Marcolini to DNA, USCX series returns with $15,000 purse - North American roundup

Emily Marcolini will step up the second half of the 2022 season to the US-based Continental programme of DNA Pro Cycling. The 26-year-old Canadian began the year with 3T/Q+M, a US domestic elite team, where she won mountain stages at Redlands Cycling Classic and Tour of the Gila. 

“I am thankful to the 3T/Q+M team for giving me the opportunity to succeed this season,and I am thrilled to jump back to the UCI level with the DNA Pro Cycling team, which is such a well-run organization with awesome riders,” said Marcolini in a team statement. She previously races at the Continental level in 2019 with Team TIBCO-SVB.

The 26-year-old will race with DNA Pro Cycling through the remainder of the year and is expected to be part of the squad’s lineup at international stage races - Vuelta a Colombia Femenina and Tour Cycliste Féminin International de L’Ardèche. She joins two other Canadians on the DNA roster, Maggie Coles-Lyster and Kaitlyn Rauwerda.

“We are excited to have Marcolini join the team mid-season. Her unique strengths and experience will strengthen our team dynamic and increase our opportunities for success,” said Catherine Fegan-Kim, team co-owner and director.

USCX Cyclocross Series offers $15,000 across four events

Beginning in September, the USCX Cyclo-cross Series returns in 2022 with four race weekends and a $15,000 overall prize purse, split equally for elite men and women. 

Virginia’s Blue Ridge Go Cross presented by Deschutes Brewery hosts the opening round on September 17-18 in Roanoke, Virginia, while the other new addition to the series, Really Rad Festival of Cyclo-cross in Falmouth, Massachusetts, serves as the wrap-up event on November 5-6. Both events have been on the US cyclo-cross calendar for years, but were upgraded to UCI Class 1 status this season.

The next pair of events return from last year’s introduction of the series, which just offered points and no prize money. Rochester Cyclo-cross returns on September 24-25 in western New York while Charm City Cross repeats on the east-coast circuit in Baltimore, Maryland on October 1-2.

Organisers said they were finalising plans to provide livestream broadcasts for series events. The series has also re-formatted its points structure to give additional points to the top 3 in each elite race, as well as amateur events. Standing will be posted at uscx.us.

Last year with only points on the line for USCX, Caroline Mani won the inaugural title for elite women and Kerry Werner took the title for elite men.

EF Education-EasyPost and Israel-Premier Tech headed to Maryland Cycling Classic

Organisers of the Maryland Cycling Classic supported by UnitedHealthcare announced WorldTour teams EF Education-EasyPost and Israel-Premier Tech confirmed participation in the September 4 one-day UCI event in Baltimore. 

Five other teams added to the lineup are ProTeam Team Novo Nordisk, US-based Continental programme Team Skyline, South Africa’s Team ProTouch, South American squad Panamá es Cultura y Valores and a U.S. National Team.

There are now four WorldTour teams that will take part in the inaugural event, Trek-Segafredo and Team BikeExchange-Jayco previously announced this spring along with America’s top ProTour team Human Powered Health and a handful of Continental programmes - L39ION of Los Angeles and Hagens Berman Axeon of the US, Team Medellin-EPM of Colombia, Yoeleo Test Team p/b 4MIND of Canada, Team Corratec of Italy, and Ireland’s EvoPro.

The 120-mile race begins in Sparks, Maryland for a loop to the northern countryside and then swoops into central Baltimore for four circuits and a finish in the Inner Harbour area. 

One additional team is expected to be announced later in July to bring the field to 17.

Wolfpack Women's Racing and USA Cycling collaborate on series to introduce racing to new riders

Level Up Your Ride is a programme created by Wolfpack Women's Racing and USA Cycling to introduce new riders of all levels to the fundamentals of bicycle racing. There are a total of nine clinics across the US and will be held in conjunction with the majority of stops on the American Criterium Cup race series.

All clinics are taught by Kelly Barrientes, owner of Wolfpack Women’s Racing, and a selection of professional cyclists from the team. Each clinic is two hours long with instruction on cornering exercises, sprinting and gearing drills, and other practical lessons. The goal is to encourage women, trans, femme, and non-binary cyclists to a learn by doing.

“For years I have been working to empower women of every level to ride their bikes with confidence in a non-intimidating, friendly, welcoming environment. My goal for 2022 was to expand the grassroots efforts of Wolfpack to include women’s skills and drills clinics at some of the biggest events all over the country. Growing the cycling community has to be a group effort and wouldn’t be possible had USA Cycling not stepped in and partnered with us to create these Level Up Your Ride clinics,” said Barrientes.

Three clinics have been held at the American Criterium Cup stops in Rochester and Harlem, New York and Tulsa, Oklahoma. The next clinic will be held in Boise, Idaho on July 7. The final five criterium races on the calendar will also host Level Up Your Ride clinics - Salt Lake City, Utah; Lake Bluff, Illinois; Littleton, Colorado; Indianapolis, Indiana, and St. Louis, Missouri.

Each clinic is free and comes with a one-day novice race license, allowing new racers the opportunity to try an entry-level race. Registration is online at the USA Cycling website.