Cycling fans have two opportunities to ride like the pros this year at the TD Bank Philadelphia International Cycling Championship, Sunday, June 5, 2011.
First, the Wellness Challenge, formerly the Philly Fun Run, will again open the course to amateurs in the morning before the pros take the start line.
“You can experience the same climbs, the same straightaways, the same majesty of the course that is Philly that the pros will a few hours later,” said David M. Chauner, President of Pro Cycling Tour LLC. “There is just no other opportunity during the year to ride the Parkway, Kelly Drive, the Manayunk Wall and Lemon Hill completely traffic free -- this is it!”
Challenge is open to recreational riders older than 12 and of all abilities and follows the actual TD Bank Philadelphia International Cycling Championship race course on which the pros compete. The course is 14 miles long. The field is limited to 2,000 riders. The entry fee is $45 per person for all entries registered on BikeReg.com until June 4, 2011.
New to the 2011 schedule is a special Weekend at the Race tour package. Beginning Friday, June 3 through race day, June 5, tour participants will dine and ride with the professional cyclists, stay at the official race hotel, meet team directors and mechanics, ride their own epic route from Philadelphia to Valley Forge and participate in the Wellness Challenge.
On race day, VIP accommodations at the start/finish line will put these fans within reach of all the action, including the all-out field sprints to victory.
“You’ll feel like you’re part of the biggest race in America because you will be,” said John Gil, president of Exceptional Cycling Tours which is partnering with Pro Cycling Tour to offer this exclusive insider’s access.
The TD Bank Philadelphia International Cycling Championship is considered the foundation of American pro cycling. It is the only bike race in the United States that takes over a major city for six hours, consistently draws crowds of several hundred thousand spectators, is covered live on national television and has received the highest international classification, “UCI Hors Category.” The event will welcome 400 professional cyclists from more than 20 nations and close to 1,000 amateur cyclists who compete in ancillary events.
“We are thrilled that the race has become a fixture on the international race calendar and that so many teams and riders from all over the world know of its great reputation and want to come here,” Chauner adds. “As the longest single day road race in North America, it offers our American pro teams the rare opportunity to compete in a classic European style road race on home soil against many of the world’s best. But most of all, the race has introduced big time bike racing to Philadelphia and has been the inspiration for many other cycling events and programs throughout the region.”
Last year’s 156-mile battle ended with an international cast crossing the finish line first. Australia's Matt Goss (HTC-Columbia) was the winner, marking the second TD Bank race victory in a row for the HTC-Columbia team. Slovakia’s Peter Sagan (Liquigas-Doimo) and Norway's Alexander Kristoff (BMC Racing Team) came in second and third place.
In addition to the TD Bank race which features the sport’s top professional men, women cyclists from around the globe will again line up on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway to contest the 18th annual Liberty Classic. Germany’s Ina Teutenberg (HTC-Columbia) is a Philadelphia favorite with four wins here to her credit, including the 2010 race.
For more information on the Wellness Challenge, go to http://www.procyclingtour.com/wellness.challenge.htm. Check www.procyclingtour.com for updates and the coming announcement on how to purchase the Weekend at the Race tour package.
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