WATERLOO, Wis. (BRAIN) — The Trek CXC Cup, held at the bike company's headquarters since 2013, will become a UCI World Cup event this year.
The prestigious World Cup series will once again kick off in the U.S. This year, the series will begin with the Jingle Cross, a long-standing race in Iowa City, Iowa, which will be designated a World Cup for the second time this year.
The Jingle Cross is Sept. 16, and the Trek CXC Cup is Sept. 24. In between, the CrossVegas race in Las Vegas will be held Wednesday, Sept. 20. CrossVegas will be a UCI Cat. 1 race but not a World Cup event this year. Trek has hired CrossVegas director Brook Watts to organize its event.
Following the Wisconsin race, the World Cup series returns to Europe for the rest of its 2017-18 season.
Trek said its race course will be enhanced throughout the spring and summer to meet World Cup expectations. "We felt like we took a huge step in 2016 with the CXC Cup," said Trek Race Shop manager Scott Daubert. "After it was over, we asked ourselves, 'What's next?' Trek is a place that always pushes for bigger and better, and the World Cup will be no exception."
Trek said the men's and women's fields of this World Cup event will feature equal prize payouts. As in the past, the event will be free to attend, with food, beverages, merchandise and plenty of amenities available on-site.
After several years operating under the management of Renee Callaway, Trek hired longtime race organizer Watts to organize Trek's cyclocross races as it steps onto the World Cup stage.
"The U.S. continues to break new ground in 'cross, and World Cup Waterloo is proof," Watts said. "It's a joy to oversee what will be a great celebration of 'cross driven by Trek's enthusiasm. We will have lots of announcements to make as we get closer to September."
Regarding CrossVegas, Watts said, “We decided to return to our roots in 2017 with a focus on racing for all categories. The racing will be just as exciting, and the fun will be at the same level of intensity as expected for CrossVegas.”
