Pro Cycling Tour gears up for TD Bank Philadelphia Cycling Championship

Posted by By Gary Roethenbaugh at 16 March, at 00 : 00 AM Print

Sunday 5 June 2011 will mark the 27th running of the largest single day professional cycling race in North America, bringing top cyclists from around the world to compete against each other on a now-historic route through Philadelphia, which features the gruelling Manayunk Wall, event organisers have announced.

The TD Bank Philadelphia International Cycling Championship is considered a key 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 TD Bank Philadelphia International Cycling Championship is owned and managed by Pro Cycling Tour, an affiliate of American Cycling Group LLC (ACG), which develops and manages cycling events, facilities and programs across the US.

The event will welcome 400 professional cyclists from more than 20 nations and close to 1,000 amateur cyclists who compete in ancillary events.

There are two opportunities for cycling fans to ride like the pros this year at the TD Bank Philadelphia International Cycling Championship. First, the Wellness Challenge will again open the course to amateurs in the morning before the pros take the start line.

New to the 2011 schedule is a special Weekend at the Race tour package. “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.

Beginning on Friday 3 June through to race day on 5 June, 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.

VIP tickets are also now on sale for Champions Row hospitality tents along the Parkway. Champions Row VIPs enjoy prime start/finish positioning, an all-day catered buffet, complimentary drinks, and shuttle bus transport to and from Manayunk.

Perhaps most exciting about these VIP spots is the chance to win one of 10 rides in the race’s official pace car as well as a special appearance by one of the race’s top competitors. Champions Row VIPs are also able to park in reserved spots at the Mann Center for the Performing Arts, with a shuttle that takes them to and from the race course.

Patron packages for corporate and personal entertaining are also available.

For those who can’t make it out to the race course on Sunday 5 June, Pro Cycling Tour is pleased to announce that Comcast SportsNet will again broadcast the race locally in high definition in the Philadelphia region, and nationally on its Versus station.

In addition, cycling enthusiasts can listen to KYW Newsradio, which is signed on to partner with the race for the next three years, for live updates throughout the race as well as preview stories in the weeks leading up to the big day.

In addition to the TD Bank Philadelphia International Cycling Championship, American Cycling Group is developing several new initiatives including the National Velodrome and Events Center in Chester County, Pennsylvania, the Reading Radsport, a grand-scale, European-style recreational cycling event in Berks County, Pennsylvania, and the Road Cycling League, a series of ability and age category cycling races.

www.procyclingtour.com

All news Event news Bike, Events/races