Philadelphia, PA. – The second annual Parx Casino Philly Cycling Classic, the highest rated one-day cycling event in the United States, is adding a new amateur mass participation ride to its race weekend festivities this year. Velothon Philadelphia will be the first US-based event in the International Cycling Union's (UCI) Velothon Majors, a global event initiative for mass participation cycling events.

Scheduled for June 1st, the fully supported and chip timed 45 kilometer Velothon Philadelphia course is longer and more scenic than any previous amateur ride in the city. On entirely closed roads, the course includes one and a half loops of the Parx Casino Philly Cycling Classic pro bike course including the same iconic features the pros ride including the Manayunk Wall and Lemon Hill. This year, cyclists cross over the Schuylkill River via the Falls Bridge to the West side of Fairmount Park to tackle the climbs and descents of the famed Philly Triathlon bike course. Leaving the park from MLK Drive, the course finishes with a fast and fun five mile loop through Center City on closed roads racing down the
Benjamin Franklin Parkway, through Chinatown, around the National Constitution Center and Independence Hall returning down the Parkway and finishing behind Lemon Hill in time to watch the pro races.

“After our successful first year of the Parx Casino Philly Cycling Classic, we committed to continue the growth of world-class cycling in Philadelphia,” said Richard Adler of Liberty Sports Development, the event producer. “Partnering with the UCI Velothon Majors and adding the inaugural Velothon Philadelphia to race weekend expands the event into more neighborhoods and allows cycling enthusiasts from around the country to join us in this annual tradition. As the first US event in this prestigious UCI Velothon Majors, joining Berlin and two other major European markets to be announced shortly we are adding another chapter to Philadelphia's long and storied history as an international cycling destination.”

“It is exciting to see the Parx Casino Philly Cycling Classic add a UCI Velothon that will allow thousands of people to ride the course that the pros will race on,” said Sean Petty, Chief of Domestic & International Affairs, USA Cycling. “This concept has been successful in Hamburg and Berlin and I'm sure cyclists in Philadelphia and the surrounding region will take advantage of this great opportunity to ride and then watch the men and women pros put on a great show in the Parx Casino Philly Cycling Classic.”

Registered participants receive a package including an event medal, goody bag, chip timing, staffed aid stations as well as mechanical support provided by the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia. Pre-ride refreshments and a post-ride hospitality area will be hosted at Lemon Hill so participants may watch the pro races. For more details and rider registration, visit www.velothon-philadelphia.com/

The Parx Casino Philly Cycling Classic received an upgrade to a 1.1 rating by the UCI for 2014, making Philadelphia the highest rated one-day pro race in the United States. The second-year event will once again focus equally on the men's and women's professional teams with two separate races and equal prize money. The newly designed course proved popular with teams and fans with its exciting uphill finish at the top of the famed Manayunk Wall.

The Parx Casino Philly Cycling Classic is operated by a community-based non-profit organization formed to organize and host the new world-class professional cycling race in Philadelphia. Joining title sponsor Parx Casino is event Founding Sponsor New Penn Financial, and official sponsors Philadelphia Federal Credit Union, and Fuji Bikes, all local companies that are proud to support the new tradition of world class cycling in Philadelphia.

For more information, visit www.phillycyclingclassic.org or www.velothon-philadelphia.com.

Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau (PHLCVB), www.discoverPHL.com, a private non-profit membership corporation, is the official Tourism Promotion Agency for the City of Philadelphia globally, and the primary sales and marketing agency for the expanded Pennsylvania Convention Center. The PHLCVB competes with its counterparts worldwide for convention and tourism business. The organization has departments dedicated to the multicultural, sports, and life sciences markets. The PHLCVB incorporates the short code PHL, an open source graphic identifier for the City of Philadelphia into the Convention & Visitors Bureau brand identity. The graphic identifier and other assets for use by public, private and non-profit organizations can be found atwww.PHLpartners.com. To request a login, email phlpartners@discoverphl.com

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Media Contact
Ed Donovan
for Parx Casino Philly Cycling Classic
610-220-1441
Ed@EGDpr.com