Kansas City, Kan. (Dec. 11, 2007) - Competitors at the USA Cycling Cyclocross National Championships in Kansas City will not have to endure the freezing rain or snow from a winter storm that gripped a good portion of the Midwest early this week.

Instead, temperatures in the low to mid-30s are forecast for racing on Thursday through Sunday. The conditions are expected to create a muddy course at Wyandotte County Park (126th Street and State Avenue). No precipitation is in the forecast for the duration of the event, according to the National Weather Service's local forecast office, so spectators will be able to take advantage of key viewing points along the course. The heated Expo tent and beer garden will also offer prime viewing spots to see all the muddy action.  MORE

Don't miss the party Sunday night after the racing is over.  Check out the Flyer for all the details.  There is also a raffle that will be held at Nationals to benefit the US National Cyclocross Team.  Check out the flyer for details.

Record number of registrants for Cyclocross Nationals

Kansas City, Kan. (Dec. 9, 2007) - A record number of registrants have signed up to race in the 2007 USA Cycling Cyclocross National Championships in Kansas City, Kan.

A total of 2,045 entries were received for the nearly 40 races that will take place between Thursday and Sunday, Dec. 13-16. at Wyandotte County Park.

Last year, 1,940 entrants took part in the championships in Providence, R.I. The last time the national championships were held in Kansas City, in 2000, only 600 riders participated.  MORE

Nationals Course Information
A local rider went out Nov 29 and rode the National Course. The word is that it is getting pretty burned in now, and has a good flow to it. The video and pictures definitely do not do it justice, it is not flat! If it is dry, it will be very fast. The local says we should be practicing our starts going uphill. The first 1/4 to 1/2 mile is mainly uphill and non technical. The course is officially 1.91 miles long.


Stolen From Road Bike Review Forum
 

Sponsors up ante for competitors at Cyclocross Nationals

Kansas City, Kan. (Nov. 9, 2007) - Competitors at the 2007 USA Cycling National Cyclocross Championships will receive complimentary energy drinks and energy gels, giant strawberries, comprehensive neutral support, the use of trainers for warm-up and even a free cup of coffee.

These are just a few of the perks being offered by the event's official sponsors for the competition Dec. 13-16 at Wyandotte County Park in Kansas City, Kan.

"We want every athlete - from the youngest to the oldest and from the B racer all the way up to the elites - to have the best racing experience possible," said Bill Marshall of KLM Marketing Solutions.  MORE

U.S. National Cyclocross Championship Course Tough on Competitors, Great for Spectators 

The nearly two-mile-long course through Wyandotte County Park in Kansas City, Kan., was unveiled today on the race's official website, www.kccrossnationals.com. Online registration for the Dec. 13-16 National Championships continues through Dec. 8.

Race Director Bill Marshall of KLM Marketing Solutions had a solid blueprint for the national championship course design, having staged several UCI races in the 360-acre park, which features rolling terrain in the scenic setting of hillside oak and lakeside sycamore trees.

"We wanted to make the course very hard," Marshall said. "Cyclocross is tough, no matter what. Our intention was to make this course both technical and fast."

The signature element is a pair of back-to-back stair sections, each 40-feet in length, that come about a quarter-mile from the finish line.

"You'll run up the first set of stairs, get back on your bike for a brief time, then dismount and run up the second set," Marshall said. "This is going to be crucial as we found out in Providence last year at nationals. They had two run-ups close to the finish and it makes it very interesting if it is a tight race."

Another crucial element of the course design was to make it as spectator-friendly as possible, Marshall said. Nearly the entire course is viewable from several vantage points. A barrier section, positioned between a pair of heated spectator tents, will also be a prime viewing spot.

Special attention was given to the start area to ensure that competitors who do not have the most prime starting positions have the opportunity to move up quickly before the course narrows.

"That first grass section is extremely wide open and slightly uphill as it leads into the first sweeping right-hand turn," Marshall said. "We tried to make it as close as possible to the start you would see on a UCI course. Eventually, though, there are a few turns to slow it up and create opportunities to get away."

Where the course doubles back on itself in several places could also prove particularly tricky, he said.

"This course has some decent hills - not the steep ones like you saw in Providence for nationals last year - but ones that are going to be tough in all conditions," Marshall said. "They're long uphills so if it's icy, they'll be particularly treacherous. If it's dry, the course will be rippin' fast."

Racers will also have to negotiate a section of the course that passes close to a pond - one that was covered in ice when four-time national cyclocross champion Steve Tilford crashed into it during a race last year. Incredibly, Tilford recovered from the frigid plunge to come back and win.

"We're officially labeling that pond as the 'No Tilly Zone' this year to recognize that feat," Marshall said.

Racers will have the unique opportunity to preview the national championship course on Sunday, Oct. 28 at the Boulevard Cup. For more information regarding this race, go to www.kcbike.com.

There is no admission fee for the U.S. Cyclocross National Championships. Parking is also free, but only in designated areas. There is no fee for pit access. Official race apparel is on sale through the event's official website, www.kccrossnationals.com.

ATHLETE REGISTRATION: www.kccrossnationals.com/NEW_SITE/Registration/index.html