Preliminary Road Schedule Posted

Thanks for a great mountain bike season, everyone! We're looking forward to road season 2012.

As you may have heard, the ACA has reintegrated with USA Cycling! Stay tuned for more updates and improvements.

ACA-USAC Reintegration: Collegiate Perspective

This Friday, November 18, the American Cycling Association (ACA) will convene a meeting of its clubs to discuss potentially reintegrating the local Colorado-based governing body with USA Cycling (USAC), the National Governing Body. The Rocky Mountain Collegiate Cycling Conference  (RMCCC) is in favor of this reintegration and would like to share our perspective.

If you are looking for the heart and soul of cycling, look no further than collegiate cycling. You'll see reigning national champions training, travelling and having fun alongside rank beginners. Riders astride outrageously dilapidated bikes from the 1980s will take the start alongside rivals on bikes that would make ProTour racers blush. None of these extraneous factors matter to collegiate cycling. It's about the sport in the purest sense, and as we all know, the essence of cycling is fun. The spirit of collegiate has little regard for ancient squabbles between governing bodies. While the RMCCC could continue to endure the ACA/USAC dichotomy that exists in Colorado, there is too much at stake to ignore the opportunity that reintegration offers.

Collegiate cycling and the RMCCC are healthy in ways beyond the spirit and attitude, which is why the RMCCC should be nurtured by a local association, not ignored, as has often been the case with the ACA. The RMCCC has 459 licensed riders, 20 percent of those being women (compared to the national figure of 13 percent of all racers), and as a whole, collegiate cycling has grown 15 percent in the last five years. The numbers indicate strong growth, as well as greater parity, relative to the broader world of competitive cycling. The sport's long-term health and growth will come not from the aging demographic that currently makes up the majority of competitors, but rather, the young riders who are finding a life-long sport and passion.

We need an organization that encourages continued growth of the collegiate demographic. It should support its members as juniors, collegiates and beyond. The system must be simple, easy to navigate and interconnected, which is primarily why the existing situation in Colorado is ineffective. Benefits of reintegration will likely include:

Development: Reintegration will maintain continuity for juniors from the local development programs as they look ahead to collegiate teams. They will all be under the same licensing and development system and will be less likely to slip through the cracks. With many other activities competing for their attention and time, it's essential to provide juniors with a clear path to make cycling a life-long sport.

Non-Collegiate Racing: A standard license and governing body will facilitate student participation in summer racing, which will increase race participation, bolster non-collegiate club rosters, and, more importantly, cultivate these riders and their passion for cycling.

Race Promotion: In 2011, RMCCC teams promoted 37 races, but because the region currently does not have a USAC local association, these event promoters—mostly students—had little support. Reintegration and the creation of a new USAC local association will give collegiate organizers more resources to run better events, many of which offer non-collegiate races as well.

Cyclocross: Currently in the RMCCC, it is nearly impossible to develop one of the most vibrant and growing disciplines of cycling. This is due to the fact that we cannot officially run collegiate events in conjunction with regularly scheduled ACA cyclocross races. Offering true collegiate categories at well-established 'cross events will further boost attendance and provide another opportunity for young riders to enjoy the sport.

No, the USAC is not perfect, but neither is the ACA, and from my experience, I can tell you that everyone I have worked with at USAC has been helpful and genuinely committed to the betterment of the sport. It won't be a easy or simple transition; there will be growing pains, but that's the reality of working with a true National Governing Body. The bottom line is that this change will facilitate better development of our young riders in Colorado.

As alluded to in the beginning, collegiate cycling is not defined by the specifics of governing bodies, and truthfully, neither is the broader sport in all of its diverse iterations. I can say however, from my five years experience as RMCCC Director, that it is severely hampered by a lack of continuity between its small world and the broader world of local cycling, currently under the auspices of the ACA. Let's merge our two worlds together, put these headache-inducing organizational challenges behind us, and have some fun on bikes.

Sincerely,

Spencer Powlison

Former Collegiate Racer

Current RMCCC Director

Lifetime Bike Racer

It's 'Cross Time!

Keep the fun rolling this fall with cyclocross!

The RMCCC cyclocross season starts up this Sunday (November 13) in Broomfield. Here is all of the info you need to get after it.

Schedule - The schedule is posted on the RMCCC calendar page (http://www.rmccc.org/p/calendar.html). 3 of the 6 races are being run in conjunction with existing ACA races and CU has stepped up to promote our conference finals on November 19. 

