Fayetteville, Arkansas' Fayette Cross has been selected to host the 2022 UCI Cyclocross World Championships and the 2020 Pan American Cyclocross Championships. [The race will be held at Centennial Park on Millsap Mountain, which will also host the 2022 UCI Cyclocross World Championships.

Race director Brooke Watts told Cycling News that as part of a four-year plan for the 2022 World Championships, which will be held in January 2022, organizers considered their options this year and decided that holding the Pan American Championships on November 7-8 was determined that it was the best option for Fayetteville.

"The core of my strategic plan for the Northwest Arkansas [NWA] region is to raise national and international awareness of this very special region and to showcase the wonderful quality of life and great cycling culture. [Last October, FayetteCross hosted a two-day C2 race that far exceeded our expectations in both number of racers and spectators. [The Pan Am event] will follow in the footsteps of last year's C2 race." Feedback after the event has been incredibly positive and we hope that even more amateur and elite racers will experience all that the NWA region has to offer."

Fayetteville 2022, which will support the 2022 UCI World Championships, is partnering with Experience Fayetteville, Fayetteville's Convention and Visitors Bureau, to host Fayette Cross 2020. Watts' promotional company, Park Ben Productions, is managing the event.

With the expected expansion of the UCI World Cup next season, a spot in that series would have been a logical choice for FayetteCross as it builds toward 2022, and with the previous promotion of the CrossVegas World Cup and Waterloo Watts, who previously promoted the CrossVegas World Cup and was race director of the Waterloo World Cup, said new series owner Flanders Classics encouraged him to do so. In the end, however, hosting the World Cup next year was not a good idea for the race or for Fayetteville.

"Fayetteville faces scheduling hurdles," he said. Like many places in the U.S., the fall event dominates the weekend schedule." Ultimately, we believe Pan Am is better suited to the NWA Cyclocross Strategic Plan for the 2022 World Championships. As a bonus, we can offer many grassroots race categories and even introduce fun ones like the relay races we will offer in 2020."

Although the Pan American Championships do not attract European stars like the World Cup, the U.S. races have a special meaning for Watts. Over the years, he has seen European riders score tons of UCI points at the European Championships," Watts said. The Continental Championships give more points than the National Championships. But there were no continental championships in the Western Hemisphere. So I worked closely with race organizers in the US and Canada to raise awareness, and finally, seven years ago, we had the first Pan American Championships."

Despite being integral to the realization of the Pan American Championships, Watts has never personally organized the event. This season will be his first tournament.

"The Pan American Championships have the magic of awarding champions a special jersey to wear in international races. That Pan Am jersey, now recognized by the average European fan, brings me great satisfaction. And the opportunity to expand this sport in our hemisphere is a great attraction for a cross evangelist like me"

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In a statement sent to the media in conjunction with today's announcement, Experience Fayetteville CEO Molly Rohn said the Pan Games will be a showcase for the region and a good test run for the World Championships.

"COPACI's selection of Fayetteville for the Pan American Championships confirms Fayetteville and the area's preeminent status as a center for cycling. And the Pan American Championships will be a great way to get both visitors and residents excited for the 2022 World Championships."