USA Cycling announced December 13 that Jesse Anthony will assume responsibilities as national cyclocross manager.
Anthony, originally from Beverly, Massachusetts, lives in southern California, and has been involved in cycling practically his entire life, spending over a decade as a professional rider. Anthony is also a former cyclocross national champion.
“Jesse has gone through USA Cycling’s Cyclocross program as a Junior and U23 athlete, competing in multiple world championships for USA Cycling along the way, and he has now come full circle to manage the program,” Scott Schnitzspahn VP of Elite Athletics said. “He comes to USA Cycling with new ideas and energy that will benefit not only the Elite National Team and top Junior and U23 Cyclocross athletes, but the overall structure of the sport in the US and grassroots development,” Schnitzspahn said.
According to USA Cycling, the cyclocross manager will be “the key driver and implementer of support for USA Cycling cyclocross athletes throughout the elite athlete development pipeline while also fostering grassroots development of the cyclocross discipline in order to increase participation in cycling as a whole.” USAC adds that the cyclocross manager will be a key role within the Elite Athletics team at USA Cycling, “working to identify and develop the next stars of US cyclocross while developing and implementing a strategic plan to nurture the sport of cyclocross for long term sustainability.”
Pulling from the job description posted for the position, here are the intended roles of the cyclocross manager:
· Manage the elite/u23/junior support and development program including selection criteria and pathway documents in addition to on-site management and mentoring of athletes at camps and races world-wide.
· Develop and conduct camps by USAC region nation-wide for Talent ID, development junior girls and women’s cyclocross riders, and provide member oriented clinics.
· Develop curriculum for local associations and race directors to improve cross standards nationwide and teach race organization best practices.
· Liaise with the USA Cycling Events department to attract & convert non-USA Cycling sanctioned races & series into USA Cycling sanctioned races.
· Work with race directors, especially for UCI level events, serving as a ”remote Technical Delegate.”
· Generate additional resources for the USA Cycling cyclocross program through collaborations with the USA Cycling Development Foundation and USA Cycling marketing and sponsorship department.
· Tell the story of cyclocross initiatives and successes through collaborations with the media and communications team at USA Cycling.
