FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 2, 2006
The inaugural event has also received a 1.1 ranking from International Cycling Union
Austin International to be included in new USA Cycling Professional Tour
Jan 20th update: Austin International canceled (postponed until 2008)
(Lebanon, NJ) – November 2, 2006 – g4 Productions, LLC, organizers of the Austin International scheduled for June 2007, announced that the inaugural event will be included in the new USA Cycling Professional Tour and has received a 1.1 license from the International Cycling Union (UCI).
USA Pro Tour Calendar '07 Tour of California '07 Tour de Georgia '07 Giro d'Italia '07 Tour de France '07 Vuelta a España '07 Tour of Missouri '07
“We are very proud that the Austin International has received a 1.1 from the UCI. It is rare for a first year event to receive such a high ranking but we have put a lot of effort into the organization and planning of this race,” said Robin Morton, g4 Productions. “The course is very technical and should be very popular with the teams. Additionally, we are also very pleased that our race will be included in the new USA Cycling Professional Tour – recognizing the Austin International as one of the premier cycling races in America. ”
“On behalf of the City of Austin, the Austin Sports Commission is very excited to welcome the Austin International in June 2007,” said Matthew Payne, Executive Director, Austin Sports Commission. “It will be one of the first international sporting events ever hosted in Austin and will continue to distinguish our city as a true sports destination. It will be a great new event for our corporate sponsors, the city of Austin and all of the avid cyclists that are proud to call Austin their home.”
"We are very excited about the commitment that Austin has made to support and showcase professional men's and women's racing," said Steve Johnson, chief executive officer of USA Cycling. "Austin has a great history of supporting world class bike racing going back to the Tour of Texas days and we are elated to see Austin back on the calendar. We trust and hope the Austin International will become a mainstay on the USA Cycling Professional Tour attracting some of the top teams and riders in the world. We are very hopeful that the women's race will become one of the prestigious World Cup races in the very near future."
The new USA Cycling Professional Tour will recognize the top international-caliber foreign and domestic UCI professional teams and riders over the course of the racing season in the United States. The goal of the USA Cycling Professional Tour is to acknowledge international competition in the U.S. and to spotlight events that have made the commitment to host world-class UCI-sanctioned races that feature UCI-registered professional teams and athletes.
“Austin, Texas is a world class cycling city and the announcement of the Austin International race coming to town is solid confirmation of that fact,” said Hill Abel, owner, Bicycle Sport Shop in Austin. “Austinites are some of the healthiest, most active people in the world and riding bicycles is a core part of their lifestyles. The race is sure to be a huge success and we look forward to hosting some of the best cyclists in the world next June.”
The 2007 Austin International will feature a pro men’s and women’s race and will be evaluated as a potential Women’s World Cup event for 2008. Additional details on both races, scheduled for June 17, 2007, will be released in the coming months.
About g4 Productions
g4 productions specializes in the creation, production and management of professional and amateur cycling, running and multi-sport events as well as integrated corporate hospitality programs. g4 Productions provides turnkey opportunities for corporations & organizations that want to target product initiatives, ad/public relations campaigns and events that target an active lifestyle demographic though both sporting events and professional team sponsorship opportunities. For more info on g4 productions, please visit www.g4events.com.
About USA Cycling
Recognized by the U.S. Olympic Committee and the Union Cycliste Internationale, USA Cycling promotes American cycling through its 58,000 members and 2,000 annual events. USA Cycling associations include the BMX Association (BMX), National Off-Road Bicycle Association (mountain bike), U.S. Cycling Federation (road/track), the National Collegiate Cycling Association and the U.S. Professional Racing Organization (professional men’s road). For more information visit www.usacycling.org or contact, USA Cycling Director of Marketing and Communications, Andy Lee at 719-866-4867.
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Contact:
Ed Donovan
g4 Productions
edonovan@g4events.com
610-220-1441