National Cycling Championships
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
National cycling championships are held annually by host nations in each cycle racing discipline. In most cases, each nation holds its annual events in early June during a designed break in the professional calendar. Oceania nations, most notably Australia and New Zealand, hold their national championships in late January, while the United States hold its events in September prior to the UCI World Championships held in October.
In road racing, winning riders of national championships are crowned as:
- Men's Elite Road Race Champion
- Men's Elite Time Trial Champion
- Women's Road Race Champion
- Women's Time Trial Champion
- Men's Under-23 Road Race Champion
- Men's Under-23 Time Trial Champion
[edit] National champion cycling jersey
A national champion cycling jersey is a cycling jersey awarded to the winning riders of each event at the national cycling championships sponsored by the national governing body and recognized by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI). Each national champion cycling jersey is typically colored and styled after that country's national flag.
Riders are authorized to wear an awarded national champion cycling jersey until next year's national championship. Afterwards, past champions may wear the national flag colors around the neckline and arm bands.
Famous jerseys and wearers are:
- France - Blue white and red (Bernard Hinault, Thomas Voeckler)
- Belgium - Black yellow red (Eddy Merckx)
- Holland - Red White Blue (Erik Dekker)
- Germany - White with black, red, yellow stripes (Jan Ullrich)
- Italy - Green White Red (Paolo Bettini)
- USA - Stars and Stripes (George Hincapie)
- Norway - Norwegian Flag (Thor Hushovd)
- Kazakhstan - Light Blue with Yellow stripe (Alexandre Vinokourov)
- Luxembourg - Red, White, Light Blue (Fränk Schleck)
- UK - White with Red and Blue stipes (Roger Hammond, David Millar)
- Australia - White with yellow and green stripes (Robbie McEwen)
- Estonia - Black Blue White (Jaan Kirsipuu)
| Preceded by 2005 National Cycling Championships |
National Cycling Championships 2006 |
Succeeded by 2007 National Cycling Championships |
