Race directorJohn Meehan is transforming the Johnson County Fairgrounds into a world-class cyclo-cross course this week, as he does each year in preparation for the Jingle Cross races.
Meehan, however, ishoping that the work going into this year's eventleads to even bigger things in the future for the races, which draw thousands of professional and amateur cyclists and fans to Iowa City annually.
Organizers of the Christmas-themed competition, which runs Friday through Sunday at the fairgrounds, are working to land a 2016 Cyclo-cross World Cup date in Iowa City in conjunction with the Jingle Cross.
Meehan, along withIowa City Manager Tom Markus and Josh Schamberger, president of the Iowa City/Coralville Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, traveled Nov. 19-23 toBelgium, where they hand-deliveredIowa City's bid to be a host cityon next year's Cyclo-cross World Cup circuit.