Back to the Olympics Newsfeed

USA Cycling at crossroads as Rio Olympics approaches

Kristin Armstrong could win her third straight Olympic gold medal in Rio. The women's pursuit team is favored to capture gold. Several Americans could land on the BMX podium.

Will anybody in the U.S. notice? Or even care?

That is perhaps the biggest challenge facing USA Cycling as the Rio Games arrive. One of the nation's most popular participatory sports is dealing with aging athletes, declining membership and a vast disconnect between amateur riders and their elite counterparts.

It has left USA Cycling officials to wonder just where they stand in the sport's structure.

"There is no doubt we need to adapt as an organization," agreed Derek Bouchard-Hall, who took over as the governing body's CEO last year after a successful career in private business.