'Blending old and new' includes crucial climb at St. Mary's Seminary and section of cobblestones at Fells Point with return to Inner Harbor in Charm City
Details for a 28.8km (17.9-mile) circuit within the city limits of Baltimore were revealed today by organisers of the Maryland Cycling Classic, now hosting UCI one-day races for women on the same day as the men, Saturday, September 6.
The inaugural 1.1-level women’s race, which starts at 8:30 a.m. (EDT), will cover four laps for a total of 115.2 kilometres (71.6 miles), and is expected to finish at 11:45 local time. With a start four hours after the women, the third edition of the men's 1.Pro race will complete six laps for 172.8 kilometres (107.4 miles), and is expected to finish at 16:45 local time.
The new route will include a 500-metre section of granite cobblestones, twisting roads through many historic neighborhoods and a stiff 900-metre climb in the Seton Hill neighborhood at the St. Mary's Seminary, where mountain points will be offered on each circuit. This section to Northern Parkway will be approached in a clockwise direction from Falls Road.
Before the long, flat finish on East Pratt Street at the Inner Harbor, the men's peloton will have amassed 1,732 metres (5,682 feet) of elevation gain, and the women will take in 1,179 metres (3,868 feet) of climbing. Points will be awarded for intermediate sprints after the first lap of each race at the finish line.
“The old course was great, but we decided to move it into the city for a variety of reasons. Baltimore is a city of great neighborhoods. We wanted to highlight Baltimore’s famous and beautiful waterfront while telling the story of the city’s rich history,” said Jim Birrell, the event’s race director. ”It’s blending the old and new of one of America’s most diverse cities."
In the previous two runs of the UCI men's one-day race, the start had been located in Sparks, Maryland, with a nearly-200km course that began with 144km on rural roads in the northern part of the state followed by several 12km circuits in Baltimore's famous Inner Harbor.
Along with the complete race route and distances revealed publicly today, race organisers also confirmed six fan zones in Baltimore, where some will include free cowbells and thunder sticks as well as giant video screens for spectators to watch live race coverage.
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"This year’s event is going to be better than ever, not only because it features a new women’s race, but because the entire course is officially within Baltimore City limits,” stated Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott in a statement prior to a press conference at Harbor Point Central Plaza Wednesday afternoon.
“It’s a special opportunity for folks here in Charm City to see free, world class racing—and folks all around the world to see our beautiful city."
In addition to the start and finish lines, Fan Zones were designated on Thames Street along the cobbles, in the Mount Vernon-Belvedere neighborhood adjacent to the 54-metre high (178 feet) Washington Monument and part of a 'Bike Jam' on S. Linwood Avenue.
Teams for both the women's and men's races have been confirmed, with three WorldTour squads among the 15 on the start line for men - Education-EasyPost, Lidl-Trek and Jayco-AlUla.
Three European ProTeams make debuts this year - Tudor Pro Cycling, Uno-X Mobility and Team TotalEnergies. The balance of the field includes four teams from the US - Project Echelon Racing, Team Skyline, Novo Nordisk, US composite team - as well as squads from Colombia, Mexico, Italy and Israel.
Fifteen teams will line up for the women's race, including Women's WorldTour squads Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto and Ceratizit Pro Cycling. US squads include EF Education-Oatly, Aegis Cycling Foundation, Cynisca Cycling, Virginia's Blue Ridge TWENTY28, L39ion of Los Angeles, CCB p/b Levine Law Group, Fount Cycling Guild and Fearless Femme Racing.
Rounding out the field for women are PatoBike-BMC of Mexico, The Cyclery Racing Team of Canada and national teams from Benin and USA.
(Image credit: Sports & Entertainment Corporation of Maryland)
Jackie has been involved in professional sports for more than 30 years in news reporting, sports marketing and public relations. She founded Peloton Sports in 1998, a sports marketing and public relations agency, which managed projects for Tour de Georgia, Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah and USA Cycling. She also founded Bike Alpharetta Inc, a Georgia non-profit to promote safe cycling. She is proud to have worked in professional baseball for six years - from selling advertising to pulling the tarp for several minor league teams. She has climbed l'Alpe d'Huez three times (not fast). Her favorite road and gravel rides are around horse farms in north Georgia (USA) and around lavender fields in Provence (France), and some mtb rides in Park City, Utah (USA).
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