Pro men's podium at a US Cup Triple Crown race(Image credit: US Cup)
The start/finish at Sycamore Canyon(Image credit: US Cup)
Airport road on Catalina Island(Image credit: US Cup)
The US Cup announced its 2012 calendar including the Rock N Road Cup West race series, the California state mountain bike championships, a 50-mile race series and a mountain bike gran fondo. In contrast to previous news, the US Cup will be hosting one, not two rounds of the US Pro Cross Country Tour (US Pro XCT).
The Rock N Road Cup will include seven rounds starting on March 3-4 in Vail Lake and wrapping up on June 3 in Big Bear. Run as a UCI Cat. 3 event, the Bonelli Park round on March 10-11 will again be a stop on the US Pro XCT while the Fontana round will not after it dropped out of the US Pro XCT due to cost and overall schedule concerns cited by the US Cup. USA Cycling confirmed the US Pro XCT calendar change to Cyclingnews.
For next year, the US Cup will also offer an "amateur" version of the Triple Crown series in which Cat. 1 19-49 riders can compete against one another in short track, super D, time trial and short track events each weekend. The rounds of the Rock N Road Cup which will be designated as Triple Crowns are Vail Lake, Bonelli and Santa Ynez.
The US Cup will organize three 50-mile events in conjunction with the cross country racing for those looking to get in more miles. The first two 50-mile events of the year will be a part of USA Cycling's Pro UET (Ultra Endurance Tour) series, the details of which are still to be announced.
Finally, the addition of the inaugural Catalina Island MTB Grand Fondo on May 12 will mark the first time the US Cup will be organizing a mass ride event. This will be the first time in the island's history it has hosted a mountain bike ride, and it will grant riders special one-time access to sections of the TCT (Trans Catalina trail) for the event.
2012 Rock N Road Cup West Series presented by Specialized March 3-4: Vail Lake Triple Crown March 10-11: Bonelli Triple Crown (also US PRO XCT round 2) March 25: Fontana (no longer a US Pro XCT round) April 1: Riverside April 28-29: Santa Ynez Triple Crown May 20: Sage Brush June 3: Big Bear & Series Finals
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California State Cross Country Championships June 17 - Big Bear
Catalina Island MTB Gran Fondo May 12th - Inaugural edition
50-Miler Race Series May 20: Sage Brush (also a US Pro UET round) June 3: Big Bear (also a US Pro UET round) TBD: Third race
