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UCI Announcement On New Women Under 23 category For Cyclocross Worlds

25 August 2015

The 2016 UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships will see the introduction of a new category for women riders: Women Under 23 (see article 5.1.002 of the UCI Cyclo-cross Regulations). Athletes aged from 17 to 22 will be eligible to race in this new category, which is abbreviated to WU. Women aged 23 or more will compete in the Women Elite category. Until now, all these athletes raced together in the category, Women.

If judged pertinent, the WU category could be introduced to the UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup in the future.

For the Continental Championships, the WU category will replace the Women’s Youth category (which combined Junior Women and Women Under 23). National Federations wishing to do so may replace the Junior Women category by the new WU category.

The questions and answers below clarify the main points in relation to the new Women Under 23 (WU) category.

How are UCI points awarded for these WU races?

• UCI World Championships: top 30 places (same points scale as Men Under 23) • Continental Championships: top 10 places (same points scale as Men Juniors) • National Championships: top 10 places (same points scale as Men and Women Elite)

The points scale can be found in Annex 4 of the UCI Cyclo-cross Regulations.

Is there prize money for WU category at the World Championships?

Yes, according to the UCI Financial Obligations, the prize money will be the same as for the Men Under 23 at the UCI World Cyclo-cross Championships (first three places).

Can a woman rider who is under 23 compete in both the WU event and the Women Elite (WE) event on a Championship weekend where separate races are held for each category?

No. As with Men Under 23, a woman rider who is under 23 must compete in the WU category event during a Championship weekend.

What about all other UCI Women’s C1 and C2 events?

For C1 and C2 races, the “old” race category of “Women” remains (Women age category 17 and older). Separate points will not be awarded.

Is there a separate WU UCI ranking?

No. As with the Men Under 23, Women Under 23 will simply be ranked in the Women UCI ranking.

What is the recommended duration for a WU race?

According to article 5.1.048 of the UCI Cyclo-cross Regulations, a WU race will last as close as possible to 40 minutes.

How will the start order be determined for a WU race?

According to article 5.1.043 of the UCI Cyclo-cross Regulations, using the most recently published UCI cyclo-cross individual ranking of the current season (or the final ranking of the previous season if no ranking has yet been published for the current season).

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UCI Presser: “Decisive progress for cyclo-cross with new partnership between UCI and Telenet”

Here is the UCI press release on Telenet cyclocross partnership. 

The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) and Telenet are pleased to announce they have signed a contract for a long-term strategic partnership covering the principal UCI cyclo-cross events.   The agreement will take effect from the 2015-2016 season and will run through to the end of the 2019-2020 season. It relates to the UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup and the UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships. Telenet will take over, on sub-licence from VRT, the rights for five of the seven rounds of the 2015-2016 UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup (VRT will retain the rights of the Flemish rounds in Koksijde and Heusden-Zolder). In addition, Telenet will become the main sponsor of the UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup. From 2017 to 2020, VRT will continue to broadcast, on sub-licence and in partnership with Telenet, two rounds of the UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup organised in Belgium as well as the UCI Cyclo-cross World Championsihps. From the 2016-2017 season through to 2019-2020, Telenet:

will broadcast all rounds of the UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup on all of its channels and will provide a dedicated offer on its digital platforms (mobile applications and Internet),

will take care of international TV production and provide images (live, summaries, interviews, behind the scenes) to all right-holders,

will become the title sponsor of the Telenet UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup.

Telenet will guarantee the quality of the TV production by using the most advanced technological means (onboard cameras, drones, trackers) so that cycling enthusiasts can get as close as possible to the riders as they watch the racing.

Commenting on this partnership, the UCI President Brian Cookson stated: “I am delighted by this partnership with Telenet, which will reinforce the development of cyclo-cross in Belgium and throughout the world. Our World Cup will visit the United States for the first time during the 2015-2016 season with the Cross Vegas event, and we mean to continue the globalisation of this discipline. The year 2016 will also see the introduction of the new Women Under-23 category at the World Championships in Heusden-Zolder, proof of the UCI’s commitment to developing women’s cyclo-cross. The contract with Telenet is a new and significant step and will allow us to further invest in the discipline’s expansion.” The CEO of Telenet John Porter added: “At Telenet we are as enthusiastic about cyclo-cross as the public: our commitment in a sponsoring role, with the Telenet-Fidea Cycling Team and now with the UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup, attests to the fact. We have the firm intention to continue investing in cyclo-cross and to contribute further to the development of the discipline. We will go full capacity with our TV production and television viewers can expect some amazing images.”

