The second 2013 USA Cycling national championship for elite track cycling, the Elite Mass Start Track National Championships, gets underway Thursday, Aug. 22, in Rock Hill, S.C. The event runs through Saturday and features competition in the sprint, scratch race, keirin, points race and Madison. The Elite Mass Start Track National Championships take place just two weeks after the Elite Timed Track National Championships were held in Carson, Calif., Aug. 9-11, and numerous medalists and national champions from that event will be on the track at the Giordana Velodrome in Rock Hill this week.
Fields and Schedules
Bobby Lea (Mertztown, Pa./Pure Energy Racing), a 2012 Olympian who captured gold medals in both the individual pursuit and international omnium two weeks ago, will be out for more hardware in Rock Hill as he is entered in the men's scratch race, points race and Madison. Lea will be looking to defend his national titles in both the points race and Madison, where he teamed up with Jackie Simes (Alburtis, Pa.) in 2012 to claim the gold medal.
Also back to defend 2012 titles are Matthew Baranoski (Perkasie, Pa./Pure Energy Racing) and Cari Higgins (Boulder, Colo./Exergy TWENTY16). Baranoski was last year's champion in the men's sprint and is fresh off gold-medal performances in both the individual time trial and men's team sprint at the Elite Timed Track National Championships. Higgins is also coming off a victory in the women's omnium in Carson and will look to defend her title in the Madison. In 2012, Higgins teamed up with Katie Compton (Colorado Springs, Colo./Trek Factory Racing) to capture the women's Madison title.
Other returning medalists from 2012 include Danny Robertson (Rolling Meadows, Ill./Momentum Coaching Group p/b Atomic), Zachary Kovalcik (Portland, Ore./Sizzle Pie Cycling p/b Veloforma) and Liam Donoghue (Boulder, Colo./Natural Grocers Cycling Team) on the men's side, and Tela Crane (Sammamish, Wash./JL Velo p/b Broadmark Capital) and Kate Wilson (Los Angeles, Calif./CPT) on the women's side.
In addition to Lea, Baranoski, Higgins, Donoghue, Crane and Robertson, other cyclists competing in Rock Hill who are coming off podium performances at the Elite Timed Track National Championships include Jacob Duehring (Irvine, Calif./Horizon Organic - Panache Elite Cycling), Jen Featheringill (Portland, Ore./Bike Central), Alissa Maglaty (Portland, Ore./Bike Central), Dana Feiss (Telford, Pa./), Al Urbanski (Portland, Ore./Sizzle Pie Cycling p/b Veloforma), Justin Williams (Tustin, Calif./SC Velo MRI Endurance Elite U23), Alexander Freund (Davis, Calif./VuMedi p/b Lombardi Sports), Colleen Hayduk (Kutztown, Pa./Fearless Femme p/b Pure Energy Cycling-Vie 13), Ruth Winder (Lafayette, Calif./Vanderkitten), Erica Allar (Tucson, Ariz./CARE4CYCLING p/b Solomon Corp.), Jessica Prinner (South Elgin, Ill./ CARE4CYCLING p/b Solomon Corp.) and Korina Huizar (Roseville, Calif./Hellyer Racing).
Thursday will feature finals in the men's keirin, men's and women's scratch race and women's sprint. Friday's menu includes finals in the men's and women's points race, while the final day of racing on Saturday will be highlighted by finals in the men's sprint, women's keirin, and men's and women's Madison. Click here for a complete race schedule.
Watch In Person Or Follow The Event From Home: There is free admission to the Girodana Velodrome for those who want to catch the exciting action of track cycling in person. Those who can't make it out to Rock Hill this week can follow the event on Twitter using hashtag #TrackNats or by visiting www.usacycling.org each night for post-race reports and photo galleries.
About USA Cycling: Recognized by the United States Olympic Committee and the Union Cycliste Internationale, USA Cycling is the official governing body for all disciplines of competitive cycling in the United States, including road, track, mountain bike, BMX and cyclo-cross. As a membership-based organization, USA Cycling comprises 74,500+ licensees; 2,800+ clubs and teams; and 34 local associations. The national governing body sanctions over 3,150 competitive and non-competitive events throughout the U.S. each year and is responsible for the identification, development, and support of American cyclists. To learn more about USA Cycling, visit www.usacycling.org.
About the Giordana Velodrome: The 250m world-class Giordana Velodrome is part of the Rock Hill Outdoor Center at Riverwalk. The facility, endorsed by USA Cycling, hosts national and UCI caliber events while introducing the local community to the Olympic sport of track cycling through a variety of rider development and outreach programs.
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