NCL Cup Series 'pivots' to three events after Washington, DC stop eliminated
The National Cycling League announced it has removed the Washington, D.C. race, scheduled on September 17, from the 2023 NCL Cup Series. This now makes the August 20 race in Atlanta, Georgia, the third and final stop of the inaugural set of criteriums.
“The National Cycling League stands to set the standard in cycling and sports. We proved that with our inaugural race in Miami Beach and are building the foundation to set us up for the future. With any startup, pivots will occur. This was a necessary change to ensure we could put our full attention into 2024 and beyond,” was the comment made in a press release by Andrea Pagnanelli, who began as the head of revenue for the NCL in 2022 and recently moved into the role of CEO in May.
The 2023 NCL Cup Series began on April 8 in Miami Beach, Florida, with the Denver Disruptors securing 139 total points in the team-focused format. The Miami Nights were second in the standings with 95 points while trailing in third with just 29 points were the affiliated tandem of Goldman Sachs ETFS Racing (women) and Texas Roadhouse Cycling (men). Both the Disruptors and Nights are owned by the National Cycling League.
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Organisers boasted a $1 million prize purse, from which a $700,000 bonus payout would be made to one co-ed team should they be able to sweep all four races in the series - Miami, Denver, Atlanta and Washington, D.C. There is a $100,000 bonus for one team winning three events.
The league also noted that teams would vye for a season-ending $130,000 NCL Cup Bonus, which was separate from a $30,000 prize purse paid at each individual race. Co-ed teams were eligible for bonus money based on final standings through the four events, $45,000 paid to the first-placed team and lesser amounts paid to the nine other places.
Cyclingnews has reached out to Pagnanelli to see what modifications, if any, would be made to the bonus payouts now that only three races are offered, and waits for a response.
NCL Denver, the second race of the NCL Cup, will take place on Sunday, August 13 at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colorado, located outside downtown Denver. The course features a 1.2-mile, four-corner circuit that starts and finishes at East 59th Place and Valentia Street at the south end of the stadium. The men’s race will begin at 2:30 p.m. local time, and the women’s race will start at 4 p.m., followed by an awards ceremony at 5:30 p.m.
The third and final race of the series will take place on Sunday, August 20, in Atlanta at the Porsche Experience Center. The course features a technical, rolling 1.2-mile circuit on the south track. This is an exclusive event that will only be accessible to spectators who purchase VIP Hospitality. Proceeds of the racing event will benefit Bearings Bike Works, a local nonprofit.
A total of 10 invitation-only teams take part in the inaugural series. The unique scoring system rewards teamwork, combining scores from separate races for women and men but on the same courses. Points are earned on each lap for the top three riders, with double points for the final lap.
