The U.S. Cycling team will be in Richmond next week to preride the Richmond 2015 courses.

Just yesterday, Richmond 2015, the organizing committee of the 2015 UCI Road World Championships, and USA Cycling announced that they will host a two-day training camp next week for nearly two dozen elite-level cyclists to train together and familiarize themselves with the courses used when cycling’s preeminent competition is held in Richmond in September 2015.

Participating in the camp, to be held on Oct. 22 and 23, will be many of America’s top male and female riders – including Taylor Phinney, Evelyn Stevens and Virginia natives Joe Dombrowski, Andrea Dvorak, and Ben King– many of whom will be getting their initial look at the courses for the 2015 Worlds, which are coming to the United States for the first time since 1986. In addition to team meetings and strategy sessions, the riders will train by riding portions of the time trial and road courses. Additionally, Team USA will participate in community outreach events and be introduced to other sights and sounds of Richmond.

“The 2015 UCI Road World Championships are 11 months away and we are already beginning preparations for our Team USA athletes and staff,” said USA Cycling CEO & President Steve Johnson. “This training camp in Richmond will help familiarize our 2015 world championship team hopefuls with the course so they can begin the all-important mental preparation for next year’s event. The camp will also allow our athletes to interact with the people of Richmond as we start the countdown to one of the biggest events in the 2015 cycling calendar.”

Tim Miller, Chief Operating Officer of Richmond 2015, said, “We have spent countless hours over the past few years designing courses worthy of the world’s best cyclists. To say that we’re thrilled to showcase them to Team USA is an understatement. At the same time, we’re delighted to introduce them to Richmond and Central Virginia, which will be the center of the cycling universe for nine days next September.”

Libby Hill will be among the challenges Team USA faces in the 2015 World Cycling Championships.

Miller added, “The training rides will take place mid-morning on Oct. 22 and 23 and will not involve major road closures. We will use a rolling closure which will not cause a significant impact on traffic, while allowing the athletes a safe environment in which to familiarize themselves with the courses.”

The 2015 World Championships will be held Sept. 19-27, 2015 and is expected to attract 450,000 onsite spectators and a worldwide TV audience of 300 million over the nine days of the event. More than 1,000 cyclists – elite men and women, under 23 men and junior men and women – from more than 75 countries compete for their countries, just as they do in the Olympic Games, in three disciplines: the traditional road race, individual time trial and team time trial.