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USA Cycling awards $20k in grants to cycling programs

By VeloNews.com
Published: Jan. 6, 2009

USA Cycling is recognizing 13 regional athlete development programs with $20,000 worth of cash grants through its Centers of Excellence program.

Rad Racing of Olympia, Washington, and the Young Medalists of the Lehigh Valley Cycling Club in Pennsylvania received top honors. The award winners were chosen based on organizational criteria and results in developing junior and U23 cycling athletes.

Since the program’s inception six years ago, USA Cycling has distributed over $120,000 to grass roots development programs thanks to donations to the Development Foundation.

The Young Medalists Cycling Team, operating under the Lehigh Valley Cycling Club received top honors for the second year in a row. The program’s development team structure was formed in 2006 under the LVCC and features 20 junior riders who specialized in road and track events in 2008. The team produced 11 medals in national championship events, six medals in regional championships and 21 medals in state championship events.

Another repeat winner, Rad Racing boasts a roster of over 35 junior and U23 athletes who compete in road, track, mountain bike and cyclo-cross events. These riders produced 59 victories during the 2008 season, including 137 podiums, four series champions, two national champions and three riders selected for World Championship teams. Rad has also promoted the LAJOR series in the Seattle area for the past seven years, as well as a UCI-level cyclocross race.

Additional teams receiving grants in 2008 include: Tri-Star Cycling Team (Tennessee), Fulton Flyers Cycling Club (Georgia), Foundation for the Cultivation of Sport (Texas), Team Specialized Junior Program (Calif.ornia), Team Swift (California), Lehigh Wheelman Future Champions (Pennsylvania), Boulder Valley Cycling Alliance (Colorado), Orlando Road Club (Florida), Team Bliss (Vermont), Des Moines Cycling Club (Iowa) and Track Kats (Illinois).