USA Cycling Partners with EuroCrossAcademy for Cyclocross Season

USA Cycling and the EuroCrossAcademy (ECA) are joining forces for the upcoming cyclocross shenanigans for the 2023-2024 season. Sounds fancy, right? Well, they’re gearing up for some two-wheeled chaos in European racing blocks, and they mean business. All this comes from a recent meet-up in Colorado Springs. I mean, that’s where these wheels officially got greased. Endurance Sportswire didn’t miss the memo either.

The game plan is simple: USA Cycling and ECA are teaming up to turn junior athletes into cyclocross dynamos. They’ve got this character-driven curriculum thing going on, focusing on the holistic development of these young guns. You know, the good ol’ process-to-performance philosophy. It’s like they’re cooking up the secret sauce of cycling, aiming to churn out junior cyclocross stars.

This cycling fiesta kicks off with the team’s first face-off at the Troyes World Cup in France. Then it’s off to Dublin, Ireland, for the second showdown the very next weekend. But don’t get comfy just yet—there’s a home pit stop in Louisville, Kentucky, for the 2023 USA Cycling National Championships. That’s right, Dec. 5-10, folks. It’s like their bikes have frequent flyer miles ’cause it’s back to Europe for the December block. We’re talking UCI Cyclocross World Cups in Namur, Antwerp, and a couple more top-tier European events. The grand finale? The 2024 UCI Cyclocross World Championships in Tabor, Czech Republic. It’s like their bikes have passports, right?

Jim Miller, the head honcho at USA Cycling, is jazzed about this collab with ECA. He thinks it’s going to be all high-fives and success for the young cyclocross hotshots racing in Europe. And they’re hitching their wagon to Geoff Proctor and ECA, ‘cause hey, if it ain’t broke, why fix it?

Founded by Geoff Proctor in 2003, ECA’s all about molding these cyclocross wonders both at home and in Europe. They’ve been at it for almost two decades, hosting summer training camps and European competition extravaganzas. The goal? To help young athletes bridge the gap between local racing and the big leagues.

Proctor himself is stoked about the chance to tag along with USA Cycling. He’s all pumped about getting these junior riders some World Cup seasoning. It’s like a buffet of experiences, and everyone’s raring to get these youngsters in on the action and growth.