US Pro Championship  Finally, a USA citizen won the US Pro race in Philadelphia this weekend as Chris Wherry of the Health Net/Maxxis team became the US national cycling champion. The final lap contained a three-man break that ended with the three USA riders in a sprint finish. Chris Horner, one of the favorites, decided to play the waiting game with Danny Pate to see who would catch Wherry's break with about a mile left in the race. They both hesitated, which was enough to give Wherry the win.

Philadelphia is a great place for the race. There's a very active cycling community in the city. There are several miles of bike lanes, mapped on-road bike routes, and off-road trails. This year's crowd seemed to be the biggest we've seen in the past 7 or 8 years that we've attended the event. We rode the course in the Fun Ride that started at 7 am, climbing the Manayunk Wall on our recumbents, passing many people on uprights who were walking. As we sat and watched the race it was fun to watch the passing parade of cyclings, roller bladers and pedestrians walking along the trail that parallels the route. There were many single-speed bikes, more than I've ever seen in one place.
posted by Bruce Wright at 10:38 AM #