The National Cycling League has announced that the Washington, D.C., race scheduled for September 17 has been removed from the 2023 NCL Cup Series. This makes the August 20 race in Atlanta, Georgia, the third and final race in the inaugural criterium series.

"The National Cycling League sets the standard for cycling and the sport. The inaugural event in Miami Beach proves that and is laying the groundwork for the future. With any startup, pivots occur. This was a necessary change to allow us to focus all of our efforts on 2024 and beyond," commented Andrea Pagnanelli, who started as NCL's revenue director in 2022 and was recently named CEO in May, in a press release.

The 2023 NCL Cup Series opened on April 8 in Miami Beach, Florida, with the Denver Disruptors scoring a total of 139 points in the team-oriented format. The Miami Knights finished second in the standings with 95 points, while Goldman Sachs ETFS Racing (women) and Texas Roadhouse Cycling (men) were in third place with just 29 points. Both the Disruptors and Knights are owned by the National Cycling League.

Organizers boast a prize pool of $1 million, from which a $700,000 bonus will be paid to one male and one female team if they win all four races in the series in Miami, Denver, Atlanta, and Washington, D.C.

The league also stated that, in addition to the $30,000 prize money for each race, the teams will also compete for a $130,000 NCL Cup bonus at the end of the season. This bonus will be paid separately from the $30,000 prize money paid for each individual race. Coed teams were eligible to receive the bonus based on their final standings in the four events, with the first-place team receiving $45,000 and the other nine receiving less.

Cycling News has contacted Pagnanelli to see what modifications, if any, will be made to the bonus payments now that only three races will be held, and is awaiting a response.

The second round of the NCL Cup, NCL Denver, will be held on Sunday, August 13 at Dick's Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colorado, just outside of downtown Denver. The course is a 1.2-mile, four-corner circuit with start/finish points at East 59th Place and Valentia Street at the south end of the stadium. The men's race will start at 2:30 p.m. local time and the women's race at 4 p.m., with the awards ceremony at 5:30 p.m.

The third and final round of the series will be held on Sunday, August 20, at the Porsche Experience Center in Atlanta. The course is a technical, undulating 1.2-mile circuit on the south course. This is a special event open only to spectators who have purchased VIP hospitality. Proceeds from the race event will benefit the local non-profit organization, Bearings Bike Works.

A total of 10 invited teams will participate in the inaugural series. A unique scoring system will reward teamwork by combining scores from separate women's and men's races on the same course. Points are awarded to the top three finishers on each lap, with double points awarded on the final lap.