Providence Cyclo-cross Festival Returns in 2013
Anchors “Holy Week” of New England Cyclo-cross
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (October 16, 2012)- Providence Cross Fest LLC announced the dates for the 2013 Providence Cyclo-cross Festival today. The Festival will take place in Roger Williams Park on October 5-6, 2013, providing the conclusion to what has become known as the “Holy Week” of cyclo-cross in New England.
The Holy Week tradition continues in 2013, with the Great Brewers’ Gran Prix of Gloucester preceding the Providence Cyclo-cross Festival by one week. Due to the high grades both events received by the Union Cycliste International (UCI), both events have been given exclusive international sanctions for their dates with the highest status. This is the only region in the country with two Category 1 events, one week and 100 miles apart.
Event promoter Richard Fries said,”We’re committed to staying right next to Gloucester on the calendar to keep New England’s Holy Week alive. Our 2012 event set us on a trajectory for continued success. With the solid support of the city, our sponsors, our media partners, and our promotional partners, our staff is dedicated to making Providence the most prestigious cyclo-cross event in America, if not the world.”
And the world is taking notice. This year’s festival saw 12 countries represented among the 1,719 entrants. The cyclingdirt.org broadcast of the Providence International on Saturday, October 6, 2012 drew a record online audience for any US cyclo-cross race.
Fries added, “What we did in 2012 worked well. But we have a long, long way to go. We will be making announcements throughout the winter to outline ways our 2013 event will shoot the lights out. We’re working on amazing things; stay tuned.”
The fifth annual Providence Cyclo-cross Festival is scheduled for Oct. 5 & 6, 2013. Held in Roger Williams Park on a course used for the 2005 and 2006 U.S. National Cyclo-cross Championships, the Providence Cyclo-cross Festival returns as a UCI sanctioned Category 1 event . Organized by Providence Cross Fest LLC, the event is also part of the Shimano New England Cyclocross series. For more information, visit www.providencecrossfest.com
