Race preview: NCL Denver

Following a long hiatus after its opening race in the streets of Miami, the National Cycling League returns for its second stop in the mile-high city of Denver, Colorado this weekend. The race, which is a new take on criterium racing as it leans on a dynamic team format, will be streamed live and ad-free on GCN+ this Sunday, August 13th. Here is what you need to know before the racing gets underway.

The format

The NCL uses team scoring, with no individual winner crowned at the end of the race. It is all about the aggregate of all the riders. Furthermore, each team has a men’s and women’s component and those squads race as one scoring unit. It is crucial that each team has strength and depth, as well as a grasp on the points race-type scoring structure so they can optimise their efforts in the most efficient manner possible.

For both the men’s and women’s races, points are awarded every lap – three points for first, two points for second and one point for third – while the last lap bonus is 50 points for first, four points for second, three for third, two for fourth and one point for fifth. Additionally, teams are six riders each, but only five racing at any given point. Substitutions are allowed until the last five laps, giving the team some flexibility in strategy.

The course

Image: © National Cycling League

The race course in Denver is unlike the urban course in Miami with the race taking place on the northern outskirts of the city at a sports complex. With the extra room afforded by the roads around the different sports facilities. The lap is 1.4 miles long and features an eight-corner circuit that begins in front of the soccer stadium at the DICK’S Sporting Goods Park. Being a longer course, since criteriums normally sit between a kilometre and a mile, those eight turns will be slightly more spread out and the pace should be quite high all the way around the circuit.

The teams

In the NCL there are two types of teams. There are the two NCL-branded teams – the Denver Disruptors and the Miami Nights – and the rest are either teams with men’s and women’s squads, or composites between men’s and women’s teams.

While there are strong riders throughout the peloton, the talent is concentrated with those NCL teams. Riley Sheehan, Noah Grannigan and Leah Kirchmann are the leading lights for the Denver squad, while Paola Munoz, Andrea Cyr and Bryon Gomez are amongst the strongest riders on the Miami Nights. Expect the battle to be between those two teams for the win, while the rest of the teams fight for the third spot.

In Miami, the Denver Disruptors took the win with a commanding performance in both the men’s and women’s races, with Miami Nights second. The next best team, a composite of Goldman Sachs Racing and the Texas Roadhouse team, sits a full 60 points behind the two NCL squads.

Be sure to watch the NCL exclusively on GCN+ this Sunday, with highlights and a recap to follow.