[cxhairs]

Support The Peppers!!

Some of my favorite people in professional bike racing are part of the Pepper Palace p/b Happy Face squad. These women race hard, are competitive as hell, and do it all while having more fun than any other team out there. 

As you know, nobody is getting rich racing bikes in the U.S., and this squad needs your support. But this is not merely a call for donations (although if you want to do that, they will be sooooo grateful) but an opportunity to get a box full of sweet swag for next to nothing. Under $30 gets you some great product and helps keep the Peppers on the road. It’s a win, win, win (a deal so good it comes with an extra bonus win). 

Give them your support. Know your helping a great team. And watch these women continue to kick ass for years to come.

Here are the deets:

We're raising money to fund the remainder of our race calendar and we thought what better way than to let our fans and supporters get a taste of what it's like to RIDE LIKE A PEPPER. Our Pepper Palace Pro Cycling Kit is full of products and discounts from our awesome sponsors, inside information on the riders, as well as treats and secret recipes. With over $50 worth of merchandise, $100's more in discounts and all the proceeds going back to the team you absolutely can't go wrong with this one.

Please consider helping us raise the funds to complete the remainder of the races this season by visiting the below link and purchasing a box or providing a donation:

http://shop.therunnerbox.com/pepper-palace

Endless Thanks, The Peppers

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Montreal Cyclocross World Cup Canceled: UCI Statement

UCI Statement on Cyclo-cross World Cup

29 June 2015

The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) and Cycling Canada are disappointed to confirm that the planned 2015-2016 UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup round scheduled in Montreal, Canada, in September is cancelled. Despite final efforts to secure the significant government funding necessary to host a high-level World Cup event, this has not been received in time to comfortably proceed. With teams and suppliers needing to plan ahead, it was felt that the decision not to proceed for 2015 had to be made at this time. It is the plan and desire of both the UCI and Cycling Canada to hold the event in the future. The intention is to secure the necessary financial support prior to accepting the event on the calendar, and then deliver a top-level competition in Canada. We regret any inconvenience this decision has caused for the teams and athletes who were looking forward to participating in the Montreal World Cup.

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Great onboard view of what @ccbid Wednesday Night Spins looked like from inside the Cat “C” pack. Video via Matt Toigo. Gets a little slippy near the end. Despite the Internet’s concern (thank you Internet), not one of the over 300 people who raced in the series ran into a concrete post.

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Hands down, @bikereva's #Tabor2015 #CXWorlds course preview is my favorite.

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Nice usacycling  Euro-Cross Camp slice of life video from Christmas races in Belgium.

[cxhairs]

How did I miss this GoldenPalace.be Wout van Aert ad? With an amazing GPON at the end.

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E-Mail From @USACycling to U.S. Cyclocross Nationals Competitors

In light of the events of this past weekend at the 2015 USA Cycling Cyclo-cross National Championships, I wanted to take time to address a few of the circumstances, decisions and reasons for those decisions that went into the timeline of events from Sunday morning until the competition’s conclusion on Monday. I hope that the information below will answer some of your questions and provide you with a better understanding of what exactly happened in Austin this past weekend, particularly regarding the Sunday postponement and the decision to have the women’s 15-16 juniors ride with the 17-18 divisions.

First and foremost, we would like to apologize. The situation of postponing an event, especially on the final day with no time following the postponement where we could reallocate various divisions, is frustrating for all involved. We know how hard all of you trained and that you spent hundreds if not thousands of dollars to travel to Austin; and that you took time off of work and/or school to be at our event. Regardless of whether or not you were able to stay or you had to get back to work or school—or if arrangements were too expensive to justify—we are truly sorry that this happened.

While unexpected circumstances, which will be further outlined below, did arise, this event has the USA Cycling National Championship seal on it and is thus our responsibility. Anything that happens at our events, good or bad, ultimately falls on our shoulders.

For those riders who picked up a number but were unable to race on Monday due to the change in schedule, you will see a full refund shortly.

