Ten years after its last edition, the Philadelphia Cycling Classic returns this Sunday — bringing back one of the best-known races in American cycling and its famous Manayunk Wall.
“It’s so much fun to race in the U.S., and especially to come back to Philly after 10 years,” said NSN Sports Director Alex Cataford. “We have the riders here to give us the opportunity to win.”
The 194.2-kilometer race is made up of eight laps of a 23-kilometer circuit, starting and finishing on Benjamin Franklin Parkway near the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
The main obstacle is the famous Manayunk Wall — roughly 500 meters with gradients reaching 17 percent — tackled on every lap. The circuit also features the shorter Lemon Hill climb before the run back toward the finish.
For former Israeli champion Oded Kogut, the challenge will be to survive those repeated climbs and remain in contention for a sprint.
“I’m so excited. It’s a long way to come for our only American race of the year, but I believe it will be worth it,” said Kogut. “I love racing in America because it’s so different from Europe.
“For me, the key will be surviving the hill that awaits us lap after lap. If I can do that and still be there at the end, I’ll get my chance to sprint for the win. But of course, we also have Riley, who can go for it if the race turns into a more selective final.”
For recent Czech Tour stage winner Riley Sheehan, the return of the race also provides a rare opportunity to compete on home soil.
“It’s really special for me to come back to the United States and race in my home country,” said Sheehan. “I remember hearing about this race and how iconic it was, which makes it even more special to race it in its first comeback year.
“I’ve had a great lead-in to the race and look forward to giving it everything on Sunday. We have a solid roster here with a guy suited for any outcome of the race. If we play our cards right, we can expect a great result. We’ll do everything we can to win.”
NSN Cycling Team at the Philadelphia Cycling Classic (Sunday 30 August)
Riders: Oded Kogut (ISR), Zak Marriage (AUS), Emil Nymand Nielsen (DEN), Riley Sheehan (USA), Rotem Tene (ISR), Tom Van Asbroeck (BEL)
Sports Directors: Alex Cataford (CAN), Francesco Frassi (ITA)