Already slated to host the 2022 Union Cycliste Internationale Cyclocross World Championships, Fayetteville was recently selected by the UCI to host a cyclocross World Cup. The third annual FayetteCross and first-time World Cup event will be held Wednesday, Oct. 13, at Centennial Park on Millsap Mountain, which is also where the World Championships will be held in 2022.
Cyclocross is a form of bicycle racing over a short course that traverses difficult terrain and obstacles that require riders to dismount and carry their bikes.
“I can confidently say there is no other cyclocross course like this in the United States, perhaps anywhere,” Brook Watts, FayetteCross race director, said in a statement. “We have been building this course for the past 16 months, with each meter of the course dedicated to bringing the best out of this beautiful Fayetteville mountainside.
“It has daredevil chutes, a lung-busting climb challenging off-camber sections, plus a 38-step climb that will test the racers,” she said. “And, to the delight of spectators, most of the course is accessible with ease, even the wooded sections.”
The city of Fayetteville calls Centennial a “cycling-activated park with state-of-the-art cyclocross and mountain biking facilities.” Several mountain bike trails in the park opened in 2020. Phase 1 of the park development is expected to be completed by January 2022 in time for the world championship event. The Walton Family Foundation funded both the master plan for the park and the construction of the trails. The city is paying for park infrastructure and the road into the city through 2019 bond funds. Find more information at fayettecross.com.
