It is time for the 2009 USA Pro Cycling Championships in Greenville, SC…and I am going to be there! There are a couple of us internet geeks/bloggers that are going to be getting together on Saturday after the individual time trail championships.
The US Pro meet-up will take place at Barley’s Taproom at 3:30pm on Saturday, August 29th following the time trial. A few other bike bloggers will be there including James from Bicycle Design, Byron from Bike Hugger, Robb from Mountain Biking by 198, Josh from Pro Bike Wrench, Briggs from Euro Peloton, Frank from the Tour de France blog, and others. Feel free to drop by and say hi if you are in Greenville for the races.
So come on out if you are in the area and hang out. On Sunday, I will also be participating in the Stars and Stripes challenge that benefits the Lance Armstrong foundation. The Stars and Stripes challenge is a great way to raise money for cancer awareness and get a chance to ride the pro course before the road race championship. If you are watching the S&S race, look for the guy with hairy legs and tread on his shoes riding a Blue Competition Cycles Nx7. It starts at 7:30am and runs 50 bones to get you in. All of the proceeds go to the foundation and after you ride…you get to watch the pro’s show how its really done.
For more information on the USA Pro Cycling Championships (and the S&S ride) visit www.usacyclingchampionships.com or hit me up via the contact form on this site. If you are going to be in the area, let me know!
Race organizers confirmed today that three-time U.S. Pro Time Trial Champion David Zabriskie (Garmin-Slipstream), and two-time U.S. Pro Road Race Champion George Hincapie (Team Columbia-HTC) will be among the star-studded fields for the Greenville Hospital System USA Cycling Professional Championships, to be held August 29-30, 2009. Other top pro cyclists who have confirmed are Craig Lewis (Team Columbia-HTC), Christian Vande Velde (Garmin-Slipstream), Danny Pate (Garmin-Slipstream), Tom Danielson (Garmin-Slipstream), Tom Zirbel (Team Bissell), John Murphy (OUCH presented by Maxxis), Floyd Landis (OUCH presented by Maxxis) and Brent Bookwalter (BMC Racing Team).
More than 100 professional cyclists are expected in Greenville to compete for both the Individual Time Trial and Road Race Championships. And more than 30 elite handcyclists will compete in a Time Trial and Criterium, for the finale of the 2009 US Handcycling Series, presented by Paralyzed Veterans of America. Many of the top handcyclists are U.S. military veterans who were recently injured in Iraq and Afghanistan, including Joe Beimfohr, of Winchester, Tenn., and Latseen Benson, Washington, D.C. Also competing will be 2008 Paralympian Matt Updike of Denver, Colo, and two-time World Champion Scott McNeice of St. Petersburg, Fla.
“We anticipate thousands of spectators from around the country for both days of racing and spectator events here in Greenville. Fans should expect some excellent competition, with some of the best cyclists and handcyclists in the world. The City of Greenville and Greenville County have done a fabulous job to host this event for a fourth year. If you haven’t been out before, don’t miss it,” said Chris Aronhalt, Managing Partner of Medalist Sports, the company that produces the Greenville Hospital System USA Cycling Professional Championships.
On Saturday, Aug. 29, the 20.7-mile Professional Individual Time Trial Championship, presented by Duke Energy, will return to the Clemson University-International Center for Automotive Research (CU-ICAR). This 20.7-mile race against the clock will begin at 11:30 a.m. The USA Cycling Professional Road Race championship will take place on Sunday, August 30, beginning at 1:00 p.m. in downtown Greenville. Over 100 competitors will battle on a 110-mile course, won last year by Boulder, Colorado resident Tyler Hamilton (Rock Racing). Hamilton retired earlier this year, leaving the Stars and Stripes Jersey up for grabs. This is the 25th anniversary of the one-day road race championship. Past winners include speed skating Olympic champion Eric Heiden (1985), Lance Armstrong (1993), Hincapie (1998, 2006) and Freddie Rodriguez (2000, 2001, 2004).
Salt Lake City, Utah native Zabriskie returns in search of a fourth consecutive title in the ITT; he’s never lost in Greenville. He’ll have plenty of challengers this year. 2009 second place finisher Zirbel, who was just five seconds behind Zabriskie, has been riding consistently well and is the USA Cycling National Racing Calendar individual points leader (through Aug 10, 2009). And three Garmin-Slipstream teammates return who will look for the top spot on the podium, Vande Velde (3rd in 2008), Steven Cozza (4th in 2008) and Danielson (5th in 2008). Danielson just won the individual time trial at Vuelta a Burgos in Spain, and youngster Brent Bookwalter, who lives in Chattanooga, Tenn., just won the prologue at the Tour of Utah.
In the U.S. Pro Road Race Championship, Hincapie is the local favorite and is looking to add a third Stars and Stripes jersey to his collection. He is recovering from a broken collarbone that occurred at the Tour de France, but is healing quickly. With the retirement of Hamilton, and second place finisher Blake Caldwell recovering from a spring injury, all three podium spots are wide open. Seven of the Top 10 from last year’s road race are coming back, including Hincapie’s teammate Lewis. Murphy, who lives in Athens, Ga., did not finish last year’s road race, but this year he is coming off a win at the U.S. National Criterium Championship.
New for 2009, the dual championships will also host two races for the U.S. Handcycling Series, presented by the Paralyzed Veterans of America. The handcycling races will feature 10 disabled veterans, including five who were injured in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Time Trial will begin at 8:30 a.m at CU-ICAR and the Criterium will begin at 1:35 p.m. from South Main and Camperdown in the West End.
“”The community of Greenville, Greenville Hospital System, Medalist Sports, and USA Cycling are really setting the bar for integrated cycling by including a handcycling race…it’s a great way to showcase the athleticism of our paralyzed veterans and Paralympic cyclists,” said Ian Lawless, Executive Director at U.S. Handcycling.
The final fields for both the Individual Time Trial and the Road Race will be posted on the event website on race weekend. Professionals will compete for prize money, and more importantly, the right to wear prestigious Stars-and-Stripes jerseys for the 2010 season. The events are sanctioned by USA Cycling, Inc., the governing body for the sport of cycling in the United States, and managed by Medalist Sports.
In addition to the dual championships, there is a full schedule of activities and events for the weekend in Greenville. The Stars and Stripes Challenge, fundraiser bicycle ride for cancer research, has engaged thousands of recreational cyclists and raised over $400,000 for GHS’ Oncology Research Insitute and Lance Armstrong Foundation. A Health & Wellness Expo will be part of the Sunday festivities with the Road Race, taking place along Main Street from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. And for children and families, there are two free bicycle events on Sunday, the Family Fun Ride (10 a.m. Falls Park) and the Duke Energy Kid’s Races (11am – 1pm registration in Expo).