WorldTour teams and L39ION among those confirmed for 2nd annual Maryland Cycling Classic
The highest ranked UCI event in the United States returns September 3, 2023.
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The Maryland Cycling Classic has announced the first eight teams racing the late summer single-day event, including top American WorldTour teams Trek-Segafredo and EF Education-EasyPost.
Human Powered Health and Novo Nordisk make up the ProTour level teams confirmed for the event, along with U.S. Pro Continental teams L39ION of Los Angeles and Hagens Berman Axeon.
In addition, two international UCI Continental teams will be competing: Toronto Hustle from Canada and Team Medellin-EPM from Colombia.
Also read: UnitedHealthCare returns as presenting sponsor of Maryland Cycling Classic
Race organizers say eight or nine more teams will compete in the event on September 3, 2023 and will be announced in the following months.
With EF Education-EasyPost and Trek-Segafredo both returning to the event, the highest ranked UCI road race in the United States, it seems likely that Americans Neilson Powless and Quinn Simmons will again take advantage of this rare opportunity to race on home soil outside of the national championships.
Powless (EF Education-EasyPost) finished third in last year’s Maryland Cycling Classic and is off to a hot start in 2023 with two wins and a fifth place in his Tour of Flanders debut on Sunday.
Simmons (Trek-Segafredo) won the king of the mountains jersey at last year’s inaugural race and finished eighth overall.
“I’m already looking forward to being back in Maryland,” Simmons said. “As an American, we don’t get many chances to race at the elite level in the U.S., and even though Maryland is quite far from home for me, it’s as close to a home race as I’ll get.”
Other top Americans could race as well, depending on whether their teams attend the race. Matteo Jorgenson (Movistar), Brandon McNulty (UAE Team Emirates), Sepp Kuss (Jumbo-Visma), and Magnus Sheffield (Ineos Grenadiers) are all part of a breakout generation of American racers making themselves known at the sport’s top level.
In addition, the two other American riders to finish in the top 20 last year, Robin Carpenter and Kyle Murphy, are racing this season for L39ION, making their return likely.
“On behalf of U.S. bike racers and bike racing fans in this country, I can say I’m utterly pleased that the Maryland Cycling Classic is coming back for a second year in 2023,” Carpenter said.
Lat year’s race covered 194 km, finishing with a city circuit in downtown Baltimore, and was won by Belgian classics specialist Sep Vanmarcke.
Route details for the 2023 edition will be announced May 2 say race organizers.