Masters Nationals Heading To Bend
01 Mar 2010, written by moto 0 CommentsThe 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.
Gary Huck’s Mount Defiance Ride
18 Aug 2009, written by moto 8 CommentsIt’s great when I haven’t been on a ride in awhile since my last post, then one of our friends sends in pics and a brief recap of an epic ride, keeping the IAATB flame burning. While I was frolicking around the sandy shores of Redfish Lake in the Sawtooth Mountains of Idaho with Welikesmall colleagues and families, I was introduced to an epic singletrack mountain bike trail called Fisher Creek. After a somewhat generic and slightly rocky doubletrack climb, we were treated to some of the smoothest extended sections of twisty descent I have ever been on. That, and chasing after my daughter on her 16″ bike around the lodge was about as much two-wheeling as I have done this month. But thanks to Gary Huck and Tom Lehman who hail from Hood River, Oregon, we have a few snippets and photos to share of a ride they did recently:
“Yo Captain – here’s a few recent pics just to let you know it’s still going on up here in the PCNW….
Been having so much fun this summer on the motos. These are pics from a VERY gnarly fire road ride to the highest point in the Columbia River Gorge – Mt Defiance. iPhone quality of course. Had another good weekend ride down to Bend a few weeks ago. Setting up for another weekend camping trip in two weeks. Hope your summer’s been good!”
Tom Lehman's F800 GS atop Mt. Defiance.
Gary Huck behind the mask, Mt. Defiance.
Remember Steve Larsen
28 May 2009, written by moto 0 CommentsDoug L. from Bend, Oregon passed on a link and some info about a memorial website set up to remember the life of Steve Larsen. If you ever met the guy, watched him race, took pictures of him crushing it in the hills of Deer Valley, you can post thoughts, well wishes, and even upload photos. You can also make a donation to the family. Steve left behind 5 small children. Just thinking about this cracks me to the core. Help his wife out with a small donation, a little bit goes a long way. And if you have any thoughts or photos, these are for the kids to someday read and have a sense of how many people knew Steve through his passion of cycling, running, triathlons, etc.