The return of the Philly Cycling Classic is just what North American road racing has been longing for - Analysis

It's been a long ten years since the last time the Philadelphia Cycling Classic was held, and the race's return was a smashing success for fans, riders and the city itself.

I raced the old Liberty Classic three times back in the days when Ina Teutenberg and Petra Rossner were ripping everyone's legs off in the sprint and covered it for Cyclingnews after recovering from my delusions that I could be a pro bike racer, so I've seen what this race meant to the North American peloton. It's difficult to put into words the amount of joy that fills my heart having it back.

I felt the vibe from the moment I left the airport, and the train pulled into the city centre: the monuments of the very foundations of the United States tucked in between shining high-rises just feels very grounded in history and vibrant at the same time.

That same feeling carried into the race morning as the women's peloton lined up along a stretch of the Benjamin Franklin Parkway lined with flags from around the world.

It was an early start for the women at 8:30 a.m. but the crowds were already out and continued to grow throughout their race and the men's until Manayunk Wall and Lemon Hill were heaving with bodies - nearly equal to the height of the race's glory in the early 2000s.

The top finishers had nothing but positive things to say about the race.

Riley Sheehan (NSN) was genuinely in awe after finishing fourth, winning the sprint behind breakaway riders Tim Torn Teutenberg (Lidl-Trek), Robert Donaldson (Jayco AlUla) and Jonas Rutsch (Lotto-Intermarché).

"It means everything, honestly," Sheehan told Cyclingnews. "I saw this race before — I watched it growing up. The course, the environment here, the production of this event — it's so incredible, and all the people behind it.

"It's back in the US where I'm from, and it's so cool to have this here. Honestly, it means the world to me. There were so many emotions behind it today, just giving my everything."

The steep Manayunk Wall creates an atmosphere that would be at home amid the most prestigious Classics.

"It was crazy! Honestly, it was phenomenal," Sheehan said. "Deafening loud, and you can't even... It's just such a rush. It's so present in the moment and just crazy chaos. It was like going on the Oude Kwaremont in [Tour of] Flanders! Full gas, so phenomenal."

Donaldson agreed, saying the course had everything: "A big climb where the spectacle there was massive. The noise from the side of the roads — it doesn't get louder than that in cycling."

The course, while mostly flat, is punctuated by the Manayunk Wall and two smaller climbs, Strawberry Hill and Lemon Hill, on the long 23.2-kilometre laps. A grand finale with two short laps including only Lemon Hill brings the race to a frenzy.

"It created some really aggressive racing," Donaldson said.

Third-placed Jonas Rutsch agreed, saying, "The crowds were amazing, the spectators were amazing, and I think it was a really, really good comeback for this race."

Third-placed Ella Sabo (Virginia's Blue Ridge TWENTY28) was ten years old the last time the Philly Classic was held, but was schooled in the race's history by her teammate Sofia Arreola, who raced the 2016 edition.

"It's a bridge to the past, and so [Arreola] made sure that we all soaked it in - enjoyed the environment. On that wall, there were so many people cheering. It was so insane, and so cool to take in the atmosphere that is the Philly Cycling Classic."

Second-placed Alexandra Volstad (EF Education-Oatly) agreed, saying, "I love racing in the U.S. I was in Maryland last year, and I loved it, and I'm super happy to come back and race. The fans are next level. We always get people shouting on the streets, so it's pretty fun."

The race was a bridge to the past and one across the oceans, too. There were 22 different nations represented in the women's race and 18 in the men's. The majority were from the United States in both races, but there is no doubt that those 53 women and 37 men all felt the surge of adrenaline of being a part of the biggest one-day bike race on their calendar.

The fact that the organisers revived the old course - not the finish at the top of the Manayunk Wall - connected the modern event to the race's deep roots that date back to the mid-1980s.

Back in 2004, this race meant the world to my tiny little amateur team from North Carolina. When our guest rider, the late Becky Conzelman, finished fourth the next year, it meant everything to us. She was a brilliant track and road rider and donated half of her winnings that day to our team - which helped fund most of our season.

It's those riders who profit the most from a race like Philly. To the WorldTour teams, it's a nice chance for lesser-known riders to get a result, but mostly, it's a lot of travel for a one-day race. For smaller teams like Competitive Edge, Team Skyline or Team Winston Salem-Flow it's a massive opportunity to pitch the team's value to sponsors.

There has been a lot of loss in the US road calendar, the demise of Tour of California, the USA Pro Challenge, Tour of Utah, and the Joe Martin Stage Race.

Most of the WorldTour teams signed on to race here with the hopes of linking it up with the Maryland Cycling Classic, which never really got off the ground, being hampered by the pandemic and the Key Bridge tragedy.

Finally, the return of the Philadelphia Cycling Classic gave us some good news, and the city delivered, going above and beyond expectations.

Maybe it's because the people here know their history - they live steeped in 250 years of it - and they remember the good old days of this race. Even O'Brien's water hole on Manayunk Wall, which is a hose connected to a shower that hangs over the course for riders to cool themselves off, made a comeback.

Philadelphia's leaders were incredibly generous to support this race in the same year the city also hosted the FIFA World Cup, and the fans came out in droves.

Yes, there was a bit of an issue at the end of the men's race where lapped riders got in the way on Lemon Hill, but none of the riders I spoke to faulted the race organisation.

The Philadelphia Cycling Classic reboot was a glimmer of hope in what has been a struggling road racing scene in the United States. Let's hope that the momentum continues, and we see more races coming back. Hello, Tour of California?

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