WorldTour-level Ceratizit Pro Cycling was confirmed Thursday among the final six teams to complete the field of 15 squads for the inaugural Maryland Cycling Classic Women on Saturday, September 6.
Each team will consist of six riders for 90 riders expected on the start line of the UCI 1.1 race, which will start at 8:30 a.m. EDT and use the same roads as the men's UCI 1.Pro contest taking place later that afternoon.
Also on the start line in Baltimore, Maryland, will be a trio of prominent US-based teams - Aegis Cycling Foundation, Fearless Femme Racing and Fount Cycling Guild - along with Milton Women's U23 Project out of Canada and Mexico's PatoBike-BMC.
The field now boasts three teams currently ranked in the top 15 of the UCI World Rankings - Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto and Ceratizit, both on the WorldTour, as well as ProTeam-level EF Education-Oatly.
“For an inaugural event, we’re really pleased with the competitive field we’ve assembled,” said Joanne Kiesanowski, the women’s competition manager. “Our goal was to attract top European teams alongside some of the best talent from North America, and we believe we’ve achieved that. It’s shaping up to be a fantastic race.”
Other prominent domestic squads announced earlier include Cynisca Cycling, Virginia's Blue Ridge TWENTY28, L39ion of Los Angeles, CCB p/b Levine Law Group, The Cyclery Racing Team and composite national teams from the USA and Benin. The Benin National Team earned a spot in the field, making it the first time an African federation has fielded a female team at a top-ranked UCI road event in the US.
Ceratizit Pro Cycling features Canadian track and road star Sarah van Dam, who was third overall at this year's Itzula Women and fifth on GC at Tour of Britain Women.
Aegis Cycling Foundation is a new team in the US and features former US road champion and reigning gravel champion Lauren Stephens, who won GC titles at the two UCI stage races in the US this year - the Tour of the Gila and the Tour de Bloom.
Fount Cycling Guild's Alia Shafi won the GC at Redlands Bicycle Classic, was second on GC at Tour de Bloom and earned the bronze medal at US Pro Road Nationals in the elite women's time trial.
Organisers will announce details about the race route using a press conference to be scheduled later in July. Team rosters will be confirmed in the week leading up to the event.
The final lineup of 15 squads for the fourth edition of the men's race was revealed in early June, which includes a combination of six WorldTour and ProTeams currently in the top 20 UCI World Rankings.
Maryland Cycling Classic Women 2025 teams
- Benin National Team
- Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto (GER)
- CCB p/b Levine Law Group (USA)
- Ceratizit Pro Cycling (GER)
- Cynisca Cycling (USA)
- EF Education-Oatly (USA)
- Fearless Femme Racing (USA)
- Fount Cycling Guild (USA)
- L39ION of Los Angeles (USA)
- Milton Women’s U23 Project (CAN)
- PatoBike-BMC (MEX)
- Team USA
- The Cyclery Racing Team (CAN)
- Virginia’s Blue Ridge TWENTY28 (USA)
