For the better part of a decade, the American domestic road racing scene hasn’t just been on life support; it’s been actively decaying in a ditch. But against all odds, the uniquely chaotic, high-speed world of US criterium racing might actually be stitching itself back together.
Surviving the USACrits Implosion
To understand how bleak things got, you have to rewind to 2021. USA Cycling had already unceremoniously killed off its Pro Road Tour ranking system, leaving the calendar fractured. Meanwhile, the biggest independent series in the country, USACrits, violently imploded when major teams boycotted the series following horrific sexual misconduct and SafeSport allegations against its key director.
With the governing body entirely checked out and the main domestic series nuked from orbit, American crit racers were left fighting for scraps in disjointed regional events.
The American Criterium Cup Steps Up
Now, the vacuum is finally being filled. While a heavily downsized version of USACrits is currently functioning as a hyper-regional Southeastern series, the American Criterium Cup (ACC) has officially stepped up to claim the “national series” crown.
Running from June through September, the ACC has linked six major events into a season-long omnium. More importantly, they’ve spaced the calendar out so that domestic elites—who overwhelmingly have to work full-time day jobs because cycling pays in energy gels and exposure—can actually manage the travel logistics.
It’s a far cry from the heavily sponsored glory days of the NRC, but it’s real, legitimate progress. If the ACC can maintain momentum and secure stable broadcasting, we might actually get to see American crit racing return to being the wildest, most entertaining 60 minutes in domestic cycling.
Here’s the calendar. They sized it for ants.
Sad to say you won’t see us in any of these places. For bike races or for anything else.