It's ON, and is USA Cycling sanctioned. Not much detail just yet, and they are still sorting out financials from last year's race...
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/local/20130201_Brady_rescues_Philly_bike_race.html
The Manayunk Wall is the centerpiece, but I think the rest of the route may be different from previous years, according to TV reports.
Mike:
I heard the rumor and quickly got excited but lets see what the final decision is next week. It will be interesting to see the new route.
Because I know the area well, I can't see the route changing much, The Wall is what makes the race, so the route through Manayunk can't change a whole lot, plus it has the cobble stones, Kelly Drive is for the speed demons and making up time for chasers and right after that it's Lemon Hill, famous for a place to attack, so that shouldn't change much. I am guessing the change is minor and that's because it went from 150 to 120 last year and now they are saying 60 miles this year, just ten laps. Better than nothing I guess.
Interesting. I know several of the past & present players, but I'm not sure they can pull this off in time like Chauner has been able to.
I know the CoreStates/FU/TD race was around for so long and is a perfect spectator event, but the knock against the race is that it wasn't hard enough. The Wall is great, and Lemon Hill does add a kick some years, but they need to find a way to send it out River Road to Miquon and up Harts or Manor Lane, then back down Ridge a few times. Imagine them bombing down the Levering and trying to negotiate the turn onto Cresson.
@TSWG - Oh Yeah !!
Good suggestions, SWG. They (the City of Phila) also recently widened the bike path past Manayunk up to the city limits towards Valley Forge - imagine that.
If they need to cut costs / simplify logistics - they might eliminate Eakins Oval and run the race more to the NW as you suggested.
Up hill at Miquon, down Ridge, then down Shawmont Ave and back to Manayunk via Umbria Street.....and maybe have the finish at that large boathouse near Strawberry Mansion bridge?
I'll go to watch. Philly is a great city to visit.
I used to do the amateur TT the day before which is pretty spectacular along the Skuykill River and back to finish in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art with all the pro banners, barriers, crowds, etc.
Hard not to get jazzed up for that.
Actually the Saturday before the race you'll catch all the Pro Teams out for a training rides. I have managed several times to politely sandbag from Valley Forge back to the City about ten miles of flat and of course they put the hammer down at over 30 miles/hour. It's one thing to average +30 at a crit race but to pull for ten at 30 is another level of competition.
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