U.S. Pro Cup Arkansas
Racing on home soil started off last month with the U.S. Pro Cup in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The HART squad gathered in cold and snowy northwest Arkansas ready to throw down against the worlds best on what has become one of the staple courses on the North American circuit.
The first day on course was 30 degrees and breezy. The team bundled up and got out on the 2026 course at Centennial Park. This year the course had some exciting changes from recent years that made for interesting changes in pacing and momentum on technical features. The changes also saw new rock gardens, new climbs, the re-addition of the “OG Drop,” a 6-8ft drop off a natural ledge to add a bit of spice to the lap.
On Tuesday the team dialed in race lines and plans with the Accel junior and U23 racers.
This race trip saw the team reunited with Sydney and Isabella in the Elite Women’s field and Samuel and Jeremy in the Elite Men’s races.
Wednesday: UCI C1
The C1 on Wednesday saw many of the continent’s fastest pros line up for 90min of full gas racing. Up first, the Pro Women battled it out. Isabella and Sydney got off to a strong start, holding with the pack until the race strung out. Isabella suffered a mechanical and pulled back to finish 17th. Sydney recovered from a small crash on a loose corner to finish 16th.
Isabella and Sydney on a chilly start line Wednesday morning.
In the Elite Men’s field, things got off to a fast start with the whole field racing at a higher level than ever before. The fruit of a very successful decade of junior development bringing the men’s field up to the level the women have been on for eight years now. Samuel found his race legs and battled it out for 25th with Jeremy not far behind in 27th.
Friday: Short Track
The Short Track course at Centennial Park includes a fast, loose, luge-like descent, then a brutal grass climb straight up to the lap-through. The Elite Women’s field was combined with the U23 women’s race which provided a faster, more chaotic race for our Sydney and Isabella. Holding onto the insane pace, Sydney and Isabella finished 30th and 35th respectively.
Samuel had a great race and ended up finishing 25th again. Jeremy felt stuck on one speed, unable to hold pace on the explosive climb, and finished 34th.
Samuel and Sydney celebrate a hard effort in XCC.
Saturday: UCI HC
Saturday’s race was a repeat of Wednesday’s course with just a few more fast riders sprinkled into the mix. Like every race so far this season, tactics went out the window from the gun in both the men’s and women’s races as riders pushed to their absolute limit early in the race. Temperatures got up to 95° causing many riders so struggle and fall back or make mistakes. HART was well prepared after starting the season out in the Puerto Rican heat. Samuel 24th, Jeremy 30th,
Isabella hammers around the top side of the track with Sydney chasing not far behind. Isabella finished in 17th while Sydney overtook to finish 14th in the HC race.
Samuel powering up a rocky steep climb on his way to a strong 24th place finish. Jeremy yet again struggled to find the top-end in an explosive race and finished 30th.
A rehash of a great weekend of UCI MTB racing with friends and family.
Sunday: Bonus Laps!
With all the UCI racing wrapped up on Saturday, Sydney and Isabella rolled out for a fun day clocking hours on local trails while Samuel flew back home to clock hours at the hospital back in St. George.
At Centennial Park, Sunday held all the amateur cross country races. This is when non-UCI Categories, age group, and singlespeed riders get to throw down on a similar course with a few more natural trails and fewer air-time features. These courses tend to be a bit longer than the UCI course and an absolute blast to ride! If you’re ever near a US Cup with a bike, hop in and race an age group race! It’s a great time!
Jeremy, with an abbreviated season on the schedule, hopped in the non-UCI Pro/cat1 race, racing for USA Cycling rankings and for the fun of it.
Jeremy was still stuck on his one speed, same as the previous three races, with no matches to burn to chase attacks. This time that speed earned him 2nd! A great example of the difference between the level of UCI Elite and non-UCI Pro fields.
Jeremy catching Accel’s Eddie(15-16) just in time for a full gas sprint finish!
Sponsor Highlight!
You’ll notice the matching Sweet Protection helmets across the whole Accel and HART-Accel Pro teams! Those snazzy wrapped helmets worn by the juniors are the same Sweet Protection Falconer that is the top choice for our pros. The Falconer is light, well ventilated, aerodynamic, great looking, and most importantly, is one of the best helmets on the market for crash protection. On HART, we each only have one head and choose the best to protect it as we push our limits.
You’ll see Sydney and Isabella race in the Tucker, an even more aero helmet, on some of the faster courses where low-speed ventilation is less of a concern and every watt counts.
Jeremy wears the Sweet Protection Trailblazer, a light weight all around trail helmet with more protection and a shape that better fits Jeremy’s weird shaped head.
Paired with these incredible helmets, Sweet Protection’s Ronin and Shinobi are HART’s top choice for race day glasses. With many lens options for all the conditions we race in and great photochromic options for changing conditions, these are key protection for our eyes and ability to stay on the race-line on course.
If you’re looking for a new helmet, reach out and HART would love to connect you with a Sweet Protection helmet and glasses!
Isabella at the finish line in her Sweet Protection Falconer.
After the race…
Following the US Cup at Centennial Park, Sydney, Isabella, and Jeremy hung around northwest Arkansas to coach a MTB skills camp in conjunction with Ignition Coach Co.
Seven athletes from around the US gathered in Bentonville, Arkansas for six days of skills, drills, and gaining confidence on trails and features in Bentonville’s many bike playgrounds and trail systems.
Stay tuned here and on our Newsletter for the full story!
Until then,
-Jeremy Norris
