Janier Acevedo of Jamis-Hagens Berman headlines the New Hope to Doylestown road race Saturday at the Thompson Bucks County Classic.
The Colombian is the current leader of the UCI America Tour, which crowns the top racer of the North, South and Central American racing circuits. Acevedo has enjoyed a remarkable season, with third overall at the Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah and stage wins at the USA Pro Challenge in Colorado and the Amgen Tour of California. Race Director John Eustice says the 27-year-old arrives in Pennsylvania with the capability of dominating a challenging Bucks County race course.
“Acevedo will certainly be in the Tour de France next year,” Eustice said. “So it will be a rare treat for racing fans to see a ProTour-level Colombian ripping it up on our Pennsylvania climbs.”
A peloton full of challengers will also take the start, including 2010 Thompson Criterium of Doylestown winner Jesse Anthony of Optum Pro Cycling, the Hincapie Sportswear Development Team – with its stable of future stars – and the powerful UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team, led by another Colombian, Carlos Alzate.
The New Hope to Doylestown road race is one of only seven UCI-ranked (International Cycling Union) road races for men in the United States and one of only three that have additionally been awarded the highest-level National Racing Calendar ranking by USA Cycling.
Spectator areas will be dotted around the race course, including the start in New Hope, the Pig Roast in Lumberville, the Audi Hill Climb out of Carversville and the exciting finish in Doylestown.
“We’ve compressed the action of the Tour de France – with sprints, hill climbs, great starts and finishes – all into one spectacular day of racing,” Eustice said. “It’s a chance to experience true European-style racing, but designed in a much more spectator-friendly manner.”
Special competitions designed to keep the racing action lively will include the Lexus Best Young Rider Award, the Audi Best Climber Award, and the Doylestown Hospital Best Sprinter Award.
The Grand Finale of the weekend is Sunday’s Thompson Criterium of Doylestown. The high-speed race will encircle the Arts Festival, which is expected to be lined with packed house parties and thousands of spectators. A day-long slate of activities includes the Central Bucks Family YMCA heading the popular children’s races that shares the finish line of the pro race and the Cyclosportif 100K, a 60-mile recreational ride for weekend warriors. Its courses trace through bucolic Upper Bucks County on some of the most beautiful cycling roads in the world.
For more information, go to: www.buckscountyclassic.com.
Ron Callahan is the chief cook and bottlewasher at Bike World News, doing everything from website design to bike reviews.