CONNECTICUT CONVENTION & SPORTS BUREAU WELCOMES 2017 CYCLOCROSS NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS TO HARTFORD’S RIVERSIDE PARK Projects $1.8 Million Economic Impact to the Capital Region

 

HARTFORD, CONN., January 3, 2017 – This week, Connecticut is the site of exciting winter sports action as the USA Cycling 2017 Cyclocross National Championships comes to Hartford’s Riverside Park at 20 Leibert Rd. from Tuesday, January 3 through Sunday, January 8. Planning for this major sports event has been gearing up over the past year and many area organizations and businesses are ready to greet this prestigious cyclocross competition. National championship titles will be awarded in age groups from 11 years old up to age 70 and older.

 

“We welcome this dynamic winter tournament and the thousands of the visitors it is bringing to the Greater Hartford region during the first week of this new year” says H. Scott Phelps, President of the Connecticut Convention & Sports Bureau (CTCSB), the State’s official meetings and sports event sales and marketing organization. “We expect 1,800 athletes and hundreds of coaches, officials, staff and supporting vendors, plus thousands more spectators to come to the Capital region, resulting in an estimated $1.8 million in revenue for the Greater Hartford region.” Phelps notes that 18 hotels in the Capital City and its suburbs will be utilized during the week, with Downtown’s Hilton Hartford serving as the host hotel.

 

"The Connecticut Cycling Advancement Program, Inc. (CCAP) is thrilled to be the Local Organizing Committee of the 2017 USA Cycling Cyclocross National Championships in Hartford,” says David Hoyle, Executive Director of the Connecticut Cycling Advancement Program, Inc., which is based in Middletown, Conn. “Young riders of every age can expect a full spectrum of special experiences, including competitive National Championship and non-championship races, clinics lead by cyclocross professional legend Tim Johnson, CCAP’s junior pizza party with pro athletes, and the memorable excitement of the National Championship event." The event aligns very well with CCAP’s non-profit mission to provide CT’s youth and families with access and exposure to the sport of cycling.

 

“We are excited to have some of the best cyclists in the nation coming to Riverside Park and are ready to show how our park is a great fit for this and other winter activities,” states Michael Zaleski, President & CEO of Riverfront Recapture, Inc., the private, non-profit organization that manages Riverside Park. The organization leads the effort to reconnect metropolitan Hartford with the Connecticut River by providing access to four Riverfront parks in Hartford and East Hartford. “We host entertainment, sports, and cultural events and recreation in this spectacular natural setting throughout the year, and the 2017 Cyclocross National Championships is a great addition to our schedule.”

 

For full information about the 2017 Cyclocross National Championships – including the event schedule – go to: http://www.usacycling.org/2017/cxnationals

 

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