After a successful weekend at Louisville’s Joe Creason Park in 2017, the Pan-American Championships will be moving to Canada for 2018 and 2019.
After Christel Ferrier-Bruneau and Michael van den Ham’s Elite podiums in Louisville and the expansion of the Canadian UCI cyclocross calendar for 2018, the move marks the latest in Canada’s growing cyclocross stature.
Michael van den Ham took third at the 2017 Pan-American Championships. © D. Perker / Cyclocross Magazine
CykelHaus Race Promotions, Cycling Canada and the Pan-American Cycling Confederation announced today that the Pan-American Championships will be held in Midland, Ontario on November 3 and 4, 2018. The race will be held at Little Lake Park, home of the 2017 Silver Goose UCI C2 racing.
The Silver Goose event returns in 2018 and the Pan-American Championships races will be part of the festivities.
The Pan-American Championships were held in Cincinnati from 2014 to 2016 and then moved to Louisville for the 2017 event last month. The next two seasons will be the first time the Championships are held outside the U.S.
Silver Goose Event Director is excited about the opportunity for Midland community and Canadian cyclocross. “Our team is incredibly excited to invite the Americas to Midland,” he said. ” It is a fantastic opportunity, and the benefits will go well beyond cycling for our rural community. We have partnered with the local Georgian Bay General Hospital Foundation to raise funds through the event.”
Elite Pan-American Championships are awarded in five categories: Junior Men, U23 Women and Men, Elite Women and Men. The championships provide an opportunity for racers to gain valuable UCI points for international seeding as well as to receive the prestigious Pan-Am Champion’s jersey to wear in competition.
Riders will be competing for the coveted Continental Champion’s jersey. Curtis White showing of his Pan American continental championship jersey and Namur mud. 2016 Namur Cyclocross World Cup, U23 Men. © B. Hazen / Cyclocross Magazine
New for 2018 will be Masters Pan-American Championship races. Masters age groups will be in ten-year increments, starting with 35-44 and continuing upward. Hauser commented, “It’s a great way to draw racers of all ages to the event, whether Elite or Masters. The chance to win a Pan-Am jersey will make for exciting competition for all ages.”
The Masters Pan-Ams will be held on Saturday, November 3. Saturday will also feature a UCI C2 race for the Elites, and then the five Pan-American Championship races will be held on Sunday, November 4.
The complete international cyclo-cross calendar, including the Pan-American Championships, will be formally announced in early February after ratification by the UCI Management Commission. Complete event details, including racer info, registration info, hotel info and sponsorship opportunities will be available soon on the event website: www.silvergoosecx.ca
About the Pan-American Championships
The Pan-American Cyclo-cross Championships are open to racers from the 44 nations of the Pan-American Cycling Confederation (COPACI) spanning the continents from the Arctic Circle to Tierra del Fuego.
Chairman of the Pan-American Cyclo-cross Commission, Brook Watts noted, “The announcement is further proof of the continued globalization of our sport as the championship begins to draw interest and host bids from other nations.”
Josh Peacock, Competition Coordinator for Cycling Canada Cyclisme, commented on the significance of the event coming to Canada, noting, “Cyclo-cross continues to be one of our country’s most sought-after racing disciplines. Welcoming the Pan-American Cyclo-cross Championships to Canada will be a testament to the strong level of organization and competition that our country has become known for in recent years.”
