USA Cycling (USAC) has announced the creation of a formal women’s professional team structure for the 2013 US national calendar. The initiative, which USAC describes as “groundbreaking”, will give women riders the opportunity to ride the new women’s race at the Volkswagen USA Cycling Professional Road & Time Trial National Championships, which will move to Chattanooga, Tennessee, on May 25-27 next year.
In line with many races - across all disciplines - in the US calendar, men and women will be racing for equal prize money at the event. All women that took part in the 2012 national championships in Augusta, Georgia, will be eligible to race in Chattanooga, providing their team is registered as a domestic elite team.
“There has been a tremendous increase in awareness and interest in women’s professional road racing over the past decade,” said USAC CEO and president Steve Johnson. “We were very excited to add women’s representation to the Professional Road Committee as part of last year’s governance reform; and I think bringing the two championships together and equalising the prize lists are important steps in the continuing development of women’s cycling in the U.S.”
With the elite women’s race moving to May, under-23 championship races will be held in its place at the USA Cycling Amateur & Para-cycling Road National Championship, between July 3-7, in Madison, Wisconsin.
"Combining the women's and men's National Road and Time Trial Championships in 2013 is nothing but a good move,” said Nicola Cranmer, general manager of the Exergy-Twenty12 team. “Not only because of the obvious boost in media exposure that this will gain for women's racing, but also the fact that creating a separate U23 national championships later in the year gives the young athletes a target. Showcasing pro women alongside the pro men is a positive statement."
As well as the road race and time trial events, there will also be a women’s race at the USA Cycling Professional Criterium National Championships, on July 27, in High Point, North Carolina.
Additionally, USAC is proud to confirm that the second edition of the Exergy Tour, to be held in Idaho between June 5-9, has been granted the new 2.HC status by the International Cycling Union (UCI).