Heartland Cycling Wins 2026 KY NICA Team Title
Eight Kentucky student-athletes also claimed individual series state champion titles and the red roses jersey this season.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Cycling
Heartland Cycling Development (Hardin-Elizabethtown Stampede) won the 2026 KY NICA Team State Championship after finishing the five-race Pedal for the Roses Series with 10,850 team points. Eight student-athletes also claimed individual series state champion titles and the red roses jersey.
Why it matters
The series is a statewide youth mountain bike program, and its season-long points system rewards consistency across five races from August through October. The results show how Kentucky's middle and high school riders are developing within a structured, season-long competition format.
The results come from official season point totals across all five Pedal for the Roses races, which determine team and individual series champions. The 2026 season drew 374 student-athletes, 180 high school and 194 middle school participants, across 22 teams and eight statewide events.
The players
Heartland Cycling Development
A Kentucky youth mountain bike team led by Head Coach Andy Fortenberry, which won the 2026 KY NICA Team State Championship.
KY NICA
The Kentucky chapter of the National Interscholastic Cycling Association, which runs statewide youth mountain bike racing and is now in its sixth year.
The details
Series champions are determined by adding up points earned across all five Pedal for the Roses races, which were held from August through October. Riders earn points at each race, so consistent participation and finishing across the season drives the final standings. Eight student-athletes were recognized as individual series state champions and earned the red roses jersey.
Timeline
August through October 2026: five-race Pedal for the Roses Series points earned.
October 24 and 25, 2026: Battle at Bluff Boom State Championship held at Bluff Boom Trails in Greensburg.
Health Landscape
KY NICA is a state affiliate of the National Interscholastic Cycling Association, which organizes structured youth mountain bike racing for middle and high school students. Its 2026 season, now in its sixth year, reflects continued growth of organized, school-based youth cycling in Kentucky.
Structured, season-long youth cycling programs like KY NICA give middle and high school students a regular reason to ride and train outdoors. Families interested in youth mountain biking can ask local school athletic departments or their coaches about joining a KY NICA team.
The takeaway
Organized youth sports like KY NICA's mountain bike series build sustained physical activity into the school year. Parents and students interested in joining can talk with local school coaches about team participation.
Further reading
For more on competitive riding, see Cycling coverage across the state's youth and amateur racing scene.
Source note: This article includes information reported by LINK nky.