As a National Governing Body, we do all that we can to account for any situation. We spent hundreds of hours on the phone, exchanging emails and doing course visits and walkthroughs with the Austin city officials and the Parks and Recreation Department in the three years leading up to the event. In that time, we assembled contingency plans for weather, parking and any and all other imaginable circumstances that could strike Austin before or during our five-day event. We even had a backup venue selected from the time the original bid was submitted in the event that we could not run the championships at Zilker Park. We shared with the local government the extent to which the park would be damaged and made it clear that USA Cycling has monies budgeted to go into repair any damage to the grounds, a process that will begin this week.

Our first interaction with the Heritage Tree Foundation was during the course build out where we informally walked the course. These course surveys were based more on how to protect the roots with mulch. Yes, there was talk about critical root zones, but the course was very dry and specific adjustments were not formally required. However, as we discovered after the amount of precipitation and subsequent course being compromised with mud, divots, etc., the Austin Heritage Tree Foundation felt that the course ran too close to the root systems of these trees, threatening the trees’ health. Unfortunately, during the 36-month preparation for these championships and numerous discussions with the city, there was never mention of this concern. We performed a course walkthrough several months out as well as during course construction, and we did numerous walkthroughs during the event. These walkthroughs included Parks staff and their own forestry and tree expert. We were always told to work with our liaison with Parks and Recreation and we made all changes to the course based on their recommendations. Had we been asked to make additional changes at any point, we would have happily routed the course farther away from these root beds and done our part to stay away from these prized trees.

In fact, the first signs of concern we heard outside of making sure there was enough mulch over the root beds came last week when events were already underway. At that point, there was no indication that the Austin Parks and Recreation Department would consider pulling Sunday’s events. They let us know there was some apprehension among some citizens, and we reminded them of plans to repair park grounds following the Championships, but the city never informed us that we were at risk of shutting down for Sunday. Their only shared concern was parking—if we had too much rain we may be forced to move to our Plan B for parking (for which we were already prepared with maps and communication created weeks before).

When we arrived at the course on Sunday morning for the final day of competition, we started receiving reports that police were turning riders away around 7:15 a.m. The confusion was abundant across the board since we had not received any communication from the Parks Department that they wanted to shut the event down, which was in response to concerns raised by the Austin Heritage Tree Foundation. I can assure you that from the moment we first received reports of police turning competitors and fans away, we began calling and emailing Parks officials. When we did finally reach someone, the department was adamant about closing the park for 48 hours to allow crews to lay mulch over exposed root areas and re-asses the course. Obviously such a position was an impossibility in our eyes because we were adamant that racing had to happen.

As discussions and negotiation continued with the city over the next two hours, police began threatening to arrest USA Cycling members who were in the park waiting on further word from us, citing that the park was closed and cyclists were loitering. We felt at that point that it was in everyone’s best interest to make the announcement that the event was cancelled and for all to disperse at the instruction of law enforcement. After this announcement was made, we still continued to press city officials to see what, if anything, could be done to get our last day of racing in.

During this time, I also met twice with the pro teams to discuss our options and hear their preferences moving forward. With Sunday now an absolute impossibility, we discussed riding on Monday with the teams, which they unanimously favored over other options that included finishing Nationals after World Championships or having the last day at a separate location in the coming week or so.

We came to an agreement with the Parks and Recreation Department around 10:30 a.m. to let the park settle for 24 hours, lay down mulch and soil on exposed root areas and rework zones of the course under scrutiny—all compromises that we would have been happy to make at an earlier time.

Sunday afternoon, we did a 90-minute walk-through with the Parks Department and two arborists from the Austin Heritage Tree Foundation, and all sides were pleased with the changes.  

Please keep in mind that during all of this, we had to be deliberate in what was said and not said publicly. We absolutely did not mean to show a lack of transparency or to keep any of you in the dark; our No. 1 goal was to ensure that the competition happened, and we couldn’t afford to burn bridges along the way and risk losing the park on Monday. Since then, we have been in thorough discussion with all organizing parties involved to make sure that everything we share is accurate and not speculation because, as dues paying members, you deserve nothing less than the truth and the facts.

With the negotiated start time of 12:30 on Monday, we were obviously short-handed on time, which forced us to make some difficult decisions. The 12:30 p.m. start only allowed us five slots in which we could hold races. The final three of the day went to U23 men, elite women and elite men, which left two slots for men’s and women’s 15-16 and 17-18 juniors divisions.

