UCI World Masters Cycling finals moved to Belgium
(USA Qualifier—August 19-21 in Fort Collins, CO)
Want to go for a rainbow jersey? The rules have changed. Get ready for Belgium in September with a stop in Fort Collins Colorado to qualify in August.
Goodbye Austria, hello Bastogne-Liege, Belgium
(May 18, 2011, San Francisco, CA) - There has been some confusion over the UCI Amateur World Championships (Road and ITT) but the game has recently changed. With seven different countries holding the qualifiers for the Road and ITT, the UCI World Cycling Tour Final (Amateur and Masters Worlds) is now in Belgium. The remaining USA qualifier is in Fort Collins, Colorado this August. Finalists from the top 25% of each age category will receive an invitation to compete in Belgium - on the roads along part of the famous Bastogne-Liege course.
Why the change?
Late last year, the International Cycling Union (UCI - the world governing body for sports cycling) revamped the world amateurs competition and announced a new competitive cycling series: UCI World Cycling Tour or UWCT, a global competitive cycling series for amateurs ages 16 to 65+. According to Andrea Marcellini Mendonça, UCI Cycling “for All” and Masters Coordinator, “Although professional cycling has been in the center of UCI’s regulations and championships, we cannot ignore the large participation in amateur cycling events. The UWCT was created to give people who devote their free time to cycling a chance to battle for a World Champion title.” Six countries are holding qualifiers with the finals in Belgium. The old “UCI Worlds” hosted in St Johann, Austria had its very last edition in 2010. Anyone who desires a UCI rainbow jersey will have to qualify first, then head on to Belgium. The new worlds finals course is not only famous but suits all rider types with its undulating terrain. The US Fort Collins qualifier road race is similar and boasts practically 70 miles of road closure, separate age run groups with field sizes up to 120. The TT course is a full 17.4 miles.
Photo from Perth, Australia qualifier this spring
The Echelon organization is the promoter of the Fort Collins Gran Fondo and host to these key United States UCI qualifying events. “Why come to Fort Collins? Well first of all, you have to if you want to qualify for Worlds,” said Hunter Ziesing, Director of the Echelon Gran Fondo series. “Equally as important, Fort Collins is hosting a premier event. Both the Road and ITT USA Qualifiers are open to any riders and we are running separate age groups on one of the best racecourses in the country including a near 70 mile road closure for the road races. Fort Collins is easy to get to, accommodations are reasonable and the weekend is a huge party.”
Organizers estimate over 10,000 people will be attending the weekend’s Fort Collins Cycling Festival featuring live music, great food, and family entertainment.
“One of the distinct features of our road races is the course and our support for the riders up to 120 in each field. Racers will not be mixed in with the Gran Fondo riders and will leave Colorado feeling as though they raced in their own gran tour.” Said Charlie Weinbeck, Director of the Fort Collins Cycling Festival. The Colorado Pro Challenge also starts the Monday following the UCI Fort Collins event.
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Email: info@echelongranfondo.org
