The NCL Releases the 2023 Schedule
The founders of the National Cycling League (NCL) have a big goal: to change the landscape of professional cycling in the U.S. Those plans continue to take shape with Tuesday’s announcement sites and dates for the 2023 season.
Here’s a look at the just-announced NCL schedule.
2023 National Cycling League Calendar
· NCL Miami Beach – April 8, 2023
· NCL Atlanta – May 14, 2023
· NCL Denver – August 13, 2023
· NCL Washington – September 10, 2023
In the new competition format of the NCL, women and men will race on the same teams in a way that respects differences while weighing performances and valuing every rider’s contributions equally. It’s the first sports entity in cycling that is majority-minority owned.
Though the first race of the series has yet to happen, there is already plenty of skeptical chatter about whether the NCL will succeed. It certainly has attracted some big name investors. In fact, all of the primary investors are from outside the cycling industry.
If we build it, will they come?
The NCL’s goals are centered around creating an immersive spectator experience for fans.
This has traditionally been a challenge for a participatory sport like cycling: how do we make it exciting to watch, especially for those newer to the sport? In order to give fans more context about what they’re witnessing, spectators will have access to the NCL’s scoreboard, a first in professional criterium racing.
A $1 million prize purse for the series-winning team is certainly more financial incentive for athletes than we traditionally see in cycling, especially for women. 10 teams will compete in the series of four-criterium style races, including the NCL’s own Miami Nights and Denver Disruptors.
You Might Also Like
