2020 USA Cyclocross Nationals are Canceled

In the latest bad, but nevertheless completely unsurprising, news from a 2020 that appears systematically designed to destroy us all, the remainder of the 2020 USA Cycling National Championships have been canceled.

Guess why? Yeah, you knew. While Europe is successfully hosting grand tours, COVID-19 is still wrecking shit in the USA.

That means no cyclocross nationals, which was kind of the last bastion of civilization. Uh, at least for US cycling fans. USA Cycling tells us “After months of planning and seeking alternatives to hold a safe and successful Cyclocross Nationals, USA Cycling is announcing today the cancellation of the 2020 Cyclocross National Championships and Collegiate Cyclocross National Championships.”

Well, that sucks. Some local racing has resumed (although none of the races I’d planned to ride are going ahead), but “the continued impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States have made running large scale national-level events too risky for participants, volunteers, staff, and our host communities.”

So, one fewer bike race in the US this year. Kind of a drop in the ocean at this stage, but imagine if the US had handled the pandemic better and we could all be watching racing instead of seeing the last races of the season canceled.

“We would like to thank Think Iowa City who worked expediently to provide alternatives and solutions to give racers a chance to compete at Cyclocross Nationals during these challenging times. Most of all, we recognize all who will miss the opportunity to showcase their efforts and the best cyclocross racing in the country. With a collective hope, we look forward to bringing great events back to our community in 2021.”

USA Cycling is working on nationwide virtual cyclocross challenge for riders to compete against one another in a socially distanced format. Sound shit, but whatever. I guess beggars can’t be choosers right now.