USA Cycling, the governing body of professional bicycle racing in this country, today published its 2009 National Racing Calender on its website. The schedule lists 34 events, up by one from this year. Strangely absent from the list are nearly all the annual professional races held in this region by the Norristown-based Pro Cycling Tour.
The only Pro Cycling Tour event listed in the NRC is the Liberty Classic, a women’s only race, which will be held in Philadelphia on June 7. Not listed are any of the Commerce Bank Triple Crown of Cycling races: the Lehigh Valley Classic, the Reading Classic or the Philadelphia International Championship.
The Pro Cycling Tour website does have dates listed for the races. The Lehigh Valley race, held near the velodrome, outside of Allentown, is slated for Tuesday, June 2. The Reading race, in downtown Reading and climbing to the Pagoda, is slated for Thursday, June 4. The Philadelphia race is listed for Sunday, June 7. The Lehigh and Reading events are also slated to have professional women’s races, which are also not listed in the NRC.
The Lehigh race was held for the first time there this year. Previously, the race was held in Lancaster. It was moved to the Allentown area after Lancaster officials rejected plans to change the race from Sunday afternoon back to Tuesday afternoon and balked at a $25,000 city contribution to the organizer.
The NRC also has no listing for the Tour of Pennsylvania. The cross-state under-23 “espoirs” race was held for the first time in June. Although the stage race was intended to mark this year’s250th anniversary of the founding of Pittsburgh, Pro Cycling Tour Director David Chauner said prior to the race that he hoped to make the race an annual event. There is no indication on the Pro Cycling Tour website that the Tour of Pennsylvania will be held in 2009.
Races in the Mid-Atlantic region which do appear on the NRC for 2009 will require more driving. They are:
The Kelly Cup, Baltimore, May 17
The Tour of Sommerville, New Jersey, May 25
The CSC Invitational, Arlington, Va., May 30
The International Tour de ‘Toona, Altoona, July 13-19
And the ING Direct Capital Criterium Powered by CycleLife, a men’s only race in Washington, D.C., Aug. 23