The decision was ultimately made with the Chief Commissaire to race the men’s 15-16 division solo at 12:30, with the women’s 15-16 riders on course with the 17-18 men and women. Unlike a local cycling event, our goal at a National Championship is to protect the integrity of the podium, especially World Championship classes where UCI points are on the line. We want to make sure that the front of the race has no obstacles to overcome so that we have a deserving winner and the podium riders have as little traffic to run through as possible. The riders in contention for the medals would have fewer slower riders on course that they had to pass—had the women’s 15-16 riders been forced to start behind the men’s 15-16, the front of the women’s race would have been riding through much more traffic on lap one.

Also, given the mandated course modifications, the shorter juniors course was no longer available for Monday's racing. However, even if the 15-16 women had been afforded their own individual time on the course, the outcome of the race and number of laps for the winner would have been the same. Because they were turning 13-14 minute lap times for the 30-minute race, this category would always have done a total of two laps (winning time 26:12) rather than three laps (approximately 39:18). For those riders turning a slower first lap, in accordance with the way the events were run throughout the week, anyone turning a first lap time that would result in a projected total race time of over 36 minutes was pulled from the race after the first lap. On Monday, this accounted for riders placed 15th and farther back. Possibly seven additional 15-16 women would have been able to do one more additional lap in perfect circumstances. Was this an ideal situation? No, especially considering that our goal from the beginning was to showcase this women’s group on the final day of Cyclo-cross Nationals along with the elite riders. This was an unfortunate and unavoidable byproduct of a delayed and condensed schedule.

While I know that it does not begin to resolve the situation, I hope this information at least helps explain where we as an organization came from in our decision-making. Like you, we are also very frustrated in this chain of events that led to the postponement of Sunday’s races in Austin. Our membership and riders are our No. 1 asset and priority, and we feel terrible that all involved experienced this postponement.

Kind regards,

Micah Rice Vice-President of National Events, USA Cycling

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Johnson to retire as CEO of USA Cycling in 2015

  (Dec. 9, 2014) – Steve Johnson, President and CEO of USA Cycling, announced today that he will step down from his post next October following the 2015 UCI Road World Championships in Richmond, Va. After more than 15 years with the organization, he has decided that it is time to pursue new challenges and opportunities.

“The organization has never been in a better place,” said Johnson. “We have a solid financial foundation, an amazing and professional staff, an outstanding board of directors and tremendous leadership in Bob Stapleton as Chairman of the Board. While I will certainly miss working with the wonderful staff of USA Cycling and the many friends and acquaintances I have made over the years, after devoting the past 15 years of my life to the growth and development of USA Cycling, I think the time is right to pass the reigns to a new chief executive.”

“Steve has taken USA Cycling from a nearly bankrupt and dysfunctional assemblage to a financially sound organization that serves its members and develops winning athletes. USA Cycling is well positioned for the future,” said Board Chairman Bob Stapleton. “We will begin a search for Steve’s replacement in January and are planning enough overlap for an effective transition and to make significant progress on key initiatives.”

Johnson joined the organization in 2000 and served in a variety of positions including Executive Director of the USA Cycling Development Foundation, Director of Athletics and Chief Operating Officer before being named CEO in 2006. During his tenure with USA Cycling, he oversaw the establishment of the Development Foundation and the reorganization of the governing body, including groundbreaking governance reform. He was also responsible for securing the new national headquarters as well as the development and implementation of many innovative programs that continue to support the vision and mission of the company.

”This will be an exciting and progressive time for our members, partners and employees. We intend to deeply engage with our members across all disciplines, and we will intensify our support of event organizers,” Stapleton added. “The organization is on a firm financial footing, and we plan to further grow the company while continuing to develop Team USA Cycling to produce winning young athletes and Olympians.”

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The redbull Velodux CX race looked rad. Two notes: (1) @jverheul check out the Le Mans start. (2) @cdelinks check out the description: Cyclo-what?

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Changes to this year's @soudalclassics Jarrmarktcross course. Erwin Vervecken gives a preview. #Cyclocross

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@zdenekstybar will race #CXWorlds in the Czech Republic! (If he's healthy, in shape and the team let's him.)

