In pursuit of its mission to provide a high-quality racing experience for members across all ages, skill levels and genders, USA Cycling will apply these new categories beginning December 1, 2008 in order to strengthen professional fields and add depth to amateur categories at the grass roots level.
Courtesy of www.usacycling.com.
The new categories, which closely resemble those used in other disciplines of competitive cycling, have been created to offer USA Cycling mountain bike members a more competitive racing environment. The previous license categories will be replaced with a new system which include Category 1, 2, 3 and Pro designations.
The previous structure, which consisted of five categories – Beginner, Sport, Expert, Semi-Pro and Pro – has been condensed to include four categories. Like the categories they’re replacing, Categories 1, 2 and 3 will also feature age groups classes.
One of the most synonymous names with the sport of mountain biking and Industry representative on the NORBA Board of Trustees, Gary Fisher, was also a major proponent of the change. He references the need for a more competitive environment domestically in order to improve the United States’ level of success in the pro ranks globally.
“We want bigger pro fields in the National Calendar events so our racers can better prepare for international competition like World Cups and World Championships,” said Fisher. “Our pro fields are tiny compared to our European counterparts. We have the numbers in terms of ridership, but we’ve been referring to them as Semi-Pros.”
Another benefit of the consolidation is that it presents a better opportunity for the development of professional athletes, according to Marc Gullickson, USA Cycling’s National Mountain Bike Development Director.
“The Semi-Pro category was originally created as a place for U23 athletes to compete before making the jump to the professional level,” explained Gullickson, “but now, the elimination of that category will help accelerate the progression of athletes who should theoretically be competing against stiffer competition on a more consistent basis. From a development standpoint, the Semi-Pro category became an unnecessary middle ground that made it difficult to assess talent.”
The change raises several topics that all USA Cycling mountain bike members should familiarize themselves with – most notably the conversion process. The switch will be simple and automatic. Members currently categorized as Experts will automatically become a Category 1; Sport members will automatically be converted to a Category 2; and Beginners will automatically become a Category 3.
Courtesy of www.usacycling.org.
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