USA Cycling does not fully fund all athletes selected for the team representing the United States at the Cyclocross World Championship, which takes place January 28 and 29 in Bieles, Luxembourg. To attend Worlds, many of the athletes must raise money to pay the USAC service fee and travel costs. The total cost is somewhere between $4000 and $5000. And that amount may be more or less depending on an athlete’s needs and circumstances. For now, I’m not interested in discussing why USAC can’t (or won’t) fund all athletes making the trip to Worlds. I’m more interested in making sure those who represent the United States do so without paying out-of-pocket. Let’s save the indignation for another time and work on the task at hand.
Ultimately, I’d like to help create an entity similar to the American Cyclo-cross Foundation that was started in 2001 to ensure athletes received funding for trips to Worlds. ACF was a private foundation created to consolidate donations and distribute them equally. This is my main concern with the rise of rallyme and gofundme campaigns: it favors those who come from strong, large, supportive cyclocross communities, and leaves others without support. I’d rather see a system in which everyone who needs funds receives them equitably.
Creating an ACF-type entity is not going to happen overnight, and it’s not going to happen for this year. But I believe this is the time to get the conversation started so that by next year, we have an organization in place that can allow athletes to concentrate on being prepared to race Worlds without having to worry about the cost of getting there.
If you’re interested in how USAC funding works, here is the athlete nomination worksheet that outlines funding levels: s3.amazonaws.com/USACWeb/forms/2017_CX_WORLD_CHAMPIONSHIPS_USA_CYCLING_ATHLETE_NOMINATION_WORKSHEET_(V1)%20(3).pdf
As I say above, it’s too late for any consolidated fundraising effort this year. But at the very least, I wanted to consolidate the individual athlete fundraising efforts that are currently going on so that you have the opportunity to see who needs assistance and help as many as you can. This list will grow as more links become available, so please check back.
Thanks for supporting these awesome men and women:
[editor’s note: I will start updating the list to indicate when fundraising goals are met. That doesn’t mean you can’t give to those athletes, but maybe take a peek at the underfunded riders first.]
Rebecca Fahringer (Elite Women):
Jack Kisseberth (Elite Men): [FUNDING GOAL MET]
https://www.gofundme.com/jackkisseberthworlds
Ashley Zoerner (U23 Women): [FUNDING GOAL MET]
https://www.rallyme.com/rallies/5658
Emma Swartz (U23 Women):
https://usacycling.rallyme.com/rallies/5690/emmaswartz
Spencer Petrov (U23 Men): [FUNDING GOAL MET]
https://usacycling.rallyme.com/rallies/5642/spencerforworlds2017
Maxx Chance (U23 Men): [FUNDING GOAL MET]
https://www.gofundme.com/get-maxx-to-worlds
Gage Hecht (U23 Men):
https://usacycling.rallyme.com/rallies/5657
Caleb Swartz (Junior Men):
https://usacycling.rallyme.com/rallies/5659/sendcalebswartztoworlds
Denzel Stephenson (Junior Men): [FUNDING GOAL MET]
https://www.gofundme.com/denzels-trip-to-worlds%E2%80%AC
Calder Wood (Junior Men):
https://usacycling.rallyme.com/rallies/5660
Ross Ellwood (Junior Men): [FUNDING GOAL MET]
https://usacycling.rallyme.com/rallies/5684/rossellwood
Feature photo: © 2017 Bruce Buckley Photography
Bill,
This is a great idea. As a promoter of a grass roots race I would like to do what I can to support this.
A quick thought, set up a place in BikeReg where a donation can be made. I would be willing to attache it to my event regestrationa and promote the HELL out of it. If the majority od promoters at every level did this it would generate income. BikeReg is used by USAC and non USAC events alike, so the Pacific North West and other non USAC series would have the oppurtunity to sign up.
Then the Bike Reg donations get sent to a general overall fund to support the worlds team.
Our sport seems to overlook the top and bottom most levels. Juniors are barely recognized and the way our worlds team is treated is just about deplorable.
Thats just my $.02 from the “drive through” region of New Jersey
No Lane Maher page? I’ve had the honor of being beat by him many times was hoping he’d make the trip…
Such a fund would be both important for future competitors to be able to go and not worry about anything but racing, and it would be really popular. At least I hope so. One potential arrangement might be to have an existing cycling or cyclocross-oriented 501c3 charity take this on as a program. A specific campaign could be launched each year around Nationals, and the charity would have a specific fund that these donations would go into. It would be a short but intense campaign that we could all promote and contribute to, then the charity would pay out to the appropriate athletes after the campaign concludes. It would be a short and manageable campaign for a charity to take on, and with an even payout, simple to process. The funds would be in and out, and the books closed so they could move on to whatever their normal work is. Using an existing charity would eliminate the need to set up redundant bureaucracies that only have one short purpose each year. Maybe the Amy D Foundation or something similar would be up for it. This drive would give the hosting charity quite a publicity boost, which would help them promote their other programs. Anyway, just a thought. I run a (non-cycling) nonprofit org and am happy to help any way I can. These athletes deserve so much better.