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FROM USA CYCLING:
The 2009-10 USA Cycling Cyclo-cross National Championships have been awarded to the city of Bend, Ore., the national governing body announced today.
The USA Cycling Cyclo-cross National Championships were last held in the Pacific Northwest when Portland hosted the 2003 and 2004 editions. Since then, the annual event has been held in Providence, R.I. (2005-06) and Kansas City, Kan. (2007-08). With scheduled dates of Dec. 10-13 in 2009 and Dec. 9-12 in 2010, the two-year commitment returns the national championships to one of the most popular hotbeds of cyclo-cross racing in North America.
With more than 2,000 athletes from around the nation expected to compete in Bend next year, 35 national titles will be on the line throughout several categories of racing; including junior, U23, collegiate, masters and elite divisions for men and women.ÂÂ
“Bend is a special place and our entire community is honored to host the cycling world for the USA Cycling Cyclo-cross National Championships,†said Doug LaPlaca, president and CEO of Visit Bend and co-chair of the local organizing committee. “Anyone who has visited Bend understands the enormous enthusiasm and opportunity here – not just for cycling and cyclo-cross, but for sports and recreation in general.â€Â
Considered by many to be a hub for outdoor sports enthusiasts, Bend also plays host to the Cascade Cycling Classic, a USA Cycling National Racing Calendar event, recently hosted the XTERRA Trail Running National Championships, and will host the USA Triathlon Winter Triathlon National Championships next month. Additionally, the town has recently been named America’s Top Adventure Town by Men’s Journal, America’s Top Trail Running Town by Outside, one of the country’s Top-Five Ski Towns by Travel + Leisure, one of the Top-10 U.S. Triathlon Towns by Triathlete and “The Next Moab†by Mountain Bike.
