32 teams, 7 WordTour-level, confirmed for Philadelphia Cycling Classic return

The Manayunk Wall — (Image credit: Getty Images)

After a 10-year hiatus, the Philadelphia Cycling Classic is back this summer, bringing top international riders back to Philly and its infamous Manayunk Wall.

Race organisers announced that 32 teams have committed to compete in the UCI 1.1 women’s and men’s races, with seven UCI WorldTour teams among them.

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"We are thrilled to bring world-class cycling back to Philadelphia,” said Robin Morton, Philadelphia Cycling Classic race director and g4 Productions CEO & co-founder. "This race has always held a special place in the sport and to see it return with such a strong international field speaks to both its legacy and its future."

The Philadelphia Cycling Classic debuted in 1985 as the Philadelphia International Championship, and quickly became one of the premier one-day races in North America. It drew some of the sport’s biggest names, including Tour de France legends like Greg LeMond, Peter Sagan, Lance Armstrong and Andre Greipel.

A women’s race was introduced in 1994 and eventually became part of the UCI Women’s WorldTour calendar. Riders like Ina-Yoko Teutenberg, Evelyn Stevens, Mara Abbott and Lizzie Deignan all claimed victories here. What's more, Philly offered rare parity in visibility and prize money at a time when women’s cycling was often overlooked.

This year, Philadelphia Cycling Classic presented by AmeriGas® will continue to offer an equal prize list of $75,000 each.

The women’s race will begin at 8:30 a.m. local time and total just about 62 miles. The men’s race will follow at 12:30 p.m and the peloton will complete eight laps for a total of approximately 120 miles.

Cycling Weekly's North American Editor, Anne-Marije Rook is old school. She holds a degree in journalism and started out as a newspaper reporter — in print! She can even be seen bringing a pen and notepad to the press conference.

Originally from the Netherlands, she grew up a bike commuter and didn't find bike racing until her early twenties when living in Seattle, Washington. Strengthened by the many miles spent darting around Seattle's hilly streets on a steel single speed, Rook's progression in the sport was a quick one. As she competed at the elite level, her journalism career followed, and soon, she became a full-time cycling journalist. She's now been a journalist for two decades, including 14 years in cycling.