men's standings with 672 points and Lauren Stephens (Dallas, Texas/Team TIBCO-To the Top), who paced the NRC women's standings with 934 points. Team Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies topped the NRC men's team standings with 1,972 points while Team TIBCO-To the Top won dominated the NRC women's team standings with 1,858 points.

2015 National Criterium Calendar (NCC) - usacycling.org/ncc

March 21 - Gasparilla Criterium and Action Sports Festival; Tampa, Fla.
March 28 - Sunny King Criterium; Anniston, Ala.
April 11 - Novant Health Invitational Criterium; Charlotte, N.C.
May 3 - Dana Point Grand Prix of Cycling; Dana Point, Calif.
May 16 - Wilmington Grand Prix; Wilmington, Del.
May 25 - Tour of Somerville; Somerville, N.J.
May 30 - Winston-Salem Classic Criterium; Winston-Salem, N.C.
May 30 - Glencoe Grand Prix; Glencoe, Ill.
June 7 - Chevron Manhattan Beach Grand Prix; Manhattan Beach, Calif.
June 12-14 - Saint Francis Tulsa Tough; Tulsa, Okla.
June 13-14 - Air Force Association Cycling Classic; Arlington, Va.
July 11 - Andersen Banducci Twilight Criterium; Boise, Idaho
July 18 - Littleton Criterium; Littleton, Colo.
July 25 - Intelligentsia Cup; Lake Bluff, Ill.
August 15 - Rochester Twilight Criterium; Rochester, N.Y.
August 22 - Chris Thater Memorial; Binghamton, N.Y.
September 4-7 - TSG Realty Gateway Cup; St. Louis, Mo.
September 19 - TD Bank Mayor's Cup; Boston, Mass.
September 20 - Connecticut Cycling Festival; Hartford, Conn.

2015 National Racing Calendar (NRC) - usacycling.org/nrc

April 8-12 - Redlands Bicycle Classic; Redlands, Calif.
April 23-26 - Joe Martin Stage Race p/b Nature Valley (UCI 2.2); Fayetteville, Ark.
April 29-May 3 - Tour of the Gila (UCI 2.2); Silver City, N.M.
May 31 - Winston-Salem Cycling Classic (UCI 1.2); Winston-Salem, N.C.
June 7 - Philly Cycling Classic (UCI 1.2); Philadelphia, Pa.
June 18-21 - North Star Grand Prix; Minneapolis, Minn.
September 12 - Thompson Bucks County Classic (UCI 1.2, men only); Doylestown, Pa.