The We Champion initiative, kicking off USA Cycling’s 100-year anniversary, highlights the organization’s past, current, and new commitments to cycling for all Americans. With over 33 million riders joining or rejoining the sport in 2020, We Champion seeks to make more Americans healthier, happier and better on two wheels by championing accessibility, participation, and excellence in cycling.
Kicking off on June 26, and running through to July 18, USA Cycling will be challenging thousands of riders to celebrate the Tour de France by getting out to ride with their community, on their own, or even online—all to see how many miles they can cover over three weeks. USA Cycling will be hosting a series of virtual rides on Zwift with elite esports title holders, including women-only events. The further and more frequently you ride, the better the chances to win prizes from participating partners like HyperIce, Skratch Labs, and Spot Insurance. Riders who want to log their miles for the We Champion Challenge should register here starting June 17. Donations can be made here, which directly help Team USA bring home Olympic gold and support programs that bring new riders into the sport and set the stage for an unprecedented number of medals in the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028.
USA Cycling champions cycling through three strategic pillars: Programs, Participation, and Performance.
- Programs aim to get more people into the sport and invite new cyclists to join or rejoin the sport. This will be achieved by improving accessibility to get more kids on bikes through the recently launched Let’s Ride camps, rolling out new benefits for members, and improving rider safety through the Safe Sport program.
- Participation is about more people riding together, more often. Increasing participation will be driven by enabling more community events and sharing knowledge with those that organize them across more than 2,500 grassroots events, all the way up to National Championships for all cycling disciplines.
- Performance is focused on helping more people achieve their potential by fostering excellence for American athletes. The Olympic Development Academy, in its first year, and the USA Olympic Cycling team are the top end of that development, but there are multiple coaching and mentoring opportunities for aspiring racers of any age, including the Centers of Excellence youth development clubs and Collegiate Cycling infrastructure.
“We Champion is intended to bring the best of cycling to light for anyone, from Olympians to the young kids doing laps around their neighborhood after school,” says Rob DeMartini, CEO of USA Cycling. “It’s also a reminder that, by developing opportunities for others, we all benefit. We want to be sure we’re also adding value to the industry beyond sanctioning events and growing racing. While that remains a cornerstone, we also have a responsibility to welcome new cyclists to the sport and help foster a love of the bike for years to come.”
“Part of championing cycling means including more value for members of USA Cycling,” says Matt Heitmann, USA Cycling’s CMO. “We’re offering injury insurance, discounts on cycling streaming networks, tax deductions, discounts on premium cycling products, and licensing for over 2500 competitive national events.”
Riders wishing to participate in the We Champion Challenge can log their miles, donate, and qualify for prizes throughout the month of June through usacycling.org/wechampion.