1: Here is a little background on UCI.
UCI or Union Cycliste Internationale is the world governing body for sports cycling and oversees international competitive cycling events. The UCI is based in Aigle, Switzerland. The UCI issues racing licenses to riders and enforces disciplinary rules, such as in matters of doping. The UCI also manages the classification of races and the points ranking system in various cycling disciplines including mountain biking, road and track cycling, for both men and women, amateur and professional. It also oversees the World Championships. USA Cycling as you know is America's governing body who follows UCI rules.
2. Here is some history regarding the new UCI and Amateurs and Masters World Championship Cycling Series:
One of the championships that UCI oversees each year is the World Amateur and Masters Cycling Championships which was held for the last several years in St Johann Austria. In the past you did not have to qualify but that is no longer the case. A new UCI cycling tour for amateur riders that will ultimately crown age group World Champions is being launched by the UCI for 2011. 7 Countries are holding qualifiers. The UCI World Cycling Tour (UWCT) is a series of UCI-sanctioned races that will be held all over the world. The UWCT will comprise a maximum of 15 qualifier events, leading to the UWCT Final. The top 10% in each age group of the qualifier events will automatically have the right to compete in the UWCT Final and race for the coveted UCI rainbow jersey. The new final will be held in September of 2011 along parts of the Liege-Bastogne-Liege course in Belgium
The former UCI Masters Road World Championships held in St Johann Austria no longer has the distinction of "Finals".
3. Commentary There has been some debate about the format of the new UCI series. Echelon's qualifier in Fort Collins is sticking to true racing and running separate age categories on largely closed roads, similar to USA Cycling format. Some of the host countries are running their qualifying races as gran fondo style or mass starts where age groups will be scored separately. In a perfect world, each country would run separate age groups like we are in Fort Collins but not all countries have that luxury to close roads like we do in Fort Collins.
UCI tells us they are working hard on permitting for the finals in Liege-Bastogne so that they can run separate age categories and we suspect they will.
4. Why does Echelon support the new series then? We like the notion of qualifying for worlds and applaud UCI's attempt to set up an international series. In time other countries will follow. You can go to any country to qualify too. We don't support the gran fondo style of qualifying and we are sticking to true racing. We also just want to support amateur bike racing and our partner, USA Cycling. Echelon also plans to add races to all of our fondos and we are expanding to foreign soils plus bonding with two of the best fondo operators in the world. .
5. Why come to Fort Collins, Colorado this August?
Echelon is hosting the premier USA Qualifier for both the Road Race and the TT. Per above, we are running separate age groups on one of the best race courses in the country. Also going on that weekend is the Fort Collins Cycling Festival and the start of the Quiznos Pro Challenge the following Monday. Fort Collins is easy to get to and accommodations are reasonable.
While our course is demanding (starts with a climb), it does not just favor climbers. After the initial climb there is a 43 mile run out down twisty canyons to the finish. Finally, you can enter as a fundraiser if you want for only $50 and the donations you raise will go to the USA Cycling Development Foundation.
Please contact me personally with questions or comments.
www.echelongranfondo.org
Hunter Ziesing
Executive Director
PlanetZ/Echelon Gran Fondo
107 Reed Ranch Rd.
Tiburon, CA 94920
415.720-6789 ph
415.435-3686 fx
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