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Behind the scenes w/@cxhairs & #Svenness at @crossvegas. These guys are AWESOME. Sven spent a LOOOONNNG time speaking with them which was amazing. Sven told them, “Thank you for using my name.” The @cxhairs guys were blown away. MOAR #VegasBaby moments coming up. #rideyourbike #drinkgreatcoffee #Grimpeur #specialtycoffee #cycling #CoffeeDoping

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USA Cycling: Prize money and new initiatives on tap for Pro CX

Colorado Springs, Colo. (August 29, 2014) — The 2014-15 edition of the USA Cycling Professional Cyclo-cross Calendar (Pro CX) begins on Sept. 6 and runs through Jan. 4, and will once again feature a $40,000 prize purse to be split between the top riders in each of the men’s and women’s standings at the conclusion of the season. The 2014-15 edition of the Pro CX calendar features 44 dates on the domestic schedule, including the addition of two C1 events which brings that total to eight for the coming year. Along with the prize money offered, two new initiatives are in place for the 2014-15 campaign:

·         Permanent numbers for top pros for the entire year

·         New qualification process for National Championships 

All riders who finished in the top 20 in last year's Pro CX have been given the option to have a permanent number. Numbers range from 2-99, with #1 being reserved for race directors to assign as they wish. Riders may keep their numbers as long as they remain in the top 20 of the Pro CX following each season. In addition, there are new qualifications to enter into the elite categories at Cyclo-cross National Championships. Invites for the elite divisions will ONLY be offered to:

1.    Any rider ranked in the top 90 in the Pro CX standings following the Deschutes Brewery Cup in Bend, Ore., on Dec. 6-7; or

2.    Any rider with UCI points

Also, riders will NOT be able to compete in BOTH Elite and Masters categories at the Cyclo-cross National Championships. They can only race in one of those two divisions, but may also enter a single speed and/or non-championship division.

Jeremy Powers (Easthampton, Mass./Team Rapha-Focus/#29), Elle Anderson (San Francisco, Calif./California Giant Berry Farms-Specialized/#22) and Austin Vincent (Simsbury, Conn./Race CF) topped the men's, women's and juniors men's standings after the 2013-14 Pro CX calendar concluded. This year's calendar features at least one event in 18 different states around the country, beginning on Sept. 6with the first of two consecutive days of Nittany Lion Cross in Breiningsville, Pa. It continues under the stars in Las Vegas, Nev., on Sept. 10 with Clif®Bar CrossVegas, the first of the calendar's C1 races. The spotlight quickly moves to Colorado as riders vie for points in the Colorado Cross Classic and the Boulder Cup in Boulder, Colo., on Sept. 13-14. The Trek Cyclo-cross Collective Cup in Waterloo, Wis., and Charm City Cross in Baltimore, Md., will each be held Sept. 20-21. The action remains in the northeastern United States the following weekend as riders will compete in the Great Brewers Gran Prix of Gloucester 1 and 2 in Gloucester, Mass., Sept. 27-28 before the focus shifts to Providence, R.I., Oct. 4-5, when riders will compete in the Providence Cyclo-cross Festival. The following weekend, Rochester, N.Y., will be the site of Ellison Park Cyclo-cross Festival on Oct. 11-12. The Pro CX circuit continues in the east with the HPCX in Jamesburg, N.J., Oct. 18-19, before heading west to St. Louis, Mo., for the Oct. 25-26 Gateway Cross Cup. On Oct. 31, the focus will be in Fairfield, Ohio, where riders will compete in Cincy3 @ Harbin Park before traveling to Mason, Ohio, to contest the Cincy3 @ Kings CX After Dark on Nov. 1. The action that weekend concludes in Covington, Ky., where riders will compete in the Cincy3 @ Devou Park on Nov. 2. Covington will also be the site of the Pan Am Continental Cyclo-cross Championships that day, a non-Pro CX event that features races for elite women, U23 men and juniors men. Also on that weekend, riders can compete on the east coast at the NEPCX- Cycle-Smart International on Nov. 1-2 in Northampton, Mass. From there, the riders return to the site of the 2013 UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships, Louisville, Ky., to contest the Derby City Cup on Nov. 8-9. In the middle of November, the Pro CX action will be in Iowa City, Iowa, as the 3 Day Carousel Volkswagen Jingle Cross is slated for Nov. 14-16. Riders will then travel to Stony Point, N.Y., to compete in Supercross Cup 1 and 2 Nov. 22-23. The following weekend, riders can burn off those Thanksgiving calories on either coast with the CXLA Weekend in Los Angeles or the Baystate Cyclocross in Sterling, Mass. Both races are slated for Nov. 29-30. The week after Thanksgiving, Dec. 6-7, will feature more bi-coastal action as riders can score points in Warwick, R.I., at the NBX Gran Prix of Cross and Deschutes Brewery Cup in Bend, Ore. The calendar includes a pair of races in Hendersonville, N.C., on Dec. 13-14, the North Carolina Grand Prix, before concluding in the New Year with the Kingsport Cyclo-cross Cup in Kingsport, Tenn., on Jan. 3, and the Resolution Cross Cup on Jan. 3-4 in Dallas (Garland), Texas. Both those races will serve as final tune-ups for the 2015 USA Cycling Cyclo-cross National Championships in Austin, Texas, Jan.7-11. The national championships are a non-Pro CX event. The Pro CX tracks standings winners among elite men, elite women and juniors men. Riders in those categories accumulate standings points by placing within the top 15 of the races on the Pro CX. In 2014-15, there are eight races ranked by the UCI as C1 on the Pro CX where the standings points available to riders are tripled. Those eight races are listed below:  

