Pro Cycling Tour Press Release

NORRISTOWN, PA – The Pro Cycling Tour (PCT), owned and operated by Threshold Sports, announced today it will award the largest cash prize in American cycling, the $1 Million PCT Triple Crown, to the one cyclist who can win the three premier races on the PCT – Wachovia USPRO Championship in Philadelphia on June 8; New York City Cycling Championship presented by BMC Software on August 3 and the T-MOBILE INTERNATIONAL, presented by BMC Software in San Francisco on September 14.

The three races are drastically different, making it very difficult for one cyclist to win the $1 Million PCT Triple Crown. The Wachovia USPRO Championship in Philadelphia is America’s longest running one-day race and is the ultimate test of strength and endurance. The New York City Cycling Championship presented by BMC Software is known for its tight turns and high speed making it more conducive for sprinters, while the T-MOBILE INTERNATIONAL, presented by BMC Software course is America’s toughest bike race and favors climbers.

This marks the first time since 1993 that a $1 million bonus prize will be up for grabs in pro cycling in America. That year, an up and coming cyclist on the Motorola team by the name of Lance Armstrong surprised the competition by beating all others in the Thrift Drug Triple Crown of Cycling including the final race, the then CoreStates USPRO Championship in Philadelphia.

“With its major market presence, elite race fields and massive spectator base, the Pro Cycling Tour has grown tremendously over the past several years,” said Dave Chauner, Threshold Sports President & CEO. “By offering a $1 million bonus we are not only rewarding an incredible accