We are very excited to announce that we will be one of the 13 USA Crits D1 teams for 2021! This is a huge opportunity for both our U23 riders and the program as a whole as we step into the national spotlight. Look forward to our roster and calendar announcement soon.
About USA CRITS:
Now in its 15th year, the USA CRITS is the premiere cycling series in the united states. USA CRITS was developed by Gene Dixon to feature criterium riders and to offer venues, teams and riders the ability to excel in a unique discipline of cycling. Starting in 2018, an effort to build the sport toward greater sustainability was taken on with the usacrits.tv project. The events that form USA CRITS showcase the ideals that make criterium racing an American legacy: challenging courses that showcase arts and entertainment districts, a large and growing base of spectators, broad community support, and strong marketing opportunities for partners.
America has a rich history of criterium racing, a unique form of cycling that stresses high-speed races contested amidst a thriving urban atmosphere. Criterium racing has been the consistent backbone of American cycling since the 1920s when cycling was king. Although an unrecognized discipline by the world governing body of cycling, criterium racing brings a unique set of skills to the sport and as such needs its own ranking and points system. Because criteriums are historically run on short laps through city streets, they offer spectators the opportunity to watch olympians and world and national champions up close as they ride at top speeds for up to two hours. Criterium racing’s ability to combine the most exciting elements of popular sports with the large-scale appeal of downtown arts and music festivals has made it the most enduring form of cycling in North America and the most spectator-friendly form of cycling with an ever-growing following of fans. When staged according to time-honored traditions, these races often draw more than 30,000 fans per event.