Maryland Cycling Classic

The Maryland Cycling Classic is a one-day road cycling race in the state of Maryland. The inaugural race was September 4, 2022. The category 1.Pro race is a part of the UCI America Tour and the UCI ProSeries calendars.[1]

Maryland Cycling Classic
Race details
DateSeptember 4, 2022
RegionMaryland
DisciplineRoad
Competition
TypeSingle-day
OrganiserMaryland Sports Commission
Race directorTerry Hasseltine
Web sitewww.marylandcyclingclassic.us
History
First edition2022
Editions2 (as of 2023)
First winner Sep Vanmarcke (BEL)
Most winsNo repeat winners
Most recent Mattias Skjelmose (DEN)

History

The race was originally scheduled for September 6, 2020.[2] However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the race was first postponed to 2021[3] and then again to 2022.[4]

The 194 km/120.4 mile route starts in northern Baltimore County at the headquarters of Kelly Benefits, and ends in downtown Baltimore.[5] The race begins with riders navigating the rolling terrain of rural northern Baltimore County while the final, flatter laps loop through Baltimore City, ending at the Inner Harbor.[6]

The race is the only one-day race in the United States part of the UCI ProSeries and with the UCI World Tour Tour of California going on hiatus in 2020, it is the highest stature one-day race in the country.[7] [8] This makes the Maryland Cycling Classic the highest level road cycling race in the United States (highest level one-day and tied with overall highest level with the Tour of Utah.[9])

The winner of the inaugural Maryland Cycling Classic on Sunday, September 4, 2022 was Sep Vanmarcke of Belgium riding for Israel-Premier Tech with a time of 4:34:45.[10] Nickolas Zukowsky of Canada riding for Human Powered Health and Neilson Powless of the United States riding for EF Education-EasyPost rounded out the top three.[11]

The cycling race is part of a four-day weekend community celebration of healthy lifestyle and living with participatory events, festival with interactive exhibits, local foods and drinks along with other fun activities. The event is endorsed by Maryland and Baltimore Civic Leaders while owned and operated by Sport and Entertainment Corporation of Maryland (Sport Corp). The event is managed and marketed by industry leaders Medalist Sports and KOM Sports Marketing.

The Maryland Cycling Classic also includes the charity Bridges of Hope Ride Presented by Kelly Benefits, which provides the opportunity for cycling enthusiasts to ride sections of the Maryland Cycling Classic (MCC) course the day before the pro-cycling event, while raising funds for the UnitedHealthcare Children's Foundation (UHCCF).

According to race director Terry Hasseltine, the plan for the Maryland Cycling Classic "is to convince the UCI to allow the Maryland Cycling Classic to add a women’s race next year [2023] and then another day of racing to the 2024 version."[10]

The 2023 Maryland Cycling Classic supported by UnitedHealthcare will take place on Sunday, September 3, 2023.

Winners
Year Country Rider Team
2021 No race due to COVID-19 pandemic
2022  Belgium Sep Vanmarcke Israel–Premier Tech
2023  Denmark Mattias Skjelmose Lidl–Trek

Multiple winners

Riders in italics are active.

Wins per country
WinsCountry
1
 Belgium,  Denmark

References
  1. "Maryland Cycling Classic, presented by UnitedHealthcare". UCI. Retrieved September 4, 2022.
  2. Davis, Phil. "Major professional bike race coming to Baltimore area in 2020". baltimoresun.com.
  3. "Maryland Cycling Classic postponed to 2021". CyclingNews. May 28, 2020. Retrieved May 7, 2021.
  4. "Maryland Cycling Classic Postponed to '22 Amid COVID Challenges". Maryland Cycling Classic. July 2, 2021. Retrieved August 19, 2021.
  5. "Route – Maryland Cycling Classic". Retrieved 2022-09-04.
  6. Kaplan, Greg (27 April 2022). "2022 Maryland Cycling Classic announces route". VeloNews.com.
  7. Coulon, Jessica (October 11, 2019). "UCI Welcomes Maryland Cycling Classic to ProSeries Calendar for 2020". Bicycling.
  8. Tracy, William (2 September 2022). "For up and coming American riders, the Maryland Cycling Classic represents a rare opportunity to race against the world's best". VeloNews.com.
  9. Coulon, Jessica (October 30, 2019). "Amgen Tour of California on 'Hiatus' for 2020 Season". Bicycling.
  10. "Sep Vanmarcke wins inaugural Maryland Cycling Classic in Baltimore, which gets glowing reviews from riders". Baltimore Sun. Retrieved 2022-09-05.
  11. "Maryland Cycling Classic Tour Tracker". www.marylandcyclingclassic.us.
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