North American Roundup - North Carolina Grand Prix course restored after recent floods, race directors' trade association tackles course safety issues at conference
Llori Sharpe (centre) celebrates with the gold medal in 2024 road race at Caribbean Road Championships(Image credit: Caribbean Cycling Union)
L39ION of Los Angeles co-founder, Cory Williams, and team rider Llori Sharpe won the elite categories at the Caribbean Road Race Championships last week in Georgetown, Guyana. It was the first time the South American country hosted the road championships.
Sharpe, a 24-year-old from Jamaica, rode solo for the win in the 53-mile elite women's event, seven seconds ahead of Flor Espiritusanto (Dominican Republic) and Daymelin Perez (Cuba), second and third, respectively.
"I don't think it has fully sunk in that I actually won in all honesty. Nonetheless, I'm really happy that I was able to pull off the victory for myself, my team, and my country, and without a doubt, there was no better way to end my 2024 season," Sharpe told Cyclingnews.
"It was truly special to take that top step and be able to share the moment with my mom and my adopted Belizean family, and I'm beyond grateful to have had them there to make this win that more meaningful. I am looking forward to some deserved down time and to then begin prepping for the 2025 season with L39ION."
Her Belizean family included both co-founders of her trade team Cory Williams and brother Justin Williams. Younger brother Cory used a signature kick to lead a 10-rider group across the line for the win after 94 miles of racing. His brother Justin Williams finished in the main field, 14 minutes back.
Cory Williams, the dual ITT and road race champion for Belize this year, also competed in the time trial event, earning a bronze medal behind a pair of Bermuda riders, Conor White winning the ITT and Kaden Hopkins in silver position.
Both brothers are part of Williams Racing Development, which operated three teams this past season - L39ION of Los Angeles, Austin Outlaws and Miami Blazers. Cory Williams moved to the Miami Blazers this past season, while White was part of the Outlaws squad.
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Rollins, Ramsay win first titles at Iceman Cometh Challenge
Elite women's winner Melisa Rollins on the Leadville Trail 100 MTB course (Image credit: Life Time / @chaseincolor)
Canadian mountain bike specialist Noah Ramsay (Bateman's Bicycle Shop) and Leadville MTB 100 champion Melisa Rollins (Virginia's Blue Ridge TWENTY24) of Utah won the Pro/Cat 1 categories for men and women at the 2024 Bell's Iceman Cometh Challenge.
Rollins took top honours in her first appearance at the point-to-point, 30-mile mountain bike race. Before the race she said on social media that she was "excited to see what the hype is about" for the popular event, known for sharp climbs and thunderous crowds that line the forested course in northern Michigan.
She moved away from a small lead group at mile 10 and won solo in 1:49:21 and was just under 2 minutes faster at the finish than second-placed Ruby Ryan. Crystal Anthony then won a four-rider sprint to secure third.
The victory capped a breakout season for the 28-year-old, who added a second place finish at Big Sugar Gravel to her Leadville win and sealed second overall in the Life Time Grand Prix series. Rollins said the Iceman win showed she was "more than just a Leadville girl".
Ramsay returned for a third attempt for the elite men's win, having finished fifth last year. This time the 21-year-old attacked several times on the course to distance fellow Ontario rider Tyler Orschel for the victory. Two-time champion Alexey Vermeulen would finish fourth, riding between US cyclocross singlespeed champion Kerry Werner and pro mountain biker Jorden Wakeley.
More than 5,000 riders descended on Traverse City for this year's race. In the first edition in 1990, there were 35 competitors. Winners receive the Iceman Trophy, one of the most unique awards in sports as it is formed from a block of ice and lasts long enough for post-race celebrations and photos.
North Carolina Grand Prix course survives 'historic flood levels'
Kerry Werner competes in the mud from melting snow at a previous edition of North Carolina Grand Prix (Image credit: Bruce Buckley)
The show will go on November 23-24 for the North Carolina Grand Prix (NCGP), the final weekend of 11 events in the USA Cycling Cyclocross National Series.
The long-time cyclocross weekend of racing in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains in Hendersonville, North Carolina was in jeopardy when Jackson Park, the venue for the course, was flooded in late September by the remnants of Hurricane Helene.
