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About Philadelphia - Manayunk

Bike Race - US Pro Cycling Championship

Visit the official Pro Cycling Tour site:

• Official PCT Website

• Wachovia US Pro Championship: Course Map

• Wachovia US Pro Championship: Race Overview

Race Day 2001

A first hand account from the Erblaw offices

It was a great day for an open house - and even better day for a bike race.

The US Pro Championship got off to an excellent start on Sunday, June 10, with plenty of sunshine and crowds to cheer on the 159 cyclists who started the race.

For the first time in its 17 year history, the race turned out all US winners. First place went to 27 year old Fred Rodriguez (Team Domo Farm Frites), who finished the 156 mile race in 5 hours, 57 minutes and 56 seconds for an average speed of 26.15 m.p.h. Just behind him were fellow Americans Trent Klasna (Team Saturn) and George Hincapie (Team U.S. Postal Service). Last year’s winner, Henk Vogels (Team Mercury), finished in 9th place. Only 90 cyclists actually finished the race.

The race was one of the most exciting in recent memory with a mere 20 seconds separating the leaders from the pack during the last lap. The turning point of the race was the final trek up the Manayunk Wall with its grueling 17% incline. There, crowds responded as some cyclists put on the pressure, resulting in several lead changes over just a few yards by cheering wildly. After the race, Rodriguez said, “Going up the Wall the last couple of times, you, you couldn’t hear yourself, it was so loud. I would compare this with coming into the Champs Elysees.”

Meanwhile, at the new office, while the racers were bearing the brunt of the 90 degree day, we were monitoring the race on TV in our air-conditioned space. After the racers climbed the Wall, we knew it was time to check out the action on the street. Police motorcycles and helicopters overhead also signaled that it was time to go out and cheer on the bikers as they came down Manayunk Avenue following the charge up the Wall. At our location, described by the Philadelphia Inquirer as one of the “best places to watch” the race, analysts estimated that racers were traveling at speeds up to 50 m.p.h. as they turned the corner onto the Ridge.

Pictures of the race were taken by local resident (and friend) Tom Alexander.