U.S. Paralympics Cycling Partners with Texas A&M University to Host Road Cycling Open in Bryan, Texas

U.S. Paralympics Cycling today announced the U.S. Paralympics Cycling Road Open, hosted by Texas A&M University and the City of Bryan, Texas. The two-day competition, running April 6-7, 2024, at Texas A&M-RELLIS will serve as the selection event for the nation’s top Para-cyclists to qualify for the European leg of the 2024 UCI Para-Cycling World Cup season, which is one of the most important factors for qualification for the Paralympic Games Paris 2024 this summer.

The annual U.S. Para-cycling road open, which takes place in various locations around the country, will come to Bryan for its fifth edition. The competition remains the most prestigious domestic event for the top U.S. Para-cyclists to showcase their talents.

“The City of Bryan is proud to partner with Texas A&M to bring the U.S. Paralympics Cycling Road Open to our community,” said Mayor Bobby Gutierrez. “We’re ready to cheer on the athletes and honored to be a part of their Paralympic journey.”

The 2024 event is especially prominent because it falls in a Paralympic year, as the nation’s top athletes prepare to go toe-to-toe with the world’s best on the biggest international stage the sport has to offer.

“This is the most important domestic event we will have for road cycling leading into the Paris Paralympics,” Ian Lawless, Director, U.S. Paralympics Cycling, said. “Partnering with both the university and the City of Bryan has been so crucial for us as we build toward the 2024 Games, and we are so excited to have this serve as a key stop in our road to Paris.”

Racing, which will feature time trial and road race formats, will take place across the Texas A&M–RELLIS campus.

“Texas A&M has hosted some incredible events over the years, and now we’re proud to add the U.S. Para-Cycling Open to the list,” said General (Ret.) Mark A. Welsh III, president of Texas A&M University. “As one of the final stops on the road to Paris, we in Aggieland can’t wait to extend a warm ‘Howdy!’ to these athletes, their families and friends, and the many cycling and para-cycling enthusiasts who will come to cheer them on.”

Dr. Lisa Colvin, Clinical Associate Professor in Kinesiology and Sport Management at Texas A&M, played a significant role in connecting the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) and Texas A&M University. As the USOPC searched for education partners to host paralympic events, she and her team highlighted the outstanding facilities available and how the educational and research mission of the university and history of strong veteran support aligned with the missions of the USOPC. Texas A&M’s Department of Kinesiology and Sport Management is home to a top-ranked Doctoral Program in Kinesiology, according to the National Academy of Kinesiology

Following competition, U.S. Paralympics Cycling will announce the athletes selected to its road world cups in Ostend, Belgium, and Maniago, Italy, this May.

The event is free, family friendly, and open to the public. Spectators are encouraged to line the race course and cheer for the nation’s premier Para-cyclists. Learn more about the event at paracycling.bryantx.gov.

Photos by Casey B. Gibson, captured at the UCI Para-Cycling Road World Cup in Huntsville, Ala., in May 2023.

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