Five Continental teams have been added to the lineup for the inaugural Maryland Cycling Classic supported by UnitedHealthcare on September 5. Organisers expect to fill up to seven more spots in the coming weeks for as many as 17 teams at the one-day UCI road race.
Team Medellin of Colombia and Team Amore e Vita of Ukraine will join three more US-based teams – Hagens Berman Axeon, Elevate-Webiplex Pro Cycling and Team Illuminate. Five other teams were announced in April, which include World Tour teams Trek-Segafredo and Team BikeExchange, Pro Continental-level Rally Cycling, and a pair of US-based Continental teams, Aevolo Pro Cycling and Wildlife Generation Pro Cycling.
“We’re very excited to race at the Maryland Cycling Classic this fall,” said Axel Merckx, the general manager of Hagens Berman Axeon. “It’s great to see professional cycling back in the U.S. and I know cycling fans here are eager to see some bike racing.”
The US development squad notched its first win of the 2021 season earlier in May with Sean Quinn taking the victory at the UCI 2.1 Classica da Arrabida in Portugal. The team is currently racing Volta ao Algarve, where Jarrad Drizners has worn the best young rider jersey.
Team Medellin has had a solid start to their year, with José Tito Hernádez taking the overall win at the Vuelta a Colombia and Brayan Sánchez recording a stage win at Tour of Rwanda.
“For Team Medellin, we are honored to be selected to participate in this new and exciting race, the Maryland Cycling Classic,” said Jose Julian Vasquez, team director. “This is the most important one-day race in the Americas now and part of the prestigious UCI Pro Tour.
"Team Medellin always gives our all and we want to show we are among the best teams in the world. We know there a lot of Colombians in America that love Medellin and Colombia. Our mission is to boost the face of Medellin and Colombia with every result we earn.”
The Maryland Cycling Classic is the only UCI ProTour event, 1.Pro, on the US calendar for 2021. The Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah, which has been scheduled to take place as a 2.Pro race at the end of July, was postponed until 2022 amid reorganisation plans.
There are just two other UCI events confirmed in the US for the season – the Joe Martin Stage Race from August 26-29, and the Chrono Kristin Armstrong on July 9.
In Canada, the Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec on September 10 and the Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal, are the remaining UCI events, both 1.UWT, for the season in North America.
The Tour of the Gila, which has been part of the UCI America Tour since 2012, has rescheduled its spring stage race from September 29 to October 3 but the dates have not been confirmed yet by the UCI.
