Maryland Cycling Classic Postponed to ’22 Amid COVID Challenges

July 2, 2021

Event Seeks to Maintain World-Class Standards for Inaugural Edition

BALTIMORE, Maryland– The Maryland Cycling Classic, America’s top one-day professional race, has announced the postponement of the event, scheduled for September 5, 2021, due to post-COVID conditions not aligning with the standards necessitated for a world-class event.

“From the beginning, our aspirations have been a world-class professional cycling race in the state of Maryland,” said event Chairman John Kelly, a Baltimore-area business leader who is President of Kelly Benefits Strategies. “You only have one chance to make a first impression and we want to do things right. There are multiple factors in this difficult decision, mainly hinging on challenges post COVID from course development to guarantees of international athletes into the country. We look forward to launching this world-class event in 2022.”

The inaugural event had originally been scheduled for September 6, 2020 but was postponed last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Hosting a world-class pro cycling race with all of the ancillary events that coincide with an event of this magnitude has always been at the core of our efforts in bringing the Maryland Cycling Classic to life,” said Terry Hasseltine, the President of the Sport and Entertainment Corporation of Maryland, which owns the event. “With all the uncertainties that still exist in market as well as some of the travel restrictions, our leadership team had to make this very difficult decision to postpone to 2022. This said, weremain committed to building a world-class event for everyone to enjoy here in Maryland. We thank all our key partners that have stuck with us during this difficult time.”

The event will once again apply to the UCI to be part of its prestigious UCI ProSeries to remain one of the top-ranked events in North and South America. The event is also sanctioned by USA Cycling, the National Governing Body for the sport. UnitedHealthcare will stay on as presenting sponsor for 2022.

“We understand postponing the inaugural Maryland Cycling Classic was a difficult decision, but we remain committed to working with partners to ensure the success of this exciting event,” said Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott. “Though the COVID-19 pandemic hampered the current state of international travel, we look forward to presenting the beauty and culture of Baltimore to the world in 2022.”

“Baltimore County fully understands the decision to postpone the inaugural Maryland Cycling Classic,” Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski said. “We remain entirely committed to working with our partners to ensure the success of this exciting opportunity and we look forward to showcasing all of Baltimore County’s scenic communities and vibrant offerings for participants at an amazing event next year.”

Hasseltine added that they’ve been working with event partners Medalist Sports and KOM Sports to build out a weekend of events that will include a Health and Wellness Festival, Public Charity Ride, Community Outreach Program on bike education and participation, and a new hospitality and experiential platform. And, with numerous mass public events in Maryland still uncertain, several of the programs and their planning were made prohibitively difficult.

“Visit Baltimore stands behind the event team and its partners’ decision to postpone the inaugural Maryland Cycling Classic,” said Al Hutchinson, President & CEO of Visit Baltimore. “We remain excited to bring the race to Baltimore and look forward to our continued partnership in 2022.”

More information can be found at www.marylandcyclingclassic.us.

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Media Contact:

Katrina Younce, KOM Sports Marketing
1.310.995.3619 | katrina@komsports.com

Host Committee Contact:

Terry Hasseltine, President, Sport and Entertainment Corp. of Maryland
1.410.207.8814 | terry@sportcorpmaryland.us