We’re not quite half-way through 2022. So far, there have been 10 road cycling events in the region near the Kansas City metro. The Kansas Cycling Association Results page is here.
The summer months are looking thin, but not empty. We expect a return of “A Very Peculiar Criterium” (in Peculiar, MO of course) mid-July. We believe that the John Brown Time Trials will reappear, and that a Kansas State Championship Time Trial will likely be held in Hutchinson sometime in August.
But, when we look at the participation, some events are still light compared to pre-pandemic numbers….and overall the trend was declining prior.
From our perspective (and racers we’ve chatted with) some critical missing elements are regular “training races” and venues closer to the Kansas City metro. Monthly Time Trials and mid-week Criteriums have been a predictable and essential part of racing development for decades. There are multiple reasons why those are lacking for now, but until those are replaced we suspect participation will stay stagnant. Here are some thoughts from an earlier article.
However, there are some fresh resources (and some fresh thinking) to help infuse more life into the road scene. There are a number of long running, fast paced weekly rides that work quite well for race simulation and skills training. The MoveUp program has cataloged (and in some cases lead) some of the best racer oriented rides. Check the details and their ‘spicy’ rating system here.
With the majority of the USAC licensed population in the KC metro, there is a strong preference for more ‘closer to home’ races. Again, there are mulitple factors that must be overcome for that to happen.