Date of Event: July 12-17, 2011

Website: www.usacycling.org/mtb/

Preliminary Event Schedule: Coming Soon!

Event Info:

The competition, to be held in Sun Valley, ID., will include the Olympic Cross Country, Short Track Cross Country and Super D events.

The races will be held on Dollar Mountain, part of Sun Valley Resort, in July of 2011. The diversity of the terrain and the outstanding facilities for spectators and families makes Sun Valley an ideal location for a national mountain bike competition. The ability to create a demanding course and manage the logistics was key in the selection of Breakaway Promotions as the race organizer. Over 1400 racers (accurate since we now have new races) are expected to participate.

“This race is one of the top events in U.S. cycling competition. We believe our proven experience will ensure a memorable race experience, not only for its dramatic courses but for the excellence of execution,” states Chad Sperry, CEO Breakaway Promotions and Race Director. “Everyone involved is dedicated to providing an outstanding event.”

Date of Event: August 30 – September 4, 2011

Website: www.usacycling.org

Preliminary Event Schedule: Coming Soon!

Breakaway Promotions is now offering Spring Training Camps in The Dalles.
We have teamed up with Omer Kem, director of Bissell Pro Cycling, and Water’s Edge Health and Wellness facility to bring you an all inclusive three day camp that will help you reach your best performance ever before the 2011 cycling season is in full swing.

Omer Kem

This camp includes the following:

• Performance testing package that includes Lactic Acid Threshold and VO2 max testing. All performance testing will be done on Friday.
• 2 day passes to be used at Water’s Edge Health and Wellness Center (check it out at www.wellnessatwatersedge.com). There will be no sitting around waiting for teammates to complete performance testing while you utilize the full workout facilities, swimming pool, therapy pool and sauna at Water’s Edge. You can even add on a personal sports massage at the Water’s Edge Spa.
• Friday night dinner at the Bistro at Water’s Edge followed by expert training and competition advice from Omer Kem.
• Two fully supported group training rides with Omer (Saturday and Sunday). These rides will provide individualized training advice and instruction from Omer.
• Two nights lodging at Comfort Inn with continental breakfast provided.

All camps can be customized to meet individual needs. Camp size minimum is 6, maximum is 20 (maximum for performance testing is 16).
Camp cost:

$575 with performance testing
$425 without performance testing
(All rates are based on double occupancy hotel rooms)

Camp Dates:
March 11-13
March 18-20
April 8-10
April 15-17

Contact Lori Waters at lori@breakawaypromotions.com for more information.

September 8, 2010

PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Christina Blackwell, Metric Marketing Group
503.292.2754 (O) 503.810.9453 (C)
blackwell@metricmarketinggroup.com

Breakaway Promotions Selected as Race Organizer for 2011/2012 USA Cycling Mountain Bike Cross Country National Championships

PORTLAND, OR – Breakaway Promotions, one of the country’s premiere cycling race organizers, has been selected by the Sun Valley/Ketchum Chamber and Visitors Bureau and USA Cycling to act as the race organizer for the 2011/2012 USA Cycling Mountain Bike Cross Country National Championships. The competition, to be held in Sun Valley, ID., will include the Olympic Cross Country, Short Track Cross Country and Super D events. Breakaway Promotions was selected based on its reputation for managing complex cycling events such as the Tour of Utah and the Mt. Hood Cycling Classic. Breakaway has long term experience with USA Cycling and is the race coordinator for the Masters Road National Championships, the Junior, U23 & Elite Road National Championships, as well as the Mountain Bike Marathon National Championships.

The races will be held on Dollar Mountain, part of Sun Valley Resort, in July of 2011. The diversity of the terrain and the outstanding facilities for spectators and families makes Sun Valley an ideal location for a national mountain bike competition. The ability to create a demanding course and manage the logistics was key in the selection of Breakaway Promotions as the race organizer. Over 1400 racers (accurate since we now have new races) are expected to participate.

“This race is one of the top events in U.S. cycling competition. We believe our proven experience will ensure a memorable race experience, not only for its dramatic courses but for the excellence of execution,” states Chad Sperry, CEO Breakaway Promotions and Race Director. “Everyone involved is dedicated to providing an outstanding event.”

About Breakaway Promotions

Recognized as one of the premier cycling race organizers in the United States, Breakaway Promotions owns, organizes and manages professional and amateur bicycle races across the country. Please visit www.breakawaypromotions.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 fostering the identification, development, and support of American cyclists. To learn more about USA Cycling, visit www.usacycling.org.

