Raylyn Nuss and her Steve Tilford Foundation racing team are on a mission to keep cyclocross alive in the USA.
While cyclocross continues to thrive in Europe, stateside it been overshadowed by the industry’s new golden child, gravel cycling. Nuss wants to get more support back into the discipline.
"That is literally my mission. I want to make purple hats that say ‘make cyclocross great again’," Nuss joked to Cyclingnews .
Nuss points to the continued support of Trek, who hosted the World Cup in Waterloo, and the live streaming of the USPCX series as a bright spot in North American cyclocross.
"It is legitimising USA cyclocross even over in Europe – the Europeans watch the US races as well because they’re superfans of the sport. How can you say cyclocross is dying when we have 11 televised events? It gives me a lot of leverage as a team owner to try and get some sponsorships."
The success of the Steve Tilford Foundation programme so far, with Lizzie Gunsalus a top-ranked under-23 rider and Curtis White landing on the podium in every race except one this season, has given Nuss even more motivation.
"The three of us have full intentions of racing again next year. We have a really good bond. I might add a U23 male rider onto the team but it’s going to depend on how much budget I can get from sponsors."Nuss, 31, has achieved a lot in the last two years since quitting her job as an analytical development scientist for […]
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