After a two-year absence from the US racing calendar, USA Crits returns in 2024 as a proper collection of six established occasions throughout April and Might in a trio of southern states. The gathering of races touts reside streaming, ‘travel-friendly’ geographical places and a base prize purse for elite riders of $200,000, based mostly on a mix of particular person race payouts and a collection bonus for prime 10 elite males, elite girls and groups.
4 of the six occasions have been a part of USA Biking’s nationwide calendar for professional highway racing, starting with the collection begin on April 13 at Sunny King Criterium, now in its twenty second version in downtown Anniston, Alabama.
The center stops of USA Crits will probably be April 26-27, the Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System Criterium in South Carolina on Friday adopted by the Athens Orthopedic Clinic Twilight Criterium in Georgia on Saturday. The finale will probably be on Might 25 at Winston-Salem Biking Basic in North Carolina, with its distinctive figure-eight course set amid a backdrop of the “Gears & Guitars” musical competition.
“The 4 most important occasions within the collection are the longest standing criterium occasions within the South,” mentioned Marilyn Hill, advertising supervisor for USA Crit in addition to race director for Sunny King Criterium.
“Having us all collectively will provide the athletes the perfect lineup of occasions, an simply manageable schedule to finish, and a stable money payout on the finish of the six-week collection. Collectively, these are the South’s premier, historic criteriums.”
Two extra Georgia races are anticipated to finish the collection – the Rock & Highway Criterium p/b 75 Jackson Properies in Newnan on April 21 and LaGrange Biking Basic on Might 4.
Each Sunny King Criterium and Athens Twilight Criterium is not going to return to the American Criterium Cup nationwide collection in 2024. That assortment of criterium races will start June 7 at Saint Francis Tulsa Powerful and conclude September 1 at Bommarito Audi Gateway Cup. The ACC has eight races on subsequent 12 months’s calendar.
One of many key concerns for the calendar in 2024 with USA Crits, in accordance with Hill, was USA Biking’s Professional Highway Nationwide Championships, that are scheduled for Might 14-19 in Charleston, West Virginia. USA Crits saved that weekend open in order to not create a battle with these highway occasions, together with the US Professional Criterium Championships.
USA Crits, which had supplied a home collection for 15 years previous to 2022, continues to be managed by Swagger LLC, a sports activities manufacturing firm in Athens, Georgia owned by Gene Dixon. Thad Fischer will function the chief director of USA Crits, whereas Hill additionally serves as coordinator for broadcasting. Reside streaming will probably be supplied for all professional races at USACrits.com, and different broadcast companions will probably be confirmed at a later date.
Swagger additionally organises Pace Week, thought-about a ‘sister occasion’ for the revival of USA Crits. The Spartanburg, Athens and LaGrange occasions are anticipated to return within the regional collection, with Newnan a brand new cease for Pace Week. Final 12 months that regional collection was gained by Leah Kirchmann (Denver Disruptors) and Evan McQuirk (ButcherBox Biking p/b LOOK).
Swagger shut down USA Crits after the conclusion of the 2021 racing season when one the corporate’s contractors was quickly suspended by US Middle for SafeSport for allegations of misconduct, and the corporate then terminated employment. In October 2023, the suspension for the person was modified to ‘everlasting ineligibility’ from participation in actions and competitions with USA Biking.