Sparta Cycling Inc. announced today that pro cycling will return to Reading, PA with the “Reading 120” on September 12th. The UCI 1.2 event will be the latest incarnation of a late season road race in eastern Pennsylvania, that started with the Univest Grand Prix in 1998, and more recently the Bucks County Classic in 2012. What looks to be one of the hardest one day races in the US, it will also be the final US road race leading up to the UCI Road World Championships beginning the following weekend.
(Photo: marcoquezada.com)
The 120 mile late season “classic” course will depart from Reading, and travel approximately 70 miles through the beautiful country side of Berks County. This opening loop will help to facilitate other events, like a possible grand fondo where amateur riders can ride the same course the pros will be racing on. Riders will traverse the rolling terrain with a run back into the city, and face six 9 mile laps around the city. These circuits will include the famous climb up the Duryea Drive, where Charles Duryea developed the first hill climbing gasoline engine automobile in the early 1900’s. Since 1951, the route has also been the home of the Duryea Hill Climb auto racing event. At the top, they will pass Reading’s iconic landmark, the Pagoda, which was built in the late 1900’s as a hotel and resort over looking the city in the valley below. Riders will continue along Skyline Drive to the King of the Mountain line at the William Penn Memorial Fire Tower. Overall, riders will face over 10,000 feet of climbing during the race.
“After three wonderful years in Bucks County, we are delighted to bring the international excitement of UCI racing to Reading and Berks County,” Reading 120 Race Director John Eustice said. “Equally as gratifying is that we have a commitment from Reading to keep the race going through 2020.”
Reading, and the surrounding area, has a rich history in cycling. Local racers enjoyed the WEEU Cycle Series in the 1990’s, racing at many events around the Reading Area throughout the summer. It later hosted the Reading Classic, one of the events in the Commerce Bank Triple Crown of Cycling, that ended with the Philadelphia International Cycling Classic. The city has also hosted the USA Cycling Junior National Championships. Near by Lancaster, PA has also once the US Criterium National Championships. With the Valley Preferred Cycling Center in the near by Lehigh Valley to the north, and a healthy schedule of pro and amateur races between Lancaster and Philadelphia, the Reading 120 will only help to bolster cycling in southeastern PA.
“John Eustice and I have long spoken about the need to make Americans more versatile in the manner of the German, Australian and English racing stars of the UCI WorldTour,” said past Olympic and world track champion Marty Nothstein, who is Executive Director of the Valley Preferred Cycling Center velodrome in nearby Trexlertown. “Now our community has a UCI race that will inspire track riders to transition to the road and vice versa.”
“I think with Reading, I found the formula to make cycling work here in America, explained Eustice.” I’m not talking about a multi-million dollar race like the [Amgen Tour of] California, I’m talking about races that will last a long time. It’s the perfect sized city. It’s big enough that it has the resources, yet small enough to offer something really nice. ”
The Reading 120 will be the opening race of a cycling weekend in Southeastern PA. The Thompson Criterium of Doylestown will be held on Sunday, September 13th. The race will continue it’s tradition of racing around the Doylestown Arts Festival as it has since 2003. The race will be televised. Last year’s events came down to sprint finishes in both the men’s and women’s events, with Amy Cutler (FCS|Zngine p/b Mr. Restore) and Shane Kline (Team Smartstop Pro Cycling) taking the wins.
Manhattan-based Sparta Cycling Inc, led by US cycling pioneer John Eustice, will be the organizer of the Reading 120, in conjunction with the ReDesign Reading team. ReDesign Reading is a community development corporation, with a goal of reinventing economic development by employing strategic innovations.
“This is a great opportunity to showcase our community and amazing recreational assets to an international audience,” said Gary Wegman, ReDesign Reading board member. “We are excited to play a role in this community effort to bring professional cycling to Reading.”
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Bucks County will miss you!
Please post the route as soon as possible so we can relocate the champagne and hors d’oeuvres party previously planned for Wismer Rd. Mr. Eustace must have his champagne. (Sorry we couldn’t make it in 2014.)
Will do Joel. From what the communication I’ve had with the organizers, they are still working on the route. They are planning for the climbs to go up Duryea Drive, past the Pagoda, and on to the William Penn Fire Tower for the KOM. Beyond that though, it’s still a work in progress. BWN will keep the news coming about this event when we get it.
please post the race route as soon as it is known. A course map would also help.
hi
hey
Hey Steve – We just posted an article with the course and schedule. There is a link to the PDF of the course in the article.
http://www.bikeworldnews.com/2015/08/28/reading-120-route-schedule-released/
Hey Joel! We just posted an article with the course and schedule. There is a link to the PDF of the course in the article.
http://www.bikeworldnews.com/2015/08/28/reading-120-route-schedule-released/
Did anyone realize it is the Bowers Chili Pepper Festival on Saturday 9/12? The traffic from Dryville thru Lyons into Bowers is horrible and dangerous………
Lori – I don’t know for sure, but they would have had to clear the route with all the municipalities that the race course goes through. Everyone at the festival will be able to see the race go by at least.
For the race itself, there will be rolling road closures as the race comes through. As for the Sportif, I believe they will at least have volunteers, if not fire police at the major intersections.
As long as everyone (cyclists and motorists) acts respectfully and responsibly, everything should go smoothly.
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