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Knoxville Gran Fondo joins 2017 Volkswagon U.S. Professional Road and Time Trial Championships

USA Cycling will hold the 2017 USA Cycling Volkswagen Pro Road & Time Trial National Championships in Knoxville June 23-25. The tournament draws crowds of up to 20,000 people.

More than 150 of the nation’s elite professional road racers are expected to compete in the three-day event.

“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.”

The races open with individual time trials for men and women on Friday, June 23.

On Saturday, the Knoxville Gran Fondo will take place to benefit the Red Cross of East Tennessee. Red Cross said they will be out in force volunteering.

On Sunday, June 25, the showcase men’s and women’s road races will be held downtown.

A cycling expo will be held 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday at World’s Fair Park.

For years, the men’s national road cycling championships were held in Philadelphia. The event moved to Greenville, S.C., in 2006. In 2013, the women’s road race and time trial championships were incorporated and the event was moved to Chattanooga. The event was held in Winston-Salem, N.C., in 2016.

For USA Cycling, the move will align the U.S. national championships with the European championship events. For Knoxville, the races will boost the city’s profile in the bicycling world and attract visitors to the city.

A report commissioned by USA cycling estimated the 2014 event in Chattanooga drew 30,000 spectators and had an economic impact of $5.9 million for the city that year, according to the Chattanooga Times Free Press. Visit Knoxville estimates the races will pump $8.4 million into Knoxville’s economy next summer.

“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.”

The late Sam Beall provided the inspiration for the Gran Fondo, according to organizers. Beall, proprietor of the Blackberry Farm resort in Walland, died in February in a skiing accident in Colorado at the age of 39.

Blackberry Farm has long supported cycling, including hosting the Blackberry Farm Pro-Am Classic and the spring Tour de Smokies. Blackberry Farm will provide hospitality for sponsors throughout championship weekend.

Knoxville’s reputation as a city ideal for outdoor sports is growing. The USA Cycling Volkswagen Pro Road & Time Trial National Championships promises to add another dimension to the city’s identity.

For more information, visit usacycleknox.com.

Knoxville Gran Fondo joins 2017 Volkswagon U.S. Professional Road and Time Trial Championships