The Tour of the Battenkill peloton tackles one of the course's many climbs just past Cabot Dairy (Image credit: Barry Koblenz/basetwelvephoto.com)
USA Cycling announced its 2011 National Racing Calendar (NRC) today, rolling out some changes to the nation's hotly contested race series. With 28 events for men and 20 for women, the circuit is two races longer than 2010, although a number of races have moved onto and off the calendar.
The 2011 series will only include national events and UCI-ranked 1.2 or 2.2 races, putting the 1.1-ranked women's Liberty Classic and 2.1-ranked Tour of Utah out of the classification.
Additionally, USA Cycling has revamped the classification system for races, rating events from x.4 to x.HC, and will require domestic elite teams to submit rosters to USA Cycling in order to be ranked in the NRC team standings.
The calendar kicks off on March 30, 2011 with the start of the Redlands Bicycle Classic in California, and concludes on October 2 with the newly added CapCrit in Washington, DC.
New to the series are two events in the Southeast, the USA Crits Speedweek series which takes place in South Carolina and Georgia from April 30 to May 8 and the Labor Day Omnium, formerly a one-day race ranked for women only.
While the Chicago Criterium will not return, Illinois gained the Glencoe Grand Prix on June 25.and the Evanston Grand Prix on August 21. The Tour de Toona will make its comeback as a stage race, running July 5-10, taking over for the Fitchburg-Longsjo Classic which was reduced from a stage race to a one-day criterium on July 3 for 2011.
Other existing races joining the NRC include the Tour de Nez, a five-day race in Reno, Nevada starting on July 27, the Tour of Battenkill on April 16 and the Univest Grand Prix on September 17.
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Races exiting the NRC list include the Kelly Cup, Marion Classic and Chicago Criterium.
For more information on the USA Cycling National Racing Calendar including the complete points distribution table, visit www.usacycling.org/nrc.
2011 USA Cycling National Racing Calendar
Mar. 30-Apr. 3: Redlands Bicycle Classic 2.2 Stage Race - M/W - Redlands, CA Apr. 9: Sunny King Criterium 1.3 Crit - M/W - Anniston, AL Apr. 16: Tour of the Battenkill 1.HC M/1.4 W Road Race - M/W - Cambridge, NY Apr. 27-May 1: SRAM Tour of the Gila 2.1 M/2.2 W Stage Race - M/W - Silver City, NM Apr. 30-May 8: USA CRITS Speedweek 2.5.2 Omnium - M/W - GA, SC May. 1: Dana Point Grand Prix 1.3 Crit - M - Dana Point, CA May 5-8: Joe Martin Stage Race p/b Nature Valley 2.3 Stage Race - M/W - Fayetteville, AR May. 14: Tour de Grove 1.3 Crit - M/W - St. Louis, MO May. 21-22: Wilmington Grand Prix 2.5.2 Omnium - M/W - Wilmington, DE May. 30: Tour of Somerville 1.2 Crit – M - Somerville, NJ Jun. 2: Base Camp Intl. p/b Verizon Wireless 1.3 Crit – M - Basking Ridge, NJ Jun. 10-12: Tulsa Tough 2.5.1 Omnium – M - Tulsa, OK Jun. 11-12: Air Force Cycling Classic 2.5.1 Omnium - M/W - Arlington, VA Jun. 15-19: Nature Valley Grand Prix 2.1 Stage Race - M/W – Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN Jun. 25: Glencoe Grand Prix p/b AT&T 1.4 Crit – M - Glencoe, IL Jun. 26: Manhattan Beach Grand Prix 1.2 Crit - M - Manhattan Beach, CA Jul. 3: Fitchburg-Longsjo Classic Crit 1.3 M/W - Fitchburg, MA Jul. 5-10: Tour de Toona 2.4 Stage Race - M/W - Altoona, PA Jul. 16: Boise Twilight 1.2 Crit - M - Boise, ID Jul. 19-24: Cascade Classic Stage Race 2.2 Stage Race - M/W - Bend, OR Jul. 27-31: Tour de Nez 2.4 Stage Race - M/W - Reno, NV Aug. 5-7: Tour of Elk Grove 2.1 Stage Race - M - Elk Grove, IL Aug. 6: Presbyterian Hospital Invitational 1.1 Crit - M/W - Charlotte, NC Aug. 20: Grand Cycling Classic 1.2 Crit - W - Grand Rapids, MI Aug. 21: Evanston Grand Prix 1.4 Crit - M/W - Evanston, IL Aug. 27-28: Chris Thater Memorial 1.2 Crit - M/W - Binghamton, NY Sept. 2-5: Labor Day Omnium 2.5.2 Omnium - M/W – GA/SC Sept. 17: Univest Grand Prix 1.HC Road Race - M - Souderton, PA Oct. 2: CapCrit p/b WCSA 1.4 Crit - M/W - Washington, DC
USA Cycling National Racing Calendar by the Numbers
Stage Races/Omniums: 13 Criteriums: 14 One-day Road Races: 2 States: 23 Men’s only: 9 Women’s only: 1 Total prize money: $1,045,150 Top overall payout: Tour de Toona = $110,000.00; $55,000 men, $55,000 women Top men’s payout: Tour of Elk Grove = $107,500
Laura Weislo is a Cyclingnews veteran of 20 years. Having joined in 2006, Laura extensively covered the Operacion Puerto doping scandal, the years-long conflict between the UCI and the Tour de France organisers ASO over the creation of the WorldTour, and the downfall of Lance Armstrong and his lifetime ban for doping. As Managing Editor, Laura coordinates coverage for North American events and global news.
