COURSES DETAILED

Inaugural Races

RICHMOND, VA – (Thursday, March 29, 2007) – Organizers today announced the inaugural racecourses for the U.S. Open Cycling Championships -- to be held on Saturday, April 7, 2007.

The 112-mile professional men’s race, a stop on the international UCI Americas Tour and the national USA Cycling Pro Tour, starts in historic Williamsburg at 8:10 a.m. on Francis Street in front of the colonial powder magazine. After a circuit around the colonial area, the course follows Jamestown Road to Jamestown and then travels up Greensprings Road to Virginia Route 5. Heading west along the Route 5 corridor, the cyclists will cross the Chickahominy River and then cruise past the historic James River Plantations and Charles City County Courthouse, and through the Malvern Hill Battlefield.

From Malvern Hill, the route doglegs on Kingsland Road and the Osborne Turnpike. Entering Richmond on Dock Street at about 10:30 a.m., the racers will begin an arduous 5.5-mile circuit that they’ll traverse 8 times. The circuit includes a steep climb over cobblestones in Libby Hill Park, and passage through both Jackson Ward and Shockoe Bottom. Along the way, the athletes will pass close to many Richmond landmarks, including the Bill “Bojangles” Robinson statue, the Confederate Soldiers and Sailors Monument and the newly unveiled Reconciliation Memorial. The men will finish around 12:00 noon in front of The Library of Virginia. Live television coverage of the race will be broadcast on Jumbotrons set up both at the finish line and in Libby Hill Park.

According to Frankie Andreu, a veteran pro cyclist who has started and finished 12 Tour de France’s, “The climb up Libby Hill is brutal. This race is a true test and on this course, only a real champion can win.”

The women’s circuit race starts at 9:00 a.m. in Richmond in front of The Library of Virginia, and will finish at about 10:15 a.m. The women will race nine laps on a challenging 3-mile circuit that shares the western section of the men’s course.

The same-day national broadcast on NBC Sports will be broadcast at 2:30-5:00 p.m.

 Course maps are attached. Visit www.usopencycling.com for more information.

About the U.S. Open Cycling Championships
The U.S. Open Cycling Championships is a professional cycling event and America's newest International sporting event. The race will take place on Saturday, April 7, 2007 in Central Virginia and will be broadcast nationally on NBC Sports at 2:30-5:00 p.m. The U.S. Open Cycling Championships features a spectator-friendly circuit race in downtown Richmond for professional and elite amateur women and a men’s point-to-point road race from historic Williamsburg to Richmond for invited domestic and international professional teams. The event is a stop on the UCI Americas Tour and the USA Cycling Pro Tour, and is sanctioned by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI, 1.1 ranking). For more information visit www.USOpenCycling.com.

About USA Cycling
Recognized by the U.S. Olympic Committee and the Union Cycliste Internationale, USA Cycling promotes American cycling through its 56,000 members and 2,000 annual events. USA Cycling associations include the BMX Association (BMX), National Off-Road Bicycle Association (mountain bike), U.S. Cycling Federation (road/track), the National Collegiate Cycling Association and the U.S. Professional Racing Organization (professional men’s road). For more information visit www.usacycling.org or contact, USA Cycling Director of Marketing and Communications, Andy Lee at 719-866-4867.

About Red Five Sports Group
Red Five Sports Group, Inc. is a sports marketing and event management company with offices in Richmond, Virginia and Providence, Rhode Island. The company specializes in the development and production of professional cycling events. For more information, please contact Red Five Sports Group at 401-521-0015.

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