Does USA Cycling need to pare down elite fields at cyclo-cross nationals?

The contrast could not have been more stark: in Belgium, 14 professional men set off from the gun to battle for their national championship, having been given the luxury of racing unmolested, a minute ahead of a somewhat larger elite-without-contract field. In the USA, by contrast, 105 elite men, and before them 111 elite women, hit out from the gun with a cacaphony of clicking pedals and shifting gears to battle for their national title in Boulder, Colorado, the pelotons as large as most of the UCI road races in this country.

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Laura Weislo
Managing Editor

Laura Weislo has been with Cyclingnews since 2006 after making a switch from a career in science. As Managing Editor, she coordinates coverage for North American events and global news. As former elite-level road racer who dabbled in cyclo-cross and track, Laura has a passion for all three disciplines. When not working she likes to go camping and explore lesser traveled roads, paths and gravel tracks. Laura's specialises in covering doping, anti-doping, UCI governance and performing data analysis.