Something we haven't talked about much is the fact that the National Mountain Bike Series, formerly the NORBA national series, is done. Finished. Over. Kaput. For a number of reasons, USA Cycling/NORBA have decided to end the centrally-managed national series that relied on Team Big Bear to produce all the events around the country, and are moving in 2009 to a National Calendar system that puts more control in the hands of local and regional promoters to develop their races into national caliber events.
It's an interesting move and it's ruffling some feathers, although we haven't really heard a lot about it in the press and on the forums because I don't think it's really sunk in with people.
I know it's not going to impact us that much here on the east coast, although it definitely will affect Windham, who just hosted their first national this year and was supposed to host future "nationals" races there. Now that there's no national series, their race will compete against other races on the national calendar and won't hold a privileged position.
Anyone have any thoughts on this? It's a departure from NORBA history, for sure, but seems positive in the way that the new calendar allows USA Cycling to put weight behind existing great events and popular regional series with real prize purses rather than the kinda pathetic NMBS which offered terrible prize purses (if any)...
It's an interesting move and it's ruffling some feathers, although we haven't really heard a lot about it in the press and on the forums because I don't think it's really sunk in with people.
I know it's not going to impact us that much here on the east coast, although it definitely will affect Windham, who just hosted their first national this year and was supposed to host future "nationals" races there. Now that there's no national series, their race will compete against other races on the national calendar and won't hold a privileged position.
Anyone have any thoughts on this? It's a departure from NORBA history, for sure, but seems positive in the way that the new calendar allows USA Cycling to put weight behind existing great events and popular regional series with real prize purses rather than the kinda pathetic NMBS which offered terrible prize purses (if any)...
