USA Cycling Professional Championships Race Into Greenville Memorial Day Weekend

Event partners kick off countdown to major tourism event in Upstate

GREENVILLE, SC – May 28-30, 2011 – The Greenville Hospital System USACycling Professional Championships will return to Greenville for thesixth consecutive year and move to Memorial Day Weekend, May 28-30. Thechange in schedule will help bring an even stronger, more competitivefield and include Greenville resident and three-time U.S. ProfessionalRoad Race National Champion, George Hincapie. Licensed by USA Cycling,Inc. (Colorado Springs, CO) and organized by Medalist Sports, the eventcontinues to build in momentum and stature.

University Medical Center (GHS), Title Sponsor; TD Bank, PresentingSponsor of the Road Race Championships; Duke Energy, Presenting Sponsorof the Individual Time Trial Championships; GE Energy; HincapieSportswear; Yakima Products; the City of Greenville; Greenville Countyand in partnership with the Palmetto Peloton Project and the USHandcycling Federation, the Championships are expected to draw tens ofthousands of spectators from around the country to Greenville over thecourse of the event weekend.

According to Chris Aronhalt, Managing Partner of Medalist Sports, theUSA Cycling Professional Championships have continued to gain popularity with each passing year, and last year, drew nearly 50,000 spectatorsover the course of the event weekend. Aronhalt attributes theChampionships’ popularity to several factors: level of competition andterrain, community and sponsor support and the variety of events andactivities that take place over the course of the weekend. “There is noquestion that this event offers fans an opportunity to see the nation’sbest professional cyclists compete at their highest level, and following the Amgen Tour of California the week prior, the riders and teams willbe at their peak performance,” said Aronhalt. “Greenville provides anideal setting to host the Championships. “

The date change to Memorial Day weekend will also allow the return ofthe three-day format, permitting a vital rest day for the riders. Theevent weekend will kick off with the Individual Time Trial Championships presented by Duke Energy, Saturday, May 28 at CU-ICAR. Cyclists willcompete against the clock on a 6.9 mile course (completed three times).The Road Race Championships presented by TD Bank will be held on Monday, May 30 with the start/finish in downtown Greenville. The 110-milecourse will include three short downtown circuits, four long laps overParis Mountain, and then three finishing downtown circuits.

We are very pleased and grateful to see that TD Bank has expanded itscommitment to sponsoring cycling events with their support for the USACycling Professional Road Championships, said USA Cycling ChiefExecutive Officer Steve Johnson. Greenville has been an excellent hostof this prestigious event for the past five years. We look forward tothe move to the Memorial Day holiday weekend that will not only allowthe race to better align with the international calendar but will helpensure America’s top talent is on hand to contest for theStars-and-Stripes In addition to the dual championships, the Roger C.Peace Rehabilitation Hospital U.S. Handcycling National CriteriumChampionship is once again scheduled. This is the season finale eventfor the U.S. Handcycling Series, and will return for the third year in a row with a time trial on Saturday and the National HandcyclingCriterium Championships on Monday.

Another significant and positive change this year is that the Stars andStripes Challenge will become a stand-alone event on Sunday, May 29thand become a multi-distance (including century) fundraising ride. Hosted in Greenville County, the Stars and stripes Challenge is expected tohost amateur and celebrity riders, including retired pros, from acrossthe country and raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for its primarycharitable partner, the Cancer Center of Greenville Hospital SystemUniversity Medical Center. The Stars and Stripes Challenge is organizedby the Palmetto Peloton Project (P3), which promotes the advancement ofcancer research through fundraising fitness events. Approximately 800riders from across the United States participated in last year’s Starsand Stripes Challenge, and to date, the event has raised more than$500,000 for cancer research.

“GHS is pleased to serve as title sponsor of the USA CyclingProfessional Championships for a sixth year and to be a recipient offunds from the Palmetto Peloton Project,” said Mike Riordan, GHSpresident and CEO. “We are grateful to P3’s gift to cancer researchbecause it not only impacts the people in our community but peopleacross the country and around the world. In addition, P3 events offerour community the opportunity to get fit and be active, which reinforces our commitment to total health.”

A new addition this year, cycling enthusiasts will have the opportunityto meet some of their favorite riders at a free Saturday evening eventsponsored by Presenting Sponsor TD Bank. The Main Street event,benefiting GHS’ Cancer Center, will feature live entertainment, andseveral of the top teams and riders will display their team cars and beavailable for autographs and photo sessions.

“TD Bank is proud to partner with Greenville Hospital System to supportthis premier event and secure its return to the Upstate for its sixthyear,” said Lynn Harton, head of regional commercial banking south, TDBank. “Supporting the communities where we live and work has long beenone of TD Bank’s core values, in addition to supporting programs thatpromote and celebrate both diversity and a better environment. The USACycling National Championships is a perfect example of this philosophy,and we are thrilled to be a part of this great event that puts our cityin the spotlight of the world of cycling.

With the championships only a few months away, the excitement is already building and organizers expect this year’s event to be the largestever. Route maps and race details can be found on the event website,which also offers online registration for volunteers. Fans areencouraged to visit www.usacyclingchampionships.com to stay race news and events and can also follow the event on Facebook at www.facebook.com/usacyclingchampionships and Twitter at twitter.com/USAProCycling. A schedule of events is provided below.

 

2011
GREENVILLE HOSPITAL SYSTEM
USA CYCLING PROFESSIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

SATURDAY, MAY 28

Individual Time Trial Championships presented by Duke Energy
Start Time: 11:30 a.m.
Start/Finish Line: CU-ICAR
Estimated Finish Time: 1:30 p.m. (awards following)

Ancillary Events
Roger C. Peace Rehabilitation Hospital US Handcycling Series, Individual Time Trial
Start Time: 8:30 a.m.
Start/Finish Line: CU-ICAR

Stars and Stripes Challenge, Individual Time Trial
Start Time: 9:30 a.m.
Start/Finish Line: CU-ICAR

SUNDAY, MAY 29

Ancillary Events
Stars and Stripes Challenge (Century, fundraising ride)
Start Time: 8:00 a.m.
Location: Greenville County

MONDAY, MAY 30

Road Race Championships presented by TD Bank
Start Time: 11:00 a.m.
Start/Finish Line: Downtown Greenville
Estimated Finish Time: 3:00 p.m. (awards following)

Ancillary Events
Stars and Stripes Challenge, ‘Ride Like The Pros’ (top fundraisers)
Start Time: 7:30 a.m.
Start/Finish Line: Downtown Greenville

Family Fun Ride
Start Time: 10:00 a.m.
Location: Cleveland Park

Greenville Hospital System Health & Wellness Expo
Start Time: 11:00 a.m. (open until 5:00 p.m.)
Location: Downtown Greenville

Roger C. Peace Rehabilitation Hospital US Handcycling National Criterium Championship
Start Time: 1:30 p.m.
Location: Downtown Greenville

Duke Energy Kids’ Races
Start Time: 2:30 p.m.
Location: Downtown Greenville