2017 Derby City Cup Cyclocross Event Set for New Course in Joe Creason Park
Derby City Cup will Serve as Test Event for 2018 USA Cycling Cyclocross Nationals
Louisville, Ky. – September 13, 2017 – World-class cyclocross racing makes its debut on a brand new course at Louisville’s Joe Creason Park on Nov. 4-5 when the nation’s top professional, amateur, and masters riders gather for the 10th annual Derby City Cup and the UCI Pan-American Cyclocross Championships.
The two days of racing in November also will serve as the test event for the USA Cycling Cyclocross National Championships that will be held Dec. 11, 2018, at Joe Creason Park. The Derby City Cup, which includes UCI C2 races for pro men/women and juniors, will be the only time that amateur and professional cyclocross riders in the U.S. will have the opportunity to ride competitively on the Joe Creason course prior to the 2018 National Championships.
Also, the prestigious UCI Pan-American Cyclocross Championships, scheduled to be held during the Derby City Cup on Sunday, will provide opportunities for the top professional cyclocross riders from Canada, the U.S., and Central and South America to earn valuable points toward qualification in World Cup competition and the 2018 UCI Cyclocross World Championships.
Registration for amateur and professional riders is now open at www.thederbycitycup.com. Competition will take place at Joe Creason Park on Saturday, Nov. 4 from 8:30 a.m. until 6 p.m. and on Sunday, Nov. 5 from 7:30 a.m. until 5:10 p.m. Practice sessions will be held on Friday, Nov. 3.
“Derby City Cup is always a show and we cannot wait for the ’17 edition,” said Gary Metcalf, president of Cadence Sports, Inc., co-owners of the event along with the Louisville Sports Commission. “It has all the ingredients to be something special.”
“We are excited to welcome back to Louisville some of the best cyclists in the world to showcase the new course at Joe Creason Park,” said Louisville Sports Commission President & CEO Karl Schmitt. “Kudos to the team at Metro Parks for building this course specifically to host the 2018 Cyclocross National Championships.”
“U.S. champion Katie Compton will return from her training in Europe to compete at the Derby City Cup at Joe Creason Park in November, and we expect the other top U.S. pros, amateurs and masters riders from across the U.S. to be here as well,” Schmitt continued.
Cyclocross racing is a hybrid between road cycling and mountain biking that is athletically demanding, and fan and family-friendly. The experience for fans is interactive, with viewing areas within a few feet of the course, and cheering, jeering and crazy costumes that help energize the riders. Competitors race around an off-road circuit on bicycles that look very similar to road bikes but have been built to take on the demands of rougher off-road racing. Circuits are typically 1.5 to 2 miles long, and feature obstacles that may force riders to dismount their bicycle. Multiple laps showcase these elite riders’ phenomenal skills and amazing speed, invoking the nickname “an hour of pain.”
Louisville has become a mecca for championship-level cyclocross competition, having successfully hosting the 2013 UCI Elite World Championships, the 2012 and 2013 UCI Masters World Championships, and the annual Derby City Cup at Eva Bandman Park.