Categories - CU has designated collegiate races for all categories. For the rest of the season, collegiate riders will race in the Open category. To be counted as a collegiate rider, you MUST sign up under your school name and race in your school kit. Collegiate racers will be scored in the Open category, then separate collegiate results will be compiled. We realize that this isn't ideal for all of you new racers that want to represent your school, but it is the best we can do this year.

Licenses - A current ACA license will be required at all events, except CU. Make sure you specify that you are racing for a college, as well as your team name when you register. Annual licenses are available here and one-days will be available at the races. For CU, your current USAC Collegiate license is all you need.

Conference Rankings - Conference rankings will be compiled after each race and posted on the RMCCC website. Men's and Women's conference champions will be crowned. Conference champions earn a front row call up at Nationals.

Nationals Qualifications - To qualify for nationals, you must be an A rider and participate in one conference event this season. 

MTB Nationals Qualification Info

We (well, mostly Topher), have just posted the final points standings for the MTB season.

So, here is the scoop with Nationals qualifications.

The following teams receive a full allocation, which means:
1. Maximum 6 riders per discipline (XC, STXC, DH or DS)
2. Maximum 8 riders per gender (combined across all four disciplines.

D1: FLC, CU, CSU, UW
D2: Western, CSM, Mesa, AFA

If your team is listed above, please send me your roster as soon as possible, so I can approve your riders to register. In order to do that, I need:
1. Name
2. Disciplines each rider shall race (i.e. XC, DH, etc.)
3. License number (nice to have but not 100% necessary)

If you are not on the 7 teams listed above but would like to race Nationals, please let me know, and we can likely accommodate your request.

Don't forget, all riders wishing to race nationals, must meet these requirements:

7L8.
(j) To compete in the Endurance Races at a mountain bike National Championship, a Rider must have competed as a 203 category A Rider in his or her final three conference Mass Start Endurance Races during the current season.
(k) To compete in the 4X or Dual Slalom Race at a mountain
bike National Championship, a Rider must have competed as a category A Rider in his or her final three conference Gravity Races during the current season.
(l)  To compete in the Downhill Race at a mountain bike National Championship, a Rider must have competed as a category A Rider in his or her final three conference Gravity Races during the current season, where at least two of those Races must be Downhill Races. Only in Conferences with fewer than two Downhill Events, riders may petition to substitute USAC Category 1 or  higher Downhill Events from the current calendar year

Last, but not least, the following riders will receive XC and STXC call-ups as the 2011 RMCCC Champions in their respective genders and divisions:

D1 Women: Katie Sodergren, CU
D1 Men: Rotem Ishay, FLC
D2 Women: Madison Samblanet, WSC
D2 Men: Joe Schneider, CSM

Conference Meeting Saturday

REMINDER: The Fall conference meeting has been set for Saturday, October 15 in Durango. We will be meeting at 7pm at the Senate Chambers in the FLC Student Union. Big thanks to Dave Hagen for getting it set up for us. The primary goal of the meeting will be to set the 2012 road schedule. We will also be discussing the 2011 MTB season, possible rule changes, and anything else . Please let me know if you have something you'd like to discuss and I'll make sure it gets on the agenda.


If your team is planning on hosting a 2012 road race, you need to be at this meeting!

WSC and Nationals Info Now Posted

For all of you interested in the race info for this weekend, the flyer is now posted. A few notes on differences between the updated one and the flyer that is currently on the USAC website:

1) XC will be held Sunday and STXC on Saturday

2) STXC will start at 9:00 AM

3) Lodging will be available in some unoccupied apartments on Western's Campus. Cost will be minimal and we should have some more information tomorrow

In other news, national championships info is now available here. The schedule has been tweaked slightly from the last few years, so make sure to look at it carefully (especially if you are planning to do the individual omnium.

Let me know if you have any questions and I'll see you this weekend!

Wyoming Results and a Note on Licenses

The results from last weekends race in Steamboat are now posted on the Calendar page. Take a look and let us know if you see any mistakes. Current points and conference standings should be up by the end of the week.

And, a quick note on licenses for A racers: If you are racing as an A, your license MUST show that you have been granted your A upgrade. We had several guys get past us last weekend and race in the wrong category. If you are a Pro or 1, we let it slide for this week. If not, you were DQ'd. Make sure you get your upgrade requests submitted as soon as possible. We will not be as lenient for the rest of the season.

Please let me, Spencer, or Alex know if you have any questions.

Update: Current standings are now posted here.