The folks in Bend, Oregon are on quite a roll these days. They put on an epic U.S. Cyclocross National Championships event back in December, and now have released some info that Masters Nationals is moving to Bend from Louisville, KY. My good buddy Doug LaPlaca has lead the charge of creating long-term contracts to keep cycling events coming back to Bend. Bend will host Masters Nationals for 2011 and 2012, press release below:

USA Cycling awards 2011 and 2012 Masters Road National Championships to
Bend, Ore.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Feb. 25, 2009) – USA Cycling has awarded the 2011 and 2012 Masters Road National Championships to Bend, Ore. Following the city’s successful hosting of the Elite/U23/Juniors Road
and the Cyclo-cross National Championships, the cycling hotbed is now poised to host another round of the nation’s best. Held in Louisville, Kentucky 2008 through 2010, the USA Cycling Masters Road National
Championships are scheduled to go off in Bend, Aug. 30 – Sept. 4, 2011 and August 27 – Sept. 2, 2012.

The two-year agreement between USA Cycling, the sport’s national governing body, and Visit Bend is expected to bring more than 800 competitors and 2,500 visitors to the Pacific Northwestern city for
seven days of racing leading up to the Labor Day Weekend. Bend expects to continue to enjoy a significant economic impact in conjunction with the cycling championships. According to a study by Oregon State
University, the two USA Cycling National Championship events hosted by the city in 2009 brought Bend $2.5 million dollars in direct tourist spending.

“The National Championships we hosted here in 2009 left no doubt in USA Cycling’s mind that Bend’s enthusiasm for and appreciation of competitive cycling makes it unlike any other destination in the
country,” said Doug LaPlaca, president and CEO of Visit Bend. “It is our goal to turn that enthusiasm into a long-term partnership that provides USA Cycling with consistently world-class championships, while providing Bend with a substantial amount of visitation and tourism spending during traditionally slow times of the year.”

In 2009, Bend hosted the USA Cycling Elite, Junior and U23 Road National Championships, as well as the USA Cycling Cyclo-cross National Championships. Both events will return to Bend in 2010.

“In hosting the 2009 USA Cycling National Championships Bend showcased an entire community who passionately embraces the sport of cycling and its various disciplines as a lifestyle,” said Steve Johnson, CEO of USA Cycling. “That type of support is critical to growing the sport across the country and is a large reason why Bend was awarded the Masters Road National Championships for 2011 and 2012.”

About Visit Bend

Visit Bend is a non-membership, non-profit economic development organization dedicated to promoting tourism on behalf of the City of Bend. For more information or to order a complimentary Official
Visitor’s Guide to Bend, contact Visit Bend at 1-800-949-6086 or visit www.visitbend.com.

About USA Cycling

Recognized by the United States Olympic Committee and the Union Cycliste Internationale, USA Cycling is the official governing body for all disciplines of competitive cycling in the United States, including road,
track, mountain bike, BMX and cyclo-cross. As a membership-based organization, USA Cycling comprises 66,500+ licensees; 2,200 clubs and teams; and 34 local associations. The national governing body sanctions
2,650 competitive and non-competitive events throughout the U.S. each year and is responsible for the identification, development, and support of American cyclists. To learn more about USA Cycling, visit www.usacycling.org.

I guess I better start training.