With less than two months to go, questions are swirling about who will be competing for a whopping $1 million in prize money in the inaugural four-city National Cycling League (NCL). So far, only two teams.

The list of teams declining invitations continues to grow, and L39ON of Los Angeles announced today that it will not participate in the newly launched four-city Dash for Cash series.

"While L39LION of Los Angeles will not be participating in the NCL, we are pleased to invest in American cycling and share the desire to increase participation and grow the sport," L39LION of Los Angeles team manager Hunter Grove said. We look forward to sharing with you shortly about our exciting plans for 2023 and beyond."

L39LION of Los Angeles has been one of the most dominant teams in U.S. road racing the past two seasons, with top results for both men and women. The team includes two-time U.S. women's professional criterium champion Kendall Ryan, former men's criterium champion Ty Magner, and reigning US professional men's road race champion Kyle Murphy.

Following L39ION's statement, the Miami Blazers also confirmed that they will forgo the series. The Blazers are an elite men's team in the U.S., led by Brandon Fihaly, who dominated the American Criterium Cup series last year, winning the individual all-around and sprint titles.

"The Miami Blazers will not be participating in the NCL race. We wish them and the participating riders the best of luck and look forward to the upcoming racing season,"

said Dennis Ramirez, team manager for the Miami Blazers.

NCL organizers said they were not surprised that several teams declined early invitations and look forward to future announcements about a confirmed lineup for the NCL Cup series.

"While expected, NCL is disappointed that L39ion and its associated teams have chosen not to participate in NCL racing for the foreseeable future...In 2023, the best bicycle racing teams in America will be competing in the NCL Cup, and we are confident that they and their sponsors are excited about the opportunity to bring exposure to a national and global audience through our in-person, broadcast, and virtual platforms," said a statement from NCL organizers.

Many of North America's continental and domestic elite teams are hesitant to participate because "teams" participating in the series must have both male and female riders under one organization, and the league must also own the team.

The two NCL-owned teams, the Miami Knights and the Denver Disruptors, are the only two teams confirmed to participate in the series at this time, but the full 10-team lineup will be announced.

A prominent national elite team on the criterium circuit is ButcherBox Cycling p/b LOOK, which has programs for both men and women. They have expressed concerns about the league's structure and have yet to accept an invitation to compete.

"We continue to receive offers from the NCL, but have turned them down at this time due to concerns about the league's single-issue ownership model and unequal distribution of resources," Dino Piskopanis, co-founder and strategic director of ButcherBox Cycling told Cycling News.

During the team recruitment process, Cycling News learned that NCL organizers are asking men-only or women-only teams to join forces and create partnerships in order to participate in the series. With only four races, it sounds like a good idea for the athletes, but what about the team's main sponsor? [Alex Kim, co-owner of the women's continental team DNA Pro Cycling, told Cycling News. His title sponsor is an apparel company called DNA Cycling, which means dirt and asphalt, and he wants to protect their investment and create conflict with the men's team, which has a competing brand.

"The point totals for the big cash prizes at the end are based on the points of the teams, which consist of the men's team and the women's team. We (the women's team) are one of the stronger women's teams, but we will be relying on the men's team. It's something we have no control over," Kim added. The team, which competes in stage races and criteriums, has added Olivia Cummins, 19, the current US U23 criterium champion, to its roster for 2023.

"I wish this series every success. It's a good place for riders with full time jobs.

NCL organizers have been working for over a year to create a creative series. Ten invitation-only teams of six men and six women each will compete in four new events in major U.S. markets, with $1 million in prize money to be split among the top five teams. Organizers will also unveil the NCL's "Scoreboard," which will include the NCL's "Scoreboard of the Year. This is a technology that will provide fans with real-time biometric and performance data of professional athletes during races.

After the season opener in Miami Beach, the series will move to Atlanta, Georgia on May 14, Denver, Colorado on August 13, and conclude in Washington, D.C. on September 10