Get On a Bike & Feel Like a Pro in First Bicycling Magazine Open
New Ride-for-Fun Event Can Also Be Fundraiser for Your Favorite Charity
PHILADELPHIA (Feb. 14, 2012) – For 28 years, the first Sunday in June has seen cycling’s elite international athletes descend on Philadelphia for a punishing day on one of the sport’s most epic race courses. This year, the TD Bank Philadelphia International Cycling Championship will again promise speed and grueling climbs for the pros, but it will be a brand new day for everyone from cycling amateurs to casual riders who simply want to experience the fanfare of riding that same iconic route.
Pro Cycling Tour, organizers of the TD Bank bike race, has teamed up with Bicycling Magazine and Charity of Choice to create a Gran Fondo ride that anyone can try for fun before the professional men’s race gets started on Sunday, June 3. Named the Bicycling Magazine Open, this Gran Fondo or “Big Ride” allows every rider to feel like a pro as they pedal all or parts of the 14.75 mile circuit for up to three laps. Not only will riders experience the rush of being on a closed, professionally timed race course, they can also choose to turn their rides into fundraisers for their favorite charities through the event’s collaboration with Charity of Choice.
“Cycling’s top men and women have challenged this route over the years – from Heiden, Armstrong and Hincapie in the early days to today’s stars like Alex Rasmussen, Peter Sagan and Ina Teutenberg. It’s a special experience, and if you can ride a bike, you can do it, too,” said David Chauner, president of Pro Cycling Tour. “It’s a great way for families and friends to try something different together and to become a real part of the pageantry and festival atmosphere that the Philly race is known for around the world.”
Ride for Fun
Registrants for the Bicycling Open will take to the course from 7 to 10 a.m., before the pros roll to the start line. All entrants will receive a timing chip that will record a time for each complete lap as well as for each time up the half-mile Manayunk Wall. In addition, riders will receive a commemorative T-shirt, swag bag, discount on race VIP tickets and pre- and post-ride refreshments. There will also be premium prizes for top finishers.
The route begins on the magnificent Benjamin Franklin Parkway, heads out scenic Kelly Drive to the hillside neighborhood of Manayunk, with the infamous Manayunk Wall, winds through Fairmount Park, descends Lemon Hill and rushes back past the Philadelphia Museum of Art to the finish line on the Parkway. “There is no other time of the year to experience this ride,” said Chauner. “The Bicycling Open will happen on a closed course, which means safe riding on closed streets with thousands of spectators lining up curbside to cheer on the racers,” he added.
In addition to the personal challenge, participants in the Bicycling Open can also ride for a cause. The event’s connection with Charity of Choice encourages registrants to challenge friends and family to sponsor their rides, with funds raised going to the riders’ own favorite charities. That means if groups of people band together and ride for a specific charity, a sizable donation can be generated just by having fun riding bikes.
Charity of Choice offers valuable prizes for all fund raisers and each participating charity that reaches the benchmark just 10 participants will receive exhibit space at the event’s Cycling, Health and Fitness Expo. According to Hunter Zeising, Executive Director of Charity of Choice, “We have discovered that there is no better way for non-profits to raise money through an athletic event than the Charity of Choice program. By partnering with an approved, existing event like the Bicycling Open, the charity does not have to create and staff its own event, and the entire fundraising process is turn-key.”
Complete information on the Bicycling Open, including entry fees and registration directions in the above links and on on the official website for the 2012 TD Bank Philadelphia International Cycling Championship www.procyclingtour.com.
About Pro Cycling Tour
The TD Bank Philadelphia International Cycling Championship is owned and managed by Pro Cycling Tour, an affiliate of American Cycling Group, LLC (ACG), which develops and manages cycling events, facilities and programs across the country. In addition to the TD Bank Philadelphia International Cycling Championship, American Cycling Group is developing several new initiatives including the National Velodrome and Events Center in Chester County, Pa., the Reading Radsport, a grand-scale, European-style recreational cycling event in Berks County, Pa., and the Road Cycling League, a series of ability and age category cycling races in Southeastern Pennsylvania. For more information, visit www.procyclingtour.com.
About Bicycling Magazine
Bicycling magazine is the world’s largest cycling magazine and #1 source of information for cyclists. With an audience of two million readers, passionate cyclists of all levels look to Bicycling to get more out of the sport they love, including authoritative reviews of the latest bikes and gear, smart, insightful tips on where to ride, what to eat and how to train, and award-winning features about cycling’s most engaging personalities and trends. Published 11 times a year, Bicycling offers several special issues, including a springtime Buyer’s Guide, a detailed Tour de France preview and biennial rankings of the country’s top 50 "Bike Friendly Cities." At Bicycling.com, readers can access the latest cycling news, thousands of reviews, and interactive tools to inform and inspire. Bicycling is available on the iPad, and readers can follow the brand on Twitter (@Bicyclingmag) and Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/bicyclingmag).
About TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank®
TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank, is one of the 15 largest commercial banks in the United States with $152 billion in assets, and provides customers with a full range of financial products and services at more than 1,000 convenient locations from Maine to Florida. TD Bank, N.A., is headquartered in Cherry Hill, N.J., and Portland, Maine. TD Bank is a trade name of TD Bank, N.A. For more information, visit www.tdbank.com.
TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank, is a member of TD Bank Financial Group (TSX, NYSE: TD) of Toronto, Canada, a top 10 financial services company in North America and one of the few banks in the world rated Aaa by Moody's.
TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank, is one of the 15 largest commercial banks in the United States with $152 billion in assets, and provides customers with a full range of financial products and services at more than 1,000 convenient locations from Maine to Florida. TD Bank, N.A., is headquartered in Cherry Hill, N.J., and Portland, Maine. TD Bank is a trade name of TD Bank, N.A. For more information, visit www.tdbank.com.
TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank, is a member of TD Bank Financial Group (TSX, NYSE: TD) of Toronto, Canada, a top 10 financial services company in North America and one of the few banks in the world rated Aaa by Moody's.
To apply for media credentials, visit, www.procyclingtour.com and click on any of the race events, followed by clicking on “press”. Or click here: http://www.procyclingtour.info/PCT2008PC.aspx.
