For the First Time Ever, Knoxville Hosts USA Cycling Pro Road & Time Trial National Championships June 24-25

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The USA Cycling Pro Road & Time Trial National Championships take place June 24-25 in Knoxville for the first time. Admission is free to the course and many activities.

Visit Knoxville and USA Cycling webcast two of the four professional races. Flying Fish Productions live streams the USA Cycling Professional Road National Championships for women and men on Sunday, June 25. The men’s 109-mile race on Sunday afternoon is broadcasted live by media partner WATE TV, the local ABC affiliate, and provides highlights of the women’s 63-mile race.

On Saturday, June 24, professional men and women compete in the individual time trials beginning 10:15 a.m. A closed-loop course includes parts of Neyland Drive, Central Avenue through downtown and the Old City, Jackson Avenue, McCalla Avenue, Harriet Tubman Street and East Hill Avenue. The start/finish line is located on Jackson Avenue, two blocks east of Central Avenue.

On Sunday, the same start/finish area is used in the Old City for the road race competitions, beginning 9 a.m. for the women. The men’s race begins 1:15 p.m. This 7.9-mile circuit is covered eight times by the women and 14 times by the men.

The road races on Sunday are the signature events for the weekend, offering multiple laps for spectators to enjoy throughout the day. Winners receive prestigious Stars-and-Stripes jerseys, which are worn throughout the calendar year to designate a national champion in each racing discipline, ITT and road race.

Sunday’s closed-loop course follows some of the same roads used for the time trials, but also picks up several downtown streets before crossing into South Knoxville at the Gay Street Bridge. Closed streets in South Knoxville include all or sections of Council Place, Atchley Street, Mimosa Avenue, Sherrod Road, Davenport Road, Cottrell Street and Anita Drive, before the course resumes on James White Parkway and returns via East Hill Avenue, Harriet Tubman Street, McCalla Avenue and Jackson Avenue to the Old City.

The Pedal for the Red, benefitting the American Red Cross, expects more than 100 recreational cyclists early Saturday morning to ride laps on the time trial course. Among the participants expected to ride from 7:30-9:30 a.m. in this event are former NFL and University of Tennessee quarterback Heath Shuler, as well as WATE-TV meteorologist Ken Weathers and WATE-TV sports director Marshall Hughes. Top teams registered to participate include Phillips & Jordan and Scripps Networks. Additional individuals can register online through Noon on June 21 for $20-40.

Sports fans of all ages are encouraged to come out and cheer. Listed below are some tips for where to watch the races and who to watch.

U.S. ITT CHAMPIONSHIPS - Saturday

Where to Watch

10:15 a.m. Individual Time Trial Championship for Women (14.4 miles/3 laps of 4.8-mile course)
1:25 p.m. Individual Time Trial Championship for Men (19.2 miles/4 laps)

The official Start/Finish at 400 E. Jackson Street in Old City is the prime location for spectators. (See RR section for list of activities)

Come early 7:30-9:30 a.m. and cheer on local celebrities and amateurs as they ride in Pedal for the Red to raise funds and awareness for the American Red Cross of Eastern Tennessee.

• Sierra Nevada Viewing Party at Merchants of Beer, located at 137 S. Central Avenue near the start/finish. The event is sponsored by The Knoxville Mercury.

Stand on the sidewalk and cheer from the Gay Street Bridge on the west side of the Tennessee River. Cyclists will pass under the bridge twice to access Neyland Drive.

Who to Watch

Leah Thomas (Boulder Creek, California), Sho-Air TWENTY20 - she won the ITT at this year’s Tour of the Gila and finished second in the ITT at Redlands Bicycle Classic. She looks to improve on her 10th place finish in 2016 USPro ITT.

Brent Bookwalter (Asheville, North Carolina), BMC Racing Team - he has a silver (2013) and a bronze (2012) from USPro ITT, and finished fifth in the event last year.

U.S. ROAD RACE CHAMPIONSHIPS - Sunday

Where to Watch

9 a.m. Road Race Championship for Women (63 miles/eight laps of 7.9-mile course)

1:30 pm Road Race Championship for Men (109 miles/14 laps)

• See the rider introductions from the awards stage before each race start

• Watch race action on a big screen TV (Sunday only) and listen to the announcers as they describe the climbs, the hairpin turns and breakaways

• Witness multiple laps before the exciting finishes

• Visit the U.S. cycling professional championships expo with giveaways and special exhibits including: USA cycling, Shimano, KT tape, Sierra Nevada, visit Knoxville, pilot/flying j, WATE TV and more.

