Liberty Classic
| Race details | |
|---|---|
| Date | Early June |
| Region | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Discipline | Women's road |
| Type | One-day race |
| Organiser | Pro Cycling Tour |
| Web site | www |
| History | |
| First edition | 1994 |
| Editions | 19 (as of 2012) |
| Final edition | 2012 |
| First winner |  Marianne Berglund (SWE) |
| Most wins |  Petra Rossner (GER)
|
| Final winner | Ina-Yoko Teutenberg (GER) |
| Race details | |
|---|---|
| Date | June |
| Region | United States |
| Discipline | Road |
| Competition | 1.2 (2013) 1.1 (2014) UCI Women's Road World Cup (2015) UCI Women's WorldTour (2016) |
| Type | Road Race |
| Race director | Robin Morton[1] |
| Web site | www |
| History | |
| First edition | 2013 |
| Editions | 4 |
| Final edition | 2016 |
| First winner |  Evelyn Stevens (USA) |
| Most wins | Evelyn Stevens (USA) (2 wins) |
| Final winner | Megan Guarnier (USA) |
The Philadelphia Cycling Classic, previously the Liberty Classic, is an annual women's one-day road bicycle race, the women's event of the men 's event of the same name. The 57.6 mile race consists of four laps of a 14.4 mile circuit through Philadelphia with five climbs up the Manayunk Wall.[2] The event ran from 1994 through 2016, and resumed in 2026.
It was part of the UCI Women's Road World Cup until 2001. From 2002, it was an Elite Women's Category 1 event under UCI race classifications.
History
The Liberty Classic was the final leg of the inaugural 2006 Commerce Bank Triple Crown of Cycling for women. The Triple Crown was a one-week, three-race circuit, with the three races taking place in the Eastern Pennsylvania cities of Allentown, Reading and Philadelphia. The opening race was the Lehigh Valley Classic, followed two days later by the Reading Classic, with the Liberty Classic finale in Philadelphia three days after the Reading race.
In January 2013, the race's organizers announced that the 2013 International Championship and Liberty Classic had been canceled,[3] with local media reporting a breakdown in the relationship between the organizers and the city authorities; however, in May 2013 a group of local politicians and promoters announced the revival of the men's and women's races as the Philadelphia Cycling Classic, under the direction of Robin Morton.[4][1]
In 2015, the event became part of the UCI Women's Road World Cup, and was included in the inaugural UCI Women's World Tour the year after, but was discontinued after 2016.[5]
In September 2025, it was announced that the event will be held again on August 30, 2026, with both a men's and a women's race.[6]
Past winners
.svg.png){kind=small}
.svg.png){kind=small}
See also
References
- 1 2 Malach, Pat (January 28, 2015). "Finish atop Manayunk wall to spice up Philadelphia Classic". cyclingnews.com. Retrieved June 17, 2015.
- ↑ "The Philadelphia Cycling Classic 2013 : Philadelphia - Philadelphia - CyclingFever - The International Cycling Social Network - Get the Cycling fever!". Women.cyclingfever.com. Retrieved May 19, 2014.
- ↑ "Philadelphia International, Liberty Classic races cancelled". cyclingnews.com. 2 February 2015. Retrieved 17 June 2015.
- ↑ Malach, Pat (28 January 2015). "Finish atop Manayunk wall to spice up Philadelphia Classic". cyclingnews.com. Retrieved 17 June 2015.
- ↑ Weislo, Laura; Tyson, Jackie; Frattini, Kirsten (February 18, 2021). "5 North American races we miss". Cyclingnews.com. Future plc. Retrieved June 3, 2022.
Philly was the last great one-day race in the USA until its final edition in 2016 but maybe, one day, the streets of Manayunk will echo with the cheers of cycling fans once again.
- ↑ Rook, Anne-Marije (September 16, 2025). "Philly is back: What we know about the 2026 Philadelphia Cycling Classic and why its return is a big deal". Cyclingweekly.com.
External links
- Cycle races in the United States
- Sports competitions in Philadelphia
- Recurring sporting events established in 1994
- UCI Women's Road World Cup
- UCI Women's World Tour races
- 1994 establishments in Pennsylvania
- Women's road bicycle races
- Defunct cycling races in the United States
- Women's sports in Pennsylvania
- Philadelphia Cycling Classic