Some streets in Boston make you feel like you're in Europe American cycling has come a long way since the 80's. Beginning with the Philadelphia International Cycling Classic in 1985, America began to add races to their calander that attracted an increasingly competitive and international field. Today, the USA is home to several top stage races (Tours of California, Georgia, Missouri, and Utah), and the talent arriving to compete on American soil, especially recently, has been impressive.
Among non-stage races though, there aren't many big time one day races in America. Of course the Philly Week series is prestigious, but besides that one week span in early June every year, America doesn't have any other one day races that attract the best riders in the world. With the arrival of the Garmin-Chipotle and Columbia teams to America over the past few years, now is as good a time as any for a race promoter to try their hand at an American one day classic.
There are several areas in the country that would be suitable for a "classics" style race. Topping the list is Boston, in the northeastern United States. Boston is one of America's oldest cities, and has a rich history that is suited well to a bike racing atmosphere. Additionaly, the city of Boston features streets that would be perfect for a classics-style race. Short, steep climbs can be found throughout the Boston metropolitan area, and there are even cobbled roadways that could be included. Weather could be a problem in scheduling a one day race in Boston, but the months of May, June and August would be appropriate times to host such a race. In fact, August would be ideal, right ahead of the Tour of Missouri. While the grand tour stars are in Spain at the Vuelta, the classics stars could head to the USA for the Boston classic and then for the Tour of Missouri a week later.
Another possibile city for a one day classic in the USA could be Boulder, Colorado. A cycling-frenzied locale, Boulder would be an ideal site for an American cycling classic. Not only is the weather usually good, but the terrain in Boulder is challenging. At 5,400 feet elevation, Boulder could also count itself as the classic with the highest elevation, which would add another element of preparation for any prospective rider. Again, the time to host the race would be August, so that the classics competitors could use both the one day race in Boulder and the upcoming Tour of Missouri as preparation for the approaching world championships.
Whether America will ever get a one day classic is still very much unkown. But for a race promoter like Medalist Sports, the organizers of California, Georgia, and Missouri, a big time one day race is the only piece missing from their impressive arsenal of events. With any luck, Medalist will find a way to put on a one day race in the future, and continue to bring the best cycling stars in the world to America's fans.
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4 comments:
san francisco was a great one day race but i can't recall the distance so maybe it wasn't brutally long enough like a true classic. boston would be great or other locations b/w Washington D.C. and Boston, very historic, but wouldn't holding a 150 mile race in new england in march add a weather element that 4 of the 5 monuments contend with in europe? maybe in slightly warmer climate like virginia or north carolina...march rather than august could also mean a 'tune up' for the pro tour teams before the heart of the european classics season.
John Eustice has put on some incredible one-day classics of late, including the US Open in 2007. To the best of my knowledge, that was the ONLY domestic event to receive network coverage. And it was two-and-a-hours long - same-day, no less. It's time for Medalist to step up to the plate and do something on larger scale.
Doesn't the one day event in Philly count at all?
I have always thought a Classic before the ToM would be a great idea too. If we had one more good race in Sept, I wonder if we could draw Cancellara, Boonen and Friere, and the likes over here to prepare for the Worlds.
The ToM seemed to be good preparation for Tuft and Zabriske.
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