The selection procedures used to determine the London 2012 U.S. Olympic Team in men's road cycling have been released by USA Cycling.
A five-man team will be named on June 15, 2012 - 43 days out from the men's road race following a qualification period which runs from July 1, 2011 to May 31, 2012.
Eligible athletes can post results to gain nomination via the following:
World Championships, Denmark
- A top three finish and then demonstrated ability to perform on a similar level in major international competition.
Grand Tours
- A top three finish in a UCI Grand Tour event with results at the Tour de France given priority over the Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a Espana.
No US athlete featured on this year's first set of rankings, released in January.
The men's road race will be run over 250km, showcasing some of London's greatest attractions, similar to what was achieved – albeit with high security – for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.
Starting and finishing on The Mall, within the shadows of Buckingham Palace in central London, the race then weaves its way through six boroughs - Westminster, Kensington and Chelsea, Hammersmith and Fulham, Wandsworth, Richmond upon Thames, and Kingston upon Thames – before heading into Surrey and through the districts of Elmbridge, Reigate and Banstead, Guildford, Woking and Mole Valley before returning to central London for the finish. The course will also pass through Richmond Park and Bushy Park.
For the time trial, the 44km course focuses on the south-west of the city, starting at Hampton Court before heading through Esher, Kingston, Teddington, Sandown, East and West Molesey then back to the Palace.