With 1700 athletes converging on Roger Williams Park in Providence, Rhode Island, for the Liberty Mutual U.S. National Cyclo-cross Championships, promoters needed to find companies capable of giving every athlete critical pre-race support.

Clif Bar has been selected to create the warm-up area and cool-down zone available for every athlete, positioned close to the start-finish area. Mavic and its famous Tour de France 'Service Course' will be on hand to provide mechanical support. And Polar Beverages will operate the water station.

"These are the national championships. We appreciate that people travel thousands of miles and put in hundreds of hours to get a shot at that stars-and-stripes jersey. They all deserve a good shot and Clif Bar and Mavic is there to help them," said Lyle Fulkerson, operations director. "The big teams will be set up with their own trucks and tents and RVs. But Clif Bar, Mavic and Polar are right there to offer that same support to the nervous teen-ager racing their first nationals."

All of these athlete services will be arranged at Turn One, just beyond the finish line.

"Early this year when Richard Fries approached us with the news that he'd be helping to promote the 'cross nats in Providence, we knew it would only make sense for Clif Bar to come on board as a supporter of the event," said Dylan Seguin of the Team Clif Bar program. "TCB cyclo-cross riders Mark McCormack and Jesse Anthony are definitely looking forward to racing in Providence, as are all of the riders I've spoken with."

Promoters have also selected Mavic, the same French company that supports the Tour de France, to provide on-site mechanical support before, during, and after the event.

"No other company has such a sense of elan as Mavic," said Richard Fries, communications director. "When your bike is broken, those yellow trucks and cars and all those mechanics are your angels of mechanical mercy. We picked Mavic not just for their expertise, but also for their courteous manners. They treat a beginner like a pro."

"We're very excited to be part of the 2005 cyclo-cross nationals," said Sean Sullivan, Mavic communications manager. "From the huge rider turnout to the great venue it's shaping up to be one of the best nationals in recent memory. By the looks of the record number of people pre-registered, I think our neutral service guys in yellow will be quite busy."

Mavic will also set up and oversee the pit areas on the course, a mechanical madhouse found nowhere else in cycling.

"In cyclo-cross the pits are more important than any other cycling event. It's common to see riders to use two or three bikes in a race," said Tom Stevens, race director. A mechanical team must hand off a new bike to a racer and then clean, repair and lubricate the other machine to be ready in just half a lap. "They have to do all this in three minutes. We needed a good company to back us up. We picked Mavic."

Promoters also had key support from Polar Beverages. Based in Central Massachusetts, Polar will provide a hydration station for athletes, right next to the Clif Bar booth.

To see who else is sponsoring this year's Liberty Mutual U.S. National Championships of Cyclo-cross, visit www.cyclocrossnationals.com.