Sept. 10

Clif® Bar CrossVegas

Las Vegas, Nev.

Sept. 14

Boulder Cup

Boulder, Colo.

Sept. 20

Trek CXC Cup

Waterloo, Wis.

Oct. 4

Providence Cyclo-cross Festival

Providence, R.I.

Oct. 11

Ellison Park Cyclo-cross Festival

Rochester, N.Y.

Nov. 1

Cincy3 Lionhearts International

Mason, Ohio

Nov. 8

Derby City Cup

Louisville, Ky.

Nov. 15

3 Day Carousel Volkswagen Jingle Cross-2

Iowa City, Iowa

[cxhairs]

#crossiscoming #swissstyle @ekzcrosstour 

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ARLEY KEMMERER FORMS SOLO CYCLOCROSS TEAM “PB2 PRO CYCLING”

Palmerton, Pennsylvania.  August 26, 2014 –  Arley Kemmerer announces the launch of a new cyclocross team, PB2 Pro Cycling, headlined by Bell Plantation’s PB2 powdered peanut butter.  Kemmerer, coming off a banner season last year which included a World Championship team selection, partners with Bell Plantation, Milton Cat, Focus Bicycles, and nine other companies to create a program that will support domestic and international competition this season, with a focus on returning to the World Championships in Tabor, Czech Republic.

 “I’m really excited to have assembled such a great selection of sponsors this season” says Kemmerer.  “I’ve been using PB2 in my recovery shakes for a long time, so it seemed like a natural fit to approach them about sponsorship.  Milton Cat has been a perennial supporter of women’s cyclocross, and Focus released the extra small Mares 0.0 this season.  Everything has come together and is a great fit.  I’m looking forward to racing hard and representing my sponsors”.

  Bell Plantation, maker of PB2, is a family-owned company out of Tifton, Georgia, and is new to the cycling industry.  “We’re really excited to partner with Arley and get our brand out into the cycling community” says Debbie Layfield, Chief Operating Officer of Bell Plantation.  “Arley approached us as a consumer of PB2 to pitch the idea, and we were immediately intrigued by her talent and passion for the sport.  Arley’s enthusiasm and reach within the community presents a great opportunity for our brand, and we’re really excited to support her this season.”

  Kemmerer’s partnership with Milton Cat, supporter of New England development team LadiesFirst Racing, allows Arley to pair with development riders to provide mentorship throughout the season.  “I think giving back to the sport is so important” says Kemmerer.  “I’ve had a lot of help along the way, and am happy to return that support in any way that I can.  Working with LadiesFirst Racing is a great opportunity, and I’m very thankful that Millie Milton approached me with the idea.”

  Kemmerer will be riding the Focus Mares 0.0 this year, on the newly-released 48cm frame.  “Focus Bicycles is excited to have all new geometry on the 2015 Mares CX line” says Jeff Rowe, Operations Manager of Focus Bicycles USA.  “Arley is a rider that we’ve been watching for a few years, and with the introduction of the 48cm frame, we’re excited to help her take it to the next level.”

 Kemmerer will be outfitted with Sram Force CX1, American Classic wheels, Challenge Tires, Fizik shoes, saddles, bars, stems and bar tape, and Squadra custom clothing.  Also supporting PB2 Pro Cycling are Skratch Labs, Mad Alchemy, Swiftwick, ProGold Bikes and Sportif Coaching Group.  Check out Arley’s new website, www.arleykemm.com for the latest news, schedules, and other info.  Don’t forget to follow PB2 Pro Cycling and Arley on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.  See you in the mud!