Gullickson named USAC off-road program manager

Marc Gullickson assumed the role of USA Cycling Mountain Bike and Cyclo-cross Program Manager on Monday following the departure of Matt Cramer late in 2007. 13-season race veteran Gullickson represented the US at five UCI Mountain Bike and five UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships during his career.

Gullickson has served as an assistant coach to Cramer for the US National Team during the past three UCI Mountain Bike World Championships and shared head coach responsibilities for the US team during the past three Cyclo-cross World Championships.

Since retirement, Gullickson has worked for Boulder Racing, Ground Zero Sports Marketing, the TIAA-CREF/Clif Bar Cyclo-cross Team and Hutchinson Tires. In his new role, he will be responsible for creating and implementing initiatives that support the development of competitive cyclists in the disciplines of mountain bike and cyclo-cross racing.

Gullickson will manage the activities of elite athletes and teams in support of US performances at Continental Championships, World Championships, Pan American Games and Olympic Games. In conjunction with USAC coaches, he will manage athlete selection for training camps and national teams.

"I'm very excited to be on board with USA Cycling," said Gullickson. "Working with the country's best mountain bike and cyclo-cross athletes and preparing them for important international and domestic events is what I know best and represents a natural progression in my cycling career."

"With only seven months to go before the Beijing Games, one of my immediate goals is to provide our Olympians with the highest level of support possible to compete to their potential this summer," said Gullickson. "Then, following the Games, the priority will shift to developing the next generation of world-class off-road cyclists by offering the necessary opportunities to excel internationally."

"On the cyclo-cross end of the spectrum, there is clearly a lot of momentum here in the United States. We need to continue to refine our approach to preparing riders for the world championships by exposing them to international competition on a regular basis and continuing to develop the domestic scene in the US. Thanks to the impressive growth rate of 'cross racing, we have a talented base of young riders ready to take us to the next level."