Preparations are in full swing for the upcoming Tom Bamford Classic race in Lancaster, Sunday, June 3.
Viewing of the elite amatuer men’s and women’s criteriums and the professional bicycle race are free and open to the public. Spectators watch from all around the course, but many gather at the feed zone, at the Williamson area of Lancaster County Central Park, and in at the start/finish line in Lancaster Square, the 100 block of North Queen Street, where vendors will have displays and information booths.
The Pro Cycling Tour, http://procyclingtour.com/, the race promoter, is also offering access to grandstands in the start/finish areas, free breakfast, lunch and snacks and free race memorabilia for those willing to pay $75 for the privilege of VIP access.
For those who hear Phil Liggett’s voice in their ear as they ride, there will be an opportunity to ride the race course on streets closed to traffic. For a donation of $10, which will go to a YMCA summer camp program for disadvantaged children, riders 12 years old and older can ride one lap of the seven-mile course during the hour prior to the start of the 3 p.m. men’s professional race.
You can register online at: www.bikereg.com/events/register.asp?eventid=4828. You can also register in person, beginning at noon that day, at the kiosk in Penn Square, near the Fulton Bank building. All people who register online must still go to the kiosk to sign a release form before riding.
The Pro Cycling Tour also recently announced the professional men’s teams who will be participating in the Lancaster race, and the following races in Reading and Philadelphia that make up the Commerce Bank Triple Crown. The riders who will be racing for those teams have not been named.
The professional teams are:
AEG-TOSHIBA-JETNETWORK PRO CYCLING TEAM (
USA)BMC RACING TEAM (
USA)CAICO CYCLING TEAM (
COL)CALYON - LITESPEED PRO CYCLING TEAM (CAN)COLAVITA-SUTTER HOME p/b COOKING LIGHT (
USA)EQUIPE VALEE DE L
‘ALUMINIUM DE VINCI (CAN) (
Lancaster and Reading only)HEALTH NET p/b MAXXIS (
USA)JELLY BELLY (
USA)JITTERY JOE
‘S PRO CYCLING TEAM (
USA)KELLY BENEFIT STRATEGIES/MEDIFAST (
USA)KODAK GALLERY PRO CYCLING TEAM p/b SIERRA NEVADA BREWING CO. (
USA)NAVIGATORS INSURANCE CYCLING TEAM (
USA)NERAC PRO CYCLING (
USA)PRIORITY HEALTH p/b BISSEL (
USA)RITE AID PRO CYCLING (
USA)ROCK RACING (
USA)
SUCCESSFULLIVING.COM p/b PARKPRE (USA) (Reading and
Philadelphia only)
SYMMETRICS CYCLING TEAM (CAN)T-MOBILE TEAM (GER)TEAM CSC (DEN)
TEAM SLIPSTREAM (
USA)TECOS DE LA UNIVERSIDAD AUTONOMA DE
GUADALAJARA (MEX)TOYOTA-UNITED PRO CYCLING TEAM (
USA)
And, Pro Cycling Tour has announced that it is making the Reading race, on Thursday, June 7, more difficult. Last year, in its inaugural year, professional racers climbed Mount Penn on their last lap, before a screaming descent to the downtown finish line. This year, to shake up the field, riders will climb Mount Penn on the last three laps, the organizers announced last week.The professional Reading Classic race begins at 2 p.m., following elite amateur races for men and women, beginning at 11 a.m.
