WorldTour level EF Education-EasyPost and Trek-Segafredo are the first eight teams confirmed to participate at the second edition of the Maryland Cycling Classic, set for September 3.
Quinn Simmons, winner of stage 3 at this year’s Vuelta a San Juan, is expected to lead the charge for Trek-Segafredo. However, EF Education-EasyPost had not confirmed any riders at this early date, including last year’s third-place finisher Neilson Powless.
“I’m already looking forward to being back in Maryland. It’s a great event for me and I return with high motivation. I’m not satisfied with the result from last year, so hopefully we’ll be back in the fight for the top step of the podium this year,” said Simmons, a native of Colorado who finished eighth overall and won the King of the Mountains jersey in 2022.
ProTeams Human Powered Health and Novo Nordisk are confirmed to line up again as well as four Continental-level teams – L39ION of Los Angeles and Hagens Berman Axeon from the US, Toronto Hustle from Canada and Team Medellin-EPM from Colombia.
The inaugural UCI 1.Pro one-day race, which will repeat as the highest ranked one-day race for men on the US calendar in 2023, was won by Sep Vanmarcke (Israel-Premier Tech).
He outsprinted Nickolas Zukowsky (Human Powered Health) and Powless at the line after 196.6km of racing in northern Maryland and downtown Baltimore. From a select group of six riders at the front of the race, Trek-Segafredo’s Toms Skujinš was fourth and the EF Education duo of Andrea Piccolo and Magnus Cort trailed for fifth and sixth, respectively.
US road veterans Robin Carpenter and Kyle Murphy are expected to participate again, both finishing in the top 20 last year, and this time as part of the L39ION of Los Angeles squad.
“This race represents a reversal of the latest trend of disappearing U.S. road events, which I know is greeted with pleasure and hope by the overall community. Last year’s course delivered a surprisingly difficult and dynamic race that caught many racers by surprise and led to an exciting finale throughout the packed streets of downtown Baltimore,” Carpenter said.
“I’m looking forward to seeing even more spectators out on course and more racers targeting the event as a goal.”
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