• Enjoy culinary specialties from local food trucks – Chelsea’s, Haw Dawgs, Holy Smokin’ BBQ, Mamma Gallina’s, Smoky Mountain Kona Ice.

Viewing Party at Barley’s Taproom and Pizzeria, located at Jackson Avenue near the start/finish. Drink responsibly with friends and special menu offerings and a prize pack giveaway.

• Sierra Nevada Viewing Party at Merchants of Beer, located at 137 S. Central Avenue, continues for a second day.

Watch the race on TV at the Urban Bar & Corner Cafe, Boyd’s Jig and Reel, The Pretentious Glass or The Crown & Goose in Old City and enjoy Sierra Nevada on draft. Then go outside with your cowbells ringing to see the final 90-degree turn and the sprint to the finish on the corner of S. Central and Jackson Ave.

Buy some food and drinks at one of the restaurants in downtown Knoxville and set up your own tailgate party picnic near the Blount Mansion Visitors Center and watch the peloton twist along Gay Street to Hill Avenue and State Street.

Who to Watch

Megan Guarnier (San Mateo, California), BoelsDolmans Cycling Team - Megan is the three-time (2012, 15, 16) and defending USA Cycling Pro Road Race National champion. Last year she captured overall wins at two big UCI events - the Amgen Breakway from Heart Disease Women’s Race and Giro d’ Italia International for Women. This year she won a road stage at the Amgen Breakaway from Heart Disease Women’s Race in May.

Coryn Rivera (Tustin, California), Team Sunweb - Now based with her team in Europe, Rivera has won two WorldTour events this season (Belgium and Italy). She also won a road stage at this year’s Amgen Breakaway from Heart Disease Women’s Race empowered by SRAM. She has finished second the past two years in the USPro Women’s Road Race championship.

Greg Daniel (Englewood, Colorado), Trek-Segafredo - After scoring a silver medal at the U.S. U23 Amateur Road Nationals in 2015, he won the Stars-and-Stripes jersey at last year’s USPro Men’s Road Race Championship. Originally from Newport, Tenn., Daniel has been racing in Europe this season and finished fourth on Stage 3 of the in France.

Travis McCabe (Tucson, Arizona), UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling - McCabe has three international stage wins this year, two at Le Tour de Langkawi and one at Herald Sun Tour. In the U.S., he won the General Classification at the Tucson Bicycle Classic. He finished third at last year’s USPro Men’s Road Race Championship.

Broadcast and Social Media

• The men’s 109-mile race on Sunday afternoon will be broadcast live by media partner WATE-TV, the local ABC affiliate, and provide highlights of the women’s 63-mile race.

• Follow updates on Twitter @usacycling and #USPRO or @visitknoxville.

For more information, visit www.visitknoxville.com/usa-cycle-knox

About USA Cycling

Recognized by the United States Olympic Committee and the Union Cycliste Internationale, USA Cycling is the official governing body for all disciplines of competitive cycling in the United States, including BMX, cyclocross, mountain bike, road and track. As a membership-based organization, USA Cycling comprises 60,000+ members; 2,500+ clubs and teams; and 34 local associations. The national governing body sanctions over 3,000 competitive and non-competitive events throughout the U.S. each year and is responsible for the identification, development, and support of American cyclists. To learn more about USA Cycling, visit usacycling.org.

About Visit Knoxville

Visit Knoxville (Knoxville Convention and Visitors Bureau) is the official CVB for the City of Knoxville and Knox County. Visit Knoxville is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, private company that works together with the community, business leaders and local and state government to further develop Knoxville as a premier leisure, meetings and travel destination. The Visit Knoxville Sports Commission is managed by Visit Knoxville and strives to bring world-class sporting events as well as amateur sporting type events to Knoxville, Tennessee.

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Contacts:

Jackie Tyson, Peloton Sports

sportspr@pelotonsports.net 678-362-6228

Erin Donovan, Visit Knoxville

edonovan@knoxville.org 865-306-4341