Echelon Racing Project begins its first season at UCI continental level at the Challenge Ciclista Mallorca, a series of five level 1.1 races from January 25-29. They will race alongside eight WorldTour teams, including Soudal-QuickStep, with the double world champion Julian Alaphilippe makes his season debut.
There are 10 ProTeams on the pitch, along with an additional pair of Continental teams and the Spanish Track Selection team. Mallorca races start on January 25 with Calvia Trophy and will end on January 29 with the Trofeo Palma, with live broadcasts on Eurosport for the last hour and a half of racing each day.
After six seasons in the amateur ranks as an elite US national team, Project Echelon Racing has moved up to the UCI level and added four international stage races to its schedule. After the Mallorca opener, other international stage races will include the Vuelta Colombia in South America, the 10-day Tour Cycliste International de la Guadeloupe in France and then the Vuelta a Guatemala in Central America.
Project Echelon will also compete in the final two UCI stage races on the US calendar this spring – Tour of the Gila and Joe Martin Stage Race. Tyler Stites, silver medalist at the US Pro Road Nationals, led the stage race scoresheet for the team last year with third place overall to Joe Martin and took two stage wins at the Tour of the Gila. He also won the GC title at the Redlands Bicycle Classic.
Also back is New Zealand’s Ethan Craine, who claimed the U23 crown and second place in the sprint standings in the 2022 men’s American Cup Criterium nine-race series.
2023 Canadian Gravel Championships
Canada will join the growing list of countries to host a national gravel championship in 2024. Titles will be decided by the results of the Paris to Ancaster (P2A) cycle race, the 110km Cento course.
The P2A, inspired by Paris-Roubaix, is the ancestor of the gravel race trend. Now in its 29th year, it has been taking place since 1994 and features rough paved roads, farm tracks, gravel roads, single track trails and tarmac west of Hamilton, Ontario.
This year’s race will take place on April 30. As of January 16, P2A already had 1,600 registered runners for the four distances.
USA Cycling has listed a gravel championship event in its slate of national championships for 2023, but the date and location have yet to be announced. The Netherlands held their championships in 2022, with Marianne Vos wins the women’s title with Coen Vermeltfoort in the men’s race.
The UCI sanctioned their first world gravel championships in 2022. Gianni Vermeersch won the men’s title and Pauline Ferrand-Prévot won the women’s title.
Joint eSports Championships for the United States and Canada
USA Cycling and Cycling Canada have teamed up for a joint national esports championship. The event will take place February 11-12, 2023, with online registration open until 5 p.m. (ET) on February 8.
Cycling Canada will offer six categories while USA Cycling will offer a total of 14 categories, eight of which are divisions for first-time para-cycling athletes. All para-cycling events will take place on Sunday.
Feehery headlines new runners for Miami Blazers, new women’s team confirmed
The Miami Blazers, an elite U.S. national men’s team that found success in the first American Criterium Cup last year confirmed they will have seven new ones on the 11 rider roster for 2023.
One of the new riders will be part of a new women’s program and the first confirmed rider was Alexi Costa-Ramirez, a sprinter from Trinidad and Tobago who raced with CWA Racing p/b Goldman Sachs ETFs for two seasons.
“The Miami Blazers are actively building the women’s program and looking for new talent. Alexi is the first to sign for the women’s program and the team is looking forward to building its first women’s team. The team has not yet determined its schedule for final race for 2023,” a team spokesperson said, noting the goal would not be to compete in the National Cycling League.
Last season, the Blazers finished as the third-best men’s team in the all-new American Criterium Cup series. The four returning riders are Dante Young, Hasani Hennis, Joshua Kelly and 2018 US Pro Road Race Champion Jonny Brown.
Brandon Feehery, who is leaving Project Echelon Racing, tops the list of new men’s firepower. Feehery dominated the ACC series last year winning the individual titles overall and in the sprint. He will be joined by Daniel Estevez, Ruben Campanioni, Oscar Quiroz, Spencer Moavenzadeh and Tanner Ward.
Miami Nights Connects to ZleL Concept Store for Fans
The new national elite team in Miami is the Miami nights, founded by the organizers of the National Cycling League. The team announced this week that it will be partnering with ZleL Concept Store, located in Coral Gables, Florida, as the official fan headquarters and clubhouse for professional racers.
The Zlel site offers cycling clothing and equipment for sale, as well as maintenance and repair services and a selection of food and beverage products for retail customers. Memberships start at $250 per person.
“ZIeL is a hub for cyclists to train, recover, shop, maintain their bikes, and learn about the latest trends and technology in the sport, surrounded by people who are passionate about cycling,” Frank said. Travieso, one of the professional runners of the nights.
The NCL plans to kick off its four-race criterium series in Miami Beach in April. Zlel will support racers and NCL fans as the race headquarters. Throughout the 2023 season, the store will also serve as a base for riders and enthusiasts to participate in group rides, clinics and special events.
The NCL will launch in 2024 with 10 invitation-only teams competing in a series of criterium-style races in four major markets for a $1 million purse. The races will begin in Miami Beach, Florida, then stretch throughout the summer to Atlanta, Georgia, Denver, Colorado and Washington DC. In 2024, the NCL hopes to expand with races in eight cities. Dates for the 2023 four-race series have not been announced.
UCI North American Continental Teams
A total of 14 men’s and women’s teams have been confirmed by the UCI at continental level in North America for 2023. The United States leads with six men’s and four women’s teams for international races, while in Canada , there are three men’s teams. and a women’s solo team. There were no teams at this level from Mexico.
On the women’s side, DNA Pro Cycling returns to the continental level for a fourth consecutive year and the sixth time since 2016. Reemerging after three years as a national elite program, Blue Ridge TWENTY24 from Virginia, entering its 18th season.
InstaFund Racing is Canada’s only team and returns to a fourth season at the continental level. New teams on the block are Cynisca Cycling and Roxo Racing, competing in their inaugural seasons.
The men’s team with the most longevity is USA-based Hagens Berman Axeon, who started in 2009 and spent two of their previous 14 seasons at a top second tier. Other notable U23 development teams returning to continental level are EF Education-Nippo Development Team, in its third year, Canada-based Premier Tech U23 Cycling Project, for a second year, and Team Novo Nordisk Development, in its 11th year. but third at the Conti level.
Project Echelon Racing is back for a seventh year and stepping up from the national elite level for the first time. Team Skyline returns for a fifth year, while L39ION from Los Angeles returns for a third year.
Among Canadian teams, fourth-year Toronto Hustle are back at Conti level for a second season, while X-Speed United are returning for a fifth season as a Canadian-registered team based in Belgium.
The men’s teams for 2023
- EF Education – Nippo Development Team (USA)
- Hagens Berman Axeon (USA)
- L39ION of Los Angeles (USA)
- Premier Tech U23 cycling project (Can)
- Echelon Racing Project (USA)
- Novo Nordisk Development Team (USA)
- Team Skyline (USA)
- Toronto Hustle (Can)
- X-Speed United Continental (Can)
Women’s teams for 2023
- Cynisca Cycling (USA)
- DNA Pro Cycling Team (USA)
- InstaFund Racing (May)
- Roxo Racing (USA)
- Virginia’s Blue Ridge TWENTY24 (USA)
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