While a national series in U.S. cyclocross is again on the shelf, there is a nation-wide cycling series doing well for itself at the moment.
The 2019 USA Crits series kicked off on Saturday at the Sun City Crit in El Paso. While some people were launching campaigns of a different sort in the Texas city, crit racers were embarking on their 10-race crit campaign that continues through September.
USA Crits is now in its 13th year of what it dubs “American Street Track Racing.”
The series cultivates the team nature of criterium racing by securing interest from what it calls “D1 Teams.” This season there are 20 D1 teams, with 11 men’s, 8 women’s and 1 mixed-gender team joining the series.
Another key part of the series structure is the usacrits.tv subscription live streaming channel. For $55 a year, fans can catch live streams of each race live and on demand.
Usacrits.tv is set up as a membership service, with money raised going to support the stream, payouts and other costs of running the series. The streaming service is now in its second year.
The series races are:
- March 30 – Sun City Crit – El Paco, TX
- April 27 – AOC Twilight Criterium – Athens, GA
- May 25 -Winston-Salem Cycling Classic, Winston-Salem, NC
- June 7 – Saint Francis Tulsa Tough – Tulsa, OK
- July 13 – ASWD Twilight Criterium – Boise, ID
- July 20 – Salt Lake Criterium, Salt Lake City, UT
- July 27 – San Rafael Sunset Criterium -San Rafael, CA
- August 3 – Littleton Twilight Criterium – Littleton, CO
- August 10 – Benchmark Twilight Cycling Classic – West Chester, PA
- September – Finals – TBD
Sun City Crit Women’s Results
Last year, Lily Williams (Hagens Berman | Supermint) made a splash at the start of the road season with a win at the Sunny King Crit.
With another year of experience under her belt as a relative newcomer to cycling, Williams again got an early-season win in El Paso on Saturday. Williams came to the line with her teammate LeighAnn Ganzer (Hagens Berman | Supermint) and got the win. Emily Flynn (LA Sweat) took third.
Multi-time Masters cyclocross national champion Christina Gokey-Smith (Colavita/Bialetti Pro Cycling) finished 6th and Laurel Rathbun (Colavita/Bialetti Pro Cycling) took 11th.
Lily Williams @supermintusa drove the El Paso women's race earning @bikereg Lap Leader and @ColavitaOil Orange. National champ and teammate Leigh Ann Ganzar joined her break with last weeks winner Emily Flynn @la_sweat . @ggbcycling will defend the young rider jersey. #usacrits pic.twitter.com/7O2hKwR4ym
— USA CRITS Series (@USACRITS) April 1, 2019
Other racers of note for cyclocross fans participating in the USA Crits series this year include Team S&M CX team manager Brenna Wrye-Simpson (DNA Pro Cycling) and Vittoria NE Cyclocross Series media director Lauren LeClaire (Levine Law Group p/b Huseby.com).
Full results are available at usacycling.org
Sun City Crit Men’s Results
In the Men’s race, Kevin Mullervy (Team CLIF Pro Racing) took the win at the line in a break of three. Tyler Stites (Aevolo) took second and gravel star Colin Strickland (Meteor X Giordana X Allied) finished third.
Friend of cyclocross and 2018 Dirty Kanza 200 racer Luke Keough (Texas Roadhouse) finished seventh. Eric Brunner (303 Project), Cade Bickmore (Aevolo) and Danny Summerhill (Texas Roadhouse) all finished in the top 20.
A break of four established with D1 riders Kevin Mullervy @TeamClifBar and Tyler Stites @Aevolo_Cycling in #race1 . Mullervy edges Stites to take home @ColavitaOil Orange and the @bikereg Lap Leader. Stites earns @JAKROOUSA Young Rider. Clif Bar takes the team lead. #usacrits pic.twitter.com/NX3XWUqgOE
— USA CRITS Series (@USACRITS) April 1, 2019
Full results are available at usacycling.org
Featured image: Snowy Mountain Photography
