Baltimore, Md. – The Maryland Sports Commission (MSC) and the Sport & Entertainment Corporation of Maryland (SECMD), the non-profit arm of MSC, announced May 7 that the Maryland Cycling Classic, recognized as America’s top-ranked road cycling race, will be postponing the third edition of the event with a full return in 2025.
After consultation with the SECMD Board of Directors, local government officials, leadership staff and key stakeholders, including USA Cycling and Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), the decision to pause the 2024 event will allow the race to come back in 2025 matching the elite level, team participation, city and county resources and overall expectations produced the first two years along with enhanced community and fan experiences for all ages.
The decision to pause the event additionally reflects a conscientious effort to respect the capacities of both Baltimore City and Baltimore County, recognizing the strain on existing resources and personnel due to the international tragedy of the Key Bridge collapse, compounded by the Labor Day holiday weekend when the Cycling Classic normally takes place and in turn, the likely need to make changes to the race course as a result.
Also factoring into the postponement is the upcoming Paris Summer Olympics and the significant international competition schedule changes and team logistics that it presents in the cycling world. The Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal, an international cycling event in Montreal and Quebec, Canada that is traditionally held the week after the race in Maryland each summer is taking place two weeks after the date of the Maryland Cycling Classic. This schedule change could impact the number of teams who will come to North America this summer to race, and consequently, the number of international cyclists that will participate this year in the Maryland Cycling Classic.
“This brief pause in 2024 will allow the event to return in 2025 with even more vigor and momentum,” said Terry Hasseltine, Executive Director of the Maryland Sports Commission and President of the Sport & Entertainment Corporation of Maryland. “The Maryland Cycling Classic is a premier cycling event on a global stage. We have delivered a product that continues to grow and are excited about the path forward.”
“I’m sad about the 2024 postponement, but understand the decision especially given the circumstances,” said John Kelly, President of Kelly Benefits Strategies and Volunteer Executive Chairman of the MCC.
Momentum for the Cycling Classic continued to grow as evidenced by the leap the event took from a viewership standpoint. In 2023, the Maryland Cycling Classic achieved unprecedented success in just its second year, attracting an estimated 80,000 on-site spectators and nearly 800,000 livestream viewers, an increase of 200% from 2022. The regional over-the-air broadcast was bolstered through a partnership with Maryland Public Television, which aired six hours of live broadcast coverage, including five hours of the race and 30-minute preview and post shows.
— Maryland Cycling Classic press release
Photo Credit: Courtesy of the Maryland Cycling Classic