USA Cycling drops 30-34 masters category for nationals beginning in 2012
USA Cycling is dropping the 30-34 age category for both men and women at masters road and track nationals, citing what national events managing director Micah Rice called a "chronically low level of participation."
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There will be one less stars-and-stripes jersey up for grabs at USA Cycling’s masters road and track national championships in 2012.
The governing body dropped the 30-34 age category for both men and women, citing what national events managing director Micah Rice called a “chronically low level of participation.”
“For example, this year at masters road nationals, we had 25 men show up for the 30-34 criterium while our 40-44 and 45-49 fields had over 100 riders each,” Rice said. “For the women’s 30-34 race, there were 10 riders. The numbers at masters track nationals were even smaller.”
USA Cycling members will notice other changes in 2012:
- The tandem track sprint national championships will be eliminated.
- USA Cycling will begin selling annual licenses for a youth class. This class is defined as riders with an actual age of 6 through a racing age of 9. A “youth race” is defined as a race held on a closed course with a circuit of 5km or less.
- Riders in the 12-and-under age categories will be restricted to mass-start-legal bikes in all races, which means no aero bars, no wheel covers, and at least 16 spokes per wheel. These rules will also apply to the 13-14 age group in 2013.
The 2012 USA Cycling rulebook will be available online soon at www.usacycling.org/rulebook. USA Cycling officials will begin receiving the rulebook in the mail in December 2011.