“North Carolina Cyclo-Cross (NCCX) is excited to be able to welcome racers back to Jackson Park for the NCGP this year. Thank you to Henderson County staff for their work to safely reopen Jackson Park following damage from Tropical Storm Helene,” Tim Hopkin, founder and promoter of NCGP, said in a press release.
“While historical flood levels were reached in the park, course features and infrastructure are unaffected and the NCGP course will remain a test of fitness and skill for racers.”
Registration is currently open for the two days of UCI Category 2 elite races, as well as open, junior and collegiate category events. The event is free for spectators, and support for local vendors and sponsors is encouraged, including Flat Rock Village Bakery and Hunter Subaru. Hopkin noted that the best entrance into Jackson Park for the event is from Glover Street, located off Spartanburg Highway.
“We are grateful to see large-scale special events coming back into our community after Hurricane Helene and the immense amount of cleanup work that followed,” said Michelle Owens, director of the Henderson County Tourism Development Authority. “This event is one that our TDA board chose to offer grant funding to because of the visitors it brings into our accommodations and businesses to participate in outdoor recreation – something our community desperately needs right now."
The storm system dumped torrential rains across western North Carolina and South Carolina, causing the move of USA Cycling Collegiate Mountain Bike Nationals from Zirconia, North Carolina in late October to Bentonville, Arkansas, rescheduled to November 14-17. Zirconia is only 8 miles south of Hendersonville.
The weekend prior to NCGP is a set of UCI C2 races at Nash Dash in Hampton, Georgia, November 16-17. Both NCGP and Nash Dash provide the final UCI points in the US for cyclocross racers looking to boost junior and elite rankings leading to the US Cyclocross National Championships in Louisville, Kentucky, December 12-15, 2024.
Road race organisers form trade association
Elite women line up for Tour of the Gila (Image credit: Snowy Mountain Photography)
The National Association of Professional Race Directors held a fifth annual conference in Fayetteville, Arkansas November 7-8, with organisers from 25 US states, Canada and District of Columbia joining in person and virtually, including representation from Kwik Trip Tour of America’s Dairyland, Redlands Cycling Classic, Manhattan Beach Grand Prix and Tour of the Gila.
Several elite team representatives participated in the programme, with reigning US Pro criterium champion and 11-year pro Coryn Labecki (EF Education-Oatly-Cannondale) and 12-year pro Davey Dawson (Automatic-ABUS Racing) among the virtual attendees for a workshop on course safety.
"Our collaboration with USA Cycling was key in bringing together all stakeholders when it comes to course safety and management. We enlisted riders, teams, race directors and the national governing body to set up guidelines and suggestions for events to consider and implement where possible," newly-elected NAPRD President Bruce Dunn told Cyclingnews.
"The most beneficial part of this collaboration is the open dialogue between all groups to make our sport better and reduce risk when possible."
The conference, made possible with support from Experience Fayetteville and Race Roster, included discussions on sponsor activation, state and local tourism support, social media content and strategies, event services technology advances and a 'state of bike racing' from USA Cycling.
Dunn, who is the owner of All Sports Productions which manages Highlands Gravel Classic and other sports events in Arkansas, took the reigns of the organisation from Rob Laybourn, who helped launch NAPRD 10 years ago.
"NAPRD is pivoting to be more than just race directors who are promoting only national and international-level road cycling races. We are expanding our membership to race promoters of all levels who are promoting a USA Cycling road race, and have received our 501(c) (6) designation which is the first step to becoming a trade association," Dunn confirmed.
"Our goals will be to provide more value to our members and to work closely with our stakeholders to make our sport stronger and more financial viable for all concerned."
Jackie has been involved in professional sports for more than 30 years in news reporting, sports marketing and public relations. She founded Peloton Sports in 1998, a sports marketing and public relations agency, which managed projects for Tour de Georgia, Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah and USA Cycling. She also founded Bike Alpharetta Inc, a Georgia non-profit to promote safe cycling. She is proud to have worked in professional baseball for six years - from selling advertising to pulling the tarp for several minor league teams. On the bike, she has climbed l'Alpe d'Huez three times (not fast), and spends time on gravel around horse farms in north Georgia.
