Cyclingnews is reporting today that Lancaster will still have its bicycle race on Sunday, June 1, despite the professional Commerce Bank Triple Crown race going to Allentown this year.
The report that a criterium will still be held downtown, however, may be premature. Lancaster City special events director Jennifer Baker said the race is still under discussion in City Hall. Baker said a decision won’t be made for about two weeks. The timing of that decision comes just before on-line registration is due to open for the race.
The criterium race was revived two years ago when the professional road race, formerly held on a Tuesday afternoon, was moved to Sunday. The criterium was added to the race schedule. It was held in the late morning in advance of the afternoon women’s and men’s professional races.
Local race promoter David Butterworth, of Major League Cycling, plans to continue the races under the Tom Bamford Classic name that was announced two years ago. Butterworth would also be continuing a tradition of a downtown Lancaster bicycle race that goes back to at least 1992. As with previous years, an expo area is also planned for Lancaster Square and Binns Park - on both sides of the finish line - in the 100 block of North Queen Street.
Lancaster Mayor Rick Gray announced in November that the city had cancelled its contract with the Norristown-based Pro Cycling Tour after the race organizer demanded the Lancaster race again be held on Tuesday. The PCT also wanted another $25,000 from the city. Gray said the city was already spending about $60,000 annually on police, clean up and other costs to host the race.
This year’s professional race, now renamed the Commerce Bank Lehigh Valley Classic, will be held on Tuesday, June 3, near the Valley Preferred Cycling Center, formerly the Lehigh Valley velodrome. The Reading race is two days later. The Commerce Bank Triple Crown ends with the Philadelphia Championship race on Sunday, June 8.
If held, Baker said Lancaster’s downtown criterium will start and finish in Lancaster Square. The race course would encompass a three-block area. It would go from the 100 block of North Queen, right on East Chestnut Street, right on South Duke Street, right on East Vine Street and right on South Queen Street, past the monument and back north to Lancaster Square. That route would be problematic. Those blocks of East Vine and South Queen streets are partially blocked and in poor condition as convention center construction continues at that corner.
The schedule, posted on the BikeReg registration page, has a men’s Category 4/5 race beginning at 1 p.m., June 1. The last race, an elite and professional men’s race, begins at 4:15 p.m. On-line registration opens Thursday, April 17, at 7 p.m.