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by Heidi Swift, Special to The Oregonian

Friday April 24, 2009, 1:00 AM

Heidi Swift/Special to The OregonianIn December, USA Cycling announced that Bend had been awarded the Cyclocross National Championships for 2009 and 2010. With a lineup of local pros, including Chris Horner (Team Astana), some think central Oregon could replace Boulder, Colo. as the nation’s cycling mecca.

Tucked along the Deschutes River on the eastern edge of the Cascades, Bend is surrounded by some of the West Coast’s most rugged, breathtaking and adventurous terrain.

From skiing and boarding on Mount Bachelor (22 miles from downtown), to road cycling, kayaking, mountain biking, fly-fishing, rock climbing and hiking — it’s got a little something for everyone.

Named “Best Adventure Town” by Men’s Journal in 2005 and one of Outside magazine’s “Best Towns” in 2007, Bend has steadily drawn national attention as a premier adventurer’s playground. And this year, bicycle racing will get its moment to shine in Bend’s high desert sun.

USA Cycling announced in December that Bend will host the Cyclocross National Championships in 2009 and 2010. The competitive bidding process took 13 months.

Just a few weeks later, Bend was selected as the site of USA Cycling’s Junior, U23 & Elite Road National Championships for 2009 and 2010 — making it the first city to host two USAC national championship events in the same year.

The double appointment prompted VeloNews, the veritable bible of pro cycling news, to declare Bend “the cycling capital of the United States for the next two years.”

National fame aside, the wins also represent a huge economic payoff. At a time when many families and individuals are cutting back on leisure travel spending, group and event travel become even more important to economic vitality. Visit Bend President and CEO Doug LaPlaca describes the bidding process for Cyclocross nationals as “a full community effort.”

“We worked very hard to secure that … it’s testimony to what we can accomplish when the community comes together to support a cause,” LaPlaca said. He expects 1,800 to 2,000 competitors, along with their friends, family, and staff, to flock to Bend for the 2009 Cyclocross National Championships in December — a month that is traditionally challenging for tourism-driven economies.

The aggressive bid by Visit Bend, an economic development organization empowered and funded by the Bend City Council, played a major role in USA Cycling’s selection of Bend for the six-day Road National Championships (July 28 to Aug. 2).

In addition to Bend’s top-notch race venues and nationally renowned race directors, the committee was impressed by what USAC CEO Steve Johnson referred to as a “long tradition of communitywide support and passion for cycling.”

Also key: Bend’s ability to quickly put together the financial backing: a $30,000 hosting fee required to secure the two-year contract. LaPlaca describes it as a no-brainer. “The return on investment for these national level events is outstanding. It will be very hard to duplicate this type of (return).”

And the payout will be realized in more than just dollars — the high-visibility events round out a list of credentials that catapult the town directly into the heart of the national cycling scene and reinforce Bend’s growing reputation as a first-rate outdoors destination.

The recognition from USAC, coupled with a strong grass-roots bike racing community and an impressive lineup of local professional cyclists have caused some to contend that Bend is now poised to replace Boulder, Colo., as the nation’s cycling mecca. Local cyclists include Chris Horner (Team Astana), mountain biker Adam Craig (2008 Olympian), and cyclocross champ Ryan Trebon (2006 and 2008 CCX national champion).

Either way, the next two years will be pivotal — and two men will be crucial to ensuring that Bend takes advantage of the time in the spotlight.

Chad Sperry of Breakaway Promotions will be the race director for the 2009 and 2010 Road National Championships, and Brad Ross, producer of the Cross Crusade (the biggest cyclocross race series of its kind in the world), will direct the cyclocross national championship events.

Both men were influential partners during the bid processes. Sperry, longtime race director of the Tour of Utah and Mt. Hood Cycling Classic, is also the force behind Bend’s Cascade Cycling Classic which, in its 30th year, is the longest-running elite stage race in the country.

Spanning five days and requiring competitors to tackle three cycling disciplines (see sidebar), the Cascade Classic had 565 participants in 2008 — the largest turnout Sperry has seen during his tenure.

Running from July 22-26, two days before Road Nationals, the convenient timing of the Cascade Classic will give fans a reason to settle in and stay for a while. And Sperry has promised to make nationals a good show.

Competitors across age and gender categories will battle for the national titles in the individual time trial, road race and criterium disciplines. All courses will be within 10 minutes of downtown.

And if the criterium event, which will be held over the weekend to draw in more spectators, bears any resemblance to last year’s Cascade Cycling Classic Stage 4, the crowds will be rabid and the racing second to none.