First: YES, these are late in being announced. The OVCX is under new leadership and we’re all volunteers – but hey, we’re listenin’ and trying! We appreciate your patience, grace, and your commitment to showing up.
The goal with these updates is to tune the race experience AND the OVCX Series experience to you, the riders. Most every race in the series needs more rider than they have to be sustainable. The OVCX needs races. YOU want a more fun, engaging, challenging and competitive race experience.
Some of these updates came from your feedback. We had 92 responses to our 2026 OVCX Category Start Survey – results are published here! Some updates based upon a deep review of ridership trends over the last few years, and feedback from our fearless race directors.
The OVCX is a 100% volunteer operation from the series down to the race directors. We welcome questions, comments and feedback: email board@ovcx.com.
Read below for the updates…
2025 Series Awards – Sept 20th 2026 at Harbin
2025 Series Podiums (1st-2nd-3rd) will happen at OVCX #2 HARBIN PARK on Sunday September 20th. See the 2025 Series Category Results for your 2025 winners!
2026 OVCX Series Updates
What is NOT changing:
1) The broad Race Day Wave Schedule is NOT changing.
2) The OVCX series categories are NOT changing
3) Your callup is still based upon CrossResults points … PLUS current OVCX Series Category Standings. (ok, that’s a small change… but read on for why!)
THE UPDATES:
1) As of 2026, we will use CROSSRESULTS for OVCX Series Standings!
With long-time OVCX results gurus Tripp Holt and Estella Lee retiring (thank you!!), we have made the decision to have CrossResults.com host our OVCX Series Standings. We’re already posting results there, so why not? [Note to race directors: this requires us to upload results by Category – not Wave! See “for Race Directors and Officials” below]
2) REQUIRED RACES: Your TOP SIX (6) races will count towards your OVCX Series points (previously, this was 7)
Roughly 10% of racers met the threshold last year. We want more people engaged in the OVCX Series overall. The easiest way to do that is lowering the required number of races. We’re hoping for more this year!
3) POINTS MODIFIERS (1.25x) for UCI Races and OVCX Finale
To counteract the larger, more competitive crowds at UCI races AND to make the OVCX Finale more enticing and competitive – you will be given 1.25x OVCX Series points for your finishes at all UCI races and the OVCX Finale November 22nd in Louisville.
4) CATEGORY STARTS IN WAVES: Most categories will start together within the wave (no gaps) and there will be smaller gaps between whistles.
This is the key result from the OVCX 2026 Category Wave Start Survey that 90+ of you responded to. You overwhelmingly want to 1) race more people on the day, even if they aren’t in your category and 2) if you can get upgrade points, great, but that’s secondary.
The good news is: we believe we have a plan (ratified by Ken Hart, USAC Official / INKY Cycling) to get both done:
- Categories will be staged separately, BUT…
- …where possible, multiple categories in waves will start on the same whistle.
- USAC requires separate starts between Men/Open and Women’s categories – so those remain, but …
- … the gap does NOT have to be 1 minute. It could even be zero.
These changes will reduce lapped riders (great for results accuracy) and give you the racing experience that 65% of you said you preferred.Show up to staging at least 10 minutes early and listen to your USAC officials!
5) SERIES POINTS + USAC UPGRADE POINTS
OVCX Series points will be awarded per category. If you are in a combined wave and win your category, you’ll receive maximum points (120, or 150 1.25x’d). Previously this was per wave – so if another category in your wave was large, you go knocked.
We will be reporting CATEGORY-level results back to USAC, so Upgrade Points are assigned by CATEGORY (more points on offer) and not WAVE (fewer points on offer). Ken believes this is OK, but USAC may say otherwise after posting.
We’re tryin’!
UPDATED 2026 OVCX WAVE CATEGORY STARTS
Guidance: “More people starting together on as few whistles as possible [as allowed by USAC]. As little time as possible between whistles [to lessen lapped traffic]”.
>> The broad RACE DAY WAVE SCHEDULE is NOT changing <<
>> USAC Officials have the ultimate discretion at the start, for safety and clear rider communication <<
- Stage and group categories separately. (Cat X then Cat B then Cat C)
- Start categories together as allowed by USAC (Men/Open must be separate from Women … see below)
- The GAP between STARTS should be as minimal as possible. 15s is suggested. USAC Officials should coordinate with the staged riders – if they wish to all go on the SAME whistle (zero second gap) that is acceptable.
Each “whistle” (start) in each wave should be separated physically by a one-bike-length gap.
Officials should announce the gap between start whistles to each start.
WAVE 1 11:00 AM – 45min
Start 1: Boys 15-18 + Mens Cat 3 + Mens Cat 3 Masters 40/50/60+
Start 2: Elite Women Open + Womens MASTERS 40+ + Women Cat 3
WAVE 2 12:10 PM – 25 min
Start 1: Boys 13-14 + Boys U13 (note 1)
Start 2: Girls 13-14 + Girls U13 (note 1)
WAVE 3 1:00 PM – 30 min
Start 1: Men Singlespeed 3/4/Novice + Men’s Novice (note 2)
Start 2: Women’s Cat 4 / Novice + Womens Cat 4 Masters 40+ + Womens SS + Girls 15-18
WAVE FUN 1:35 PM – 10min
– Kids Fun Ride! (9 and Under)
WAVE 4 – 1:50 PM – 50 min
Start 1: Elite Men Open + Mens Cat 1/2/3 Masters 40/50/60+ + Men’s SS (note 3)
WAVE 5 – 2:55 PM – 40 min
Start 1: Men Cat 4 + Men Cat 4 Masters 40/50/60+
WAVE 6 – 4:00 PM – 40 min
Start 1: Relay Option
(1) Published schedule has boys and girls starting together, which is not allowed by USA Cycling.
(2) Published schedule has SS starting ahead of Men’s Novice by 1 minute.
(3) Published schedule has Men’s Elite started ahead of Elite Masters 40+ and SS by 1 minute