Blog: City Blog

Prestigious U.S. Pro Road Race Coming to Knoxville

Mayor Madeline Rogero announced today that Knoxville will host the 2017 Volkswagen U.S. Professional Road and Time Trial National Championships at a joint press conference held by the City of Knoxville, Visit Knoxville, USA Cycling and Red Cross of East Tennessee,

The race is very prestigious, being known to attract crowds between 20,000 and 30,000. Every rider on Team USA competed in the event in 2016.

For more information, please see the official news release below:

Sept. 16, 2016 – The 2017 Volkswagen U.S. Professional Road & Time Trial National Championships will be held in Knoxville, Tenn., next June, USA Cycling and Visit Knoxville announced Friday.

“We are very fortunate to have the opportunity to run our most prestigious road cycling event in Knoxville next summer,” said USA Cycling CEO Derek Bouchard-Hall. “Knoxville’s love of cycling, natural beauty and renowned hospitality will make an exceptional location for us to crown our top professional road cyclists in just nine months!"

The 2017 Volkswagen U.S. Professional Road & Time Trial National Championships will run June 23-25 in Knoxville. The men’s and women’s individual time trials will run on Friday, June 23, followed by the June 24 Knoxville Gran Fondo. Showcasing the weekend, the men’s and women’s road races will run Sunday, June 25 in downtown Knoxville, highlighted by challenging climbs as well as other scenic features offered only in Knoxville.

“Visit Knoxville is thrilled that USA Cycling has chosen Knoxville for their event,” said Kim Bumpas, President, Visit Knoxville. “The Visit Knoxville Sports Commission worked very hard to make this partnership come to fruition. We are also lucky to be working with The American Red Cross of East Tennessee on the Knoxville Gran Fondo. We hope that the community rallies around these elite athletes as well as participates in the Fondo and visits the Cycling Expo at World’s Fair Park.”

USA Cycling is making this a standalone event in June rather than pairing it with Masters and Para Cycling National Championships in May as it did in 2016. This decision focuses greater attention on this marquee event and eliminates the many challenges associated with holding multiple championships simultaneously.

The timing of the June 23-25 event aligns with the UCI calendar’s designated timeframe for nations to run their respective road national championships. This marks the first time that USA Cycling’s professional road championships fall in line with the UCI’s designated road national championship weekend.

About Visit Knoxville
Visit Knoxville (Knoxville Convention and Visitors Bureau) is the official CVB for the City of Knoxville and Knox County. Visit Knoxville is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, private company that works together with the community, business leaders and local and state government to further develop Knoxville as a premier leisure, meetings and travel destination.

About USA Cycling
Recognized by the United States Olympic Committee and the Union Cycliste Internationale, USA Cycling is the official governing body for all disciplines of competitive cycling in the United States, including BMX, cyclo-cross, mountain bike, road, and track. As a membership-based organization, USA Cycling comprises 64,000 members; 2,700+ clubs and teams; and 34 local associations. The national governing body sanctions over 3,100 competitive and non-competitive events throughout the U.S. each year and is responsible for the identification, development, and support of American cyclists. To learn more about USA Cycling, visit usacycling.org.

Posted by On 16 September, 2016 at 2:54 PM