Visit Hagerstown & Washington County Convention & Visitors Bureau will host the USA Cycling Amateur Road National Championships for the second year of a two-year agreement, June 20-23, 2019. The Races will be held in Boonsboro/South County along MD 67, Clear Spring and downtown Hagerstown. When last year’s races were held in Washington County, it marked the first time a national championship for USA Cycling was hosted in the state of Maryland.
“We’re excited to have USA Cycling return to Hagerstown and Washington County,” said Dan Spedden, president of Visit-Hagerstown Washington County Convention and Visitors Bureau (Visit Hagertown). “Last year was our first time hosting an event of this scale and now that we’ve gained some experience, we have fine-tuned it to make this an even better event in 2019.”
Final race times and routes have not yet been finalized but there will remain similar with some slight modifications to last year’s race plans. Visit Hagerstown staff has been working diligently with State, County and City agencies to bring a more systematic planning approach to improve the event experience for both visitors and residents. This strategy has been paying off immensely and excitement is building in the community!
“USA Cycling is excited to be in Hagerstown, Maryland, again for the 2019 Amateur National Road Championships. Riders from around the country will have the opportunity to compete in this beautiful area of the country on courses that are both challenging and scenic,” said Chuck Hodge, USA Cycling Vice President of Operations.
USA Cycling’s decision to select Washington County was due, in part, to its central location in the Mid-Atlantic and the close proximity to several of the largest markets in the U.S. Hagerstown is one-and-a-half hours from Washington D.C., three hours from Pittsburgh, and four hours from New York City. The region’s scenic byways and abundance of parks have long attracted cyclists here to experience both history and natural beauty. Hagerstown has been ranked by the League of American Cycling as a Bronze Winner for Bicycle Friendliness for several years in a row.
“Washington County has evolved into a world class cycling destination,” Spedden said, “but it takes a village to put on an event of this size. We know we couldn’t pull this off without the help of our local governments, not to mention our partners at USA Cycling, the Maryland Sports Commission, our local sponsors, and hundreds of event volunteers.”
Visit Hagerstown-Washington County Convention and Visitors Bureau won the bid for the event to be held in Washington County in both 2018 and 2019. The bid came through the Maryland Sports Commission, which was supportive throughout the bid process and is providing assistance with the event execution. Multi-agency support has also been provided from the City of Hagerstown, Washington County Government, and Maryland State Government in the bidding and execution of the event.
About USA Cycling: USA Cycling is the national governing body for the sport of cycling in the United States and oversees the disciplines of road, track, mountain bike, cyclocross, and BMX. With a mission to develop the sport of cycling in the United States at all levels and to achieve sustained international racing success, USA Cycling supports cyclists from enthusiasts just beginning in the sport to seasoned professionals. We may be best known for the identification, development, and selection of cyclists to represent the United States in international competition, but equally important is their support of amateur bike racing through grassroots development programs and the provision of critical infrastructure to run organized racing.
USA Cycling is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation which funds it operations from a combination of member generated revenue, sponsorship, US Olympic Committee funding, and donations from the USA Cycling Foundation. USA Cycling receives absolutely no government funding. In 2016, USA Cycling reported roughly $15 million in revenue. For more information go to www.usacycling.org.
About Visit Hagerstown & Washington County Convention & Visitors Bureau: The Mission of the Bureau shall be to accelerate the economic development of Washington County, Maryland, by promoting travel and tourism. The Bureau shall promote attractions, events, accommodations and visitor services and develop new products to establish our community as a preferred destination to travelers. For more information, or to see events coming up throughout Washington County, go to www.visithagerstown.com.
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