USA Cycling, Louisville Sports Commission and community leaders team up to stage Cyclo-cross World Championships
USA Cycling and the Louisville, KY Sports Commission, have teamed up to stage the 2013 UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships, to be held Feb. 2-3, 2013 in Louisville, after the event found itself in danger of collapsing due to a sponsorship shortfall. USA Cycling Vice President of National Events Micah Rice will serve as race director.
The event has been bolstered by significant financial contributions from Louisville community leaders John Schnatter, founder and CEO of Papa John’s International, Inc., David A. Jones, Sr., co-founder of Humana, and Sam Swope, founder of Sam Swope Auto Group.
“We are grateful for the generous support provided by John Schnatter, David Jones and Sam Swope,” said Karl Schmitt, executive director of the Louisville Sports Commission. “Their financial contributions will go a long way in making this an outstanding event for the participants, cycling fans and the Louisville community.”
The world championships for cyclo-cross have never been held outside of Europe, and pre-sale ticket numbers have already exceeded 2,500.
“The level of excitement and fan interaction at a cyclo-cross event of this magnitude cannot be topped,” said USA Cycling President and CEO Steve Johnson. “We are pleased to lend our expertise to make sure this event runs smoothly and that we give both riders and fans a memorable, once-in-a-lifetime experience. A big thank you goes to our partner, the Louisville Sports Commission, for helping create a warm and welcoming atmosphere to all our international participants. And a special thank you to Louisville’s own John Schnatter, David Jones and Sam Swope for leading the way with their generous gifts from the local community. The number of ticket sales thus far indicates a huge level of excitement among the cycling community as we welcome this prestigious event to U.S. soil for the first time.”
General admission tickets for the events are $25 for adults, $10 for students; children under 10 are admitted free. A two-day adult general admission ticket is $40. Single-day VIP tickets are $125 and two-day VIP tables of 10 are $2,250. For a complete race schedule and more information about the 2013 UCI World Elite Cyclo-cross Championships, please visit www.louisville2013.com.
