December 13/18 11:15 am - USA Cycling Announces 2019 Pro Road Tour Calendar

Posted by Editor on 12/13/18
 

The national calendar for the U.S. 2019 Pro Road Tour (PRT) will feature 18 events across 16 states, it was announced on Thursdayday by USA Cycling. Spanning March to September, the PRT schedule next year will include 45 days of road cycling competitions, with 16 of the 18 events offering races for both Elite Women and Men.

The PRT is comprised of the top road race events in the U.S. and is open to both professional and amateur cyclists. Events are a mix of quality criteriums, omniums, road races, stage races, and an individual time trial event. Individual and team champions are crowned at the conclusion of the calendar.

"The Pro Road Tour enters its fourth year, and we are proud to see a very strong and diverse compilation of road cycling events to leverage earning opportunities for our members. The calendar is structured to provide a balance for travel, as well as support long-standing races that are traditions in local communities," said Chuck Hodge, Vice President of Operations for USA Cycling.

PRT 2019 Overview

• 18 events in 16 states
• 45 total days of racing
• 10 criteriums/crit omniums, 6 stage races (5 are UCI), 1 UCI road race, 1 UCI time trial
• 16 events feature races for men and women
• PRT events offer more than $700,000 in prize purses for men and women

The biggest changes on the 2019 PRT schedule are the move of the Redlands Bicycle Classic in California from May to March, and the return of the North Star Grand Prix in Minnesota in June with a women's UCI stage race.

"Minnesota has a tremendous cycling community and progressing the North Star Grand Prix to become a UCI Women's event represents the strength of this community," said Race Director Brendon Hale. "We are excited to provide women the opportunity to earn valuable UCI points, and provide the opportunity for men to earn USA Cycling PRT points."

The Redlands Bicycle Classic presented by San Manuel Band of Mission Indians will open the 2019 PRT season, with racing on March 13-17. Now in its 34th season, the event is longest continuously-running invitational stage race for pros in the U.S. The last time the Redlands Bicycle Classic was held in early spring was 2012. Hosted by the city of Redlands and surrounding communities in Southern California, the five-day stage race features three road races, an individual time trial and a criterium.

The April 2019 schedule will be highlighted by the first of four UCI stage races and two criteriums. The Joe Martin Stage Race returns to Fayetteville, Arkansas, April 4-7. This four-day stage race has a rich history dating back to 1978, and is the oldest stage race event in the U.S. The Sunny King Criterium in Anniston, Alabama, follows and will be the first of 10 criteriums and crit omniums on the calendar, scheduled for April 13th.

May begins with the second UCI stage race - the 34th edition of the Tour of the Gila in New Mexico with five days of racing, on May 1-5. The MVP Health Care Rochester Twilight Criterium in Rochester, N.Y., returns May 11th, marking the second year in a row for the spring race. The Wilmington Grand Prix, May 18th, is a new event on the PRT calendar this year. It will be the 12th year for the criterium, which is part of three days of cycling events in the capitol of Delaware.

Now a tradition for Memorial Day weekend, racing will be back in Winston-Salem, N.C. The Winston-Salem Criterium will be held under the lights on May 25th, and is part of the third annual Gears and Guitars Music Festival. The Winston-Salem Cycling Classic, a UCI road race for men and women, will take place Monday, May 27th.

The following weekend, June 1-2, offers the Armed Forces Cycling Classic presented by The Boeing Company, in Arlington, Virginia. The three-day Saint Francis Tulsa Tough in Tulsa, Oklahoma, will have a dedicated weekend, June 7-9. Back from a one-year absence will be the five-day North Star Grand Prix on June 12-16, which includes road races, a time trial and criterium in and around Minneapolis. It is part of the North Star Bicycle Festival.

Three events in mid-July will be held on the roads of Idaho and Michigan. Friday, July 12th, the only Individual Time Trial on the calendar returns - the Chrono Kristin Armstrong in Boise, Idaho. The following evening, downtown Boise will host the ASWB Twilight Criterium. In the Motor City on July 13th, the Detroit Cycling Championships are the eighth criterium event for men and women.

August features the UCI stage races, the Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah for elite men and the Colorado Classic for elite women. The Tour of Utah will be held for a fifth year as a seven day, UCI 2.HC stage race, on August 12-18. The event takes place across multiple host venues in the state. The Colorado Classic will be raced across multiple venues in Colorado as a four-day UCI stage race for women, on August 22-25.

The final two events of the 2019 PRT schedule are criteriums - the Gateway Cup in Missouri and the Bucks County Classic in Doylestown, Pennsylvania. The Gateway Cup, a criterium omnium, returns Labor Day weekend with four distance courses through four historic St. Louis neighborhoods. It is one of the longest-running cycling events in the country, entering its 35th year, and has been part of the USA CRITS Championship Series. The Bucks County Classic in Doylestown, Penn., which is in its 16th running, will cap the 2019 PRT season on September 8th.

Schedule subject to change