USA Cycling Announces Location & Date Changes for Elite, Junior, & Para Track Nationals

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – USA Cycling announced today the change to the Elite, Junior, and Para Track National Championship. The event will move from July 1-7 in Carson, Calif. to July 15-21in Trexlertown, Penn.

The last 13 months have placed the VELO Sports Center in Carson, Calif., under severe operational restrictions due to COVID, which have had lasting impacts even as the state of California begins to reduce restrictions. Holding the event at VELO Sports Center is not feasible at this time. The Valley Preferred Cycling Center, along with Discover Lehigh Valley, has stepped in to support bringing the event to Pennsylvania.

"We are disappointed we had to make the difficult decision not to host the 2021 USA Cycling Elite, Junior, and Para Track National Championships," said Travis Smith of VELO Sports Center. "After such a challenging year, it breaks our hearts to ask for the event to be moved from Los Angeles. We will welcome national championships back again in the coming years with open arms. We wish everyone good luck while racing in Trexlertown and know they will put on a great event as it's always been a premier racing location."

"We are very pleased that, by working in partnership with Discover Lehigh Valley, we can step in and provide the venue for Elite, Junior, and Para Nationals as COVID continues to present challenges to our sport. It's been an incredibly difficult time for events and racers alike, and we know that our community is eager to return to racing in a fun, inclusive, and safe setting. We are thrilled to be able to welcome everybody to our venue this July", stated Joan Hanscom of the Valley Preferred Cycling Center.

Bree Nidds, Vice-President of Sales for Discover Lehigh Valley, said, "We look forward to welcoming this event to Lehigh Valley. Cyclists are well embraced in our destination, and the Valley Preferred Cycling Center has a reputable history of hosting world-class events."

"As with all changes to a previously announced event, we understand this change will be disruptive to families and teams that have already planned travel. Moving the event to the Valley Preferred Cycling Center allows us to continue to provide athletes with a great racing experience during a challenging time for sporting events", stated Tara McCarthy, Director of National Events.

Visit USACycling.org for more information on the athletes, events, and membership programs, and follow @USACycling across all channels for the latest on Team USA. For more information, contact Tara McCarthy at tmccarthy@usacycling.org.

ABOUT USA CYCLING (usacycling.org)

USA Cycling is a proud member of the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) and United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC). USA Cycling is the national governing body for the sport of cycling and oversees the disciplines of road, track, mountain bike, cyclocross, and BMX. With a mission to develop the sport of cycling in the United States and achieve sustained international racing success, USA Cycling supports cyclists at all levels, from those just beginning in the sport and participating in fun rides to seasoned professionals. The organization not only identifies, develops, and selects cyclists to represent the United States in international competition but also supports amateur bike racing through grassroots development programs and the provision of critical infrastructure to run organized racing. Headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA Cycling celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2021. The organization began as The Amateur Bicycle League of America and evolved to become the United States Cycling Federation in 1975 and ultimately USA Cycling, Inc. in 1995. USA Cycling's 100,000+ members are racers and cyclists of all ages and abilities, as well as coaches, officials, mechanics, and race directors.

About Discover Lehigh Valley

Discover Lehigh Valley®, the official destination marketing organization of Pennsylvania’s Lehigh and Northampton counties, is dedicated to driving economic growth and strengthening local pride through tourism to the region. Just 60 minutes north of Philadelphia and 90 minutes west of New York City, Lehigh Valley is home to must-see attractions and festivals, world-class sporting events, thrilling outdoor recreation, renowned colleges and universities, and historic sites including Bethlehem, a National Historic Landmark District and nominee on the U.S. Tentative List for World Heritage Designation. Many of America’s favorite brands such as Crayola®, Peeps®, Mike & Ike®, Martin Guitars, Mack Trucks and Olympus reign from Lehigh Valley. Visit DiscoverLehighValley.com and follow @LehighValleyPa.