Amateur NECCS cyclo-cross series to continue despite elite ban

The Verge New England Championship Cyclo-Cross Series (NECCS) will go on as an amateur-only series for the 2011-2012 season after the elite series was banned by the UCI, the NECCS president Adam Myerson announced today.

"Following a meeting of all the New England UCI race organizers last evening, I'm proud to announce the 2011-12 Verge New England Cyclo-Cross Series schedule. For 2011-12, the Verge Series will not include Elite or U23 Men and Women, but will continue for all the current USAC categories," he said.

The amateur categories include three masters fields, two junior fields and races for category 3 men and 3/4 women.

Myerson said that the 15 elite UCI races will still be run, but as stand-alone events and, if approved by the UCI, eight of the races will be grouped into a UCI-sanctioned New England Professional Cyclo-Cross Series.

The dates of the NECCS series and one-day UCI races are as follows:

09/17/2011 Green Mountain Cyclocross Weekend 1 Williston, VT
09/18/2011 Green Mountain Cyclocross Weekend 2 Williston, VT
09/24/2011 The Nor'easter CX @ Loon Mountain Lincoln, NH
10/01/2011 Grand Prix of Gloucester 1 Gloucester, MA
10/02/2011 Grand Prix of Gloucester 2 Gloucester, MA
10/08/2011 Providence Festival of Cyclocross 1 Providence, RI
10/09/2011 Providence Festival of Cyclocross 2 Providence, RI
10/22/2011 Downeast Cyclocross 1 New Gloucester, ME
10/23/2011 Downeast Cyclocross 2 New Gloucester, ME
11/05/2011 Cycle-Smart International 1 Northampton, MA
11/06/2011 Cycle-Smart International 2 Northampton, MA
11/26/2011 Bay State Cyclocross 1 Sterling, MA
11/27/2011 Bay State Cyclocross 2 Sterling, MA
12/03/2011 NBX Grand Prix of Cyclocross 1 Warwick, RI
12/04/2011 NBX Grand Prix of Cyclocross 2 Warwick, RI