The inaugural Tour of Pennsylvania, a six-day stage race for riders under 25 years old, won’t stop in Lancaster County as it heads west from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh, but riders will cross the northeast part of the county and sprint through Ephrata, organizers announced last week.
The sprint comes during stage two of the race, on Wednesday, June 25. The 91-mile stage will take the 20 teams of six riders each from Downingtown to Carlisle. The route through Lancaster County, released Friday, shows riders will stay on U.S Route 322.
The riders will depart Downingtown that day at 10 a.m. They will likely arrive in Ephrata between 11:10 a.m. and 11:30 a.m., depending on their speed.
According to race organizers, the Norristown-based Pro Cycling Tour, state police will be controlling traffic for the race. Troopers will be stopping all motor vehicles in both directions of Route 322 for the race and reopening the road after the riders pass. The rolling closure should have traffic blocked for 15-20 minutes at any point along the route, organizers said.
Typically in stage races, such as the famous Tour de France, there is an overall winner at the end with the lowest combined time for all the stages. There are also competitions within the overall race, for the best sprinter and climber and winners of the individual stages. The first rider across the sprint line in Ephrata will get points toward the sprinter competition and time bonuses that will lower his time for the overall competition.
Along with the sprint, on State Street, through the center of Ephrata, there will be a King of the Mountains climb just across the Lebanon County line at Spring Hill. That hill tops about 900 feet of elevation. Overall, the stage has rolling terrain, with 5,443.6 feet of climbing, but only 219 feet of elevation gain.
The stage follows a prologue time trial along the Schuylkill River in Philadelphia the day before. Stage three starts in Camp Hill after an auto transfer from Carlisle and ends 104 miles later in Bedford. The route passes through several of the towns founded when men under the command of Gen. John Forbes cut a path through southwestern Pennsylvania during the French and Indian War in 1758. The route was designed to bring the riders to Pittsburgh, which was founded by Forbes. The 450-mile race, retracing his route, is the first event in the city’s 250th birthday celebration.
Stage five of the race will finish in front of the American Eagle Outfitters headquarters in Pittsburgh. The clothing retailer is the title sponsor of the race. It is also being sponsored by the Highmark Foundation. The foundation of the health insurance company will be “celebrating what’s healthy in outdoor recreation in Pennsylvania,” with wellness festivals in each of the finish-line cities, said Michael Aisner, of the Pro Cycling Tour, during the teleconference Wednesday.
The last stage is a criterium in Pittsburgh on a two-mile circuit on Sunday, June 29. The stage will be broadcast live on the Vs. cable channel, from 5-7 p.m., said Pro Cycling Tour Chief Operating Officer Jerry Casale.
The race is is an “espoirs” race for riders age 24 and younger. It is the only such race in the United States. Mike Chauner, son of Pro Cycling Tour President and former Olympic cyclist David Chauner, is a top-ranked collegiate racer at Bucknell University. During the conference call, Mike Chauner, 21, said that outside of collegiate racing he seldom has the opportunity to compete against cyclists his own age. He will compete as a member of the Pennsylvania Lightning.
“This is a career-making opportunity for a lot of riders,” commented former professional racer and coach Frankie Andreu, during the conference call. “This is a great opportunity for every young American rider.”
David Chauner said the Pennsylvania Lightning was put together to showcase the state’s talented young riders, particularly those from the southeast area of Pennsylvania, which he called “the epicenter of East Coast cycling.”
The Lightning is the only Pennsylvania-based team slated to compete in the race. It was selected from among 45 professional and elite amateur domestic teams which applied. Ten were selected. The remaining teams will be from outside the United States, with riders coming from as far as South Africa, Australia, Argentina and Belgium.
“We’re extremely excited. We think we’ve got an excellent, well-balanced field,” David Chauner said of the team selection.
Although this year’s race is tied to Pittsburgh’s anniversary celebration, the Pro Cycling Tour hopes to make the Tour of Pennsylvania an annual event, such as statewide stage races being held in California, Georgia and Missouri.
Race organizers are asking for interested people to volunteer to help with the race. Course marshals, travelling marshals and foreign language interpreters are among the volunteer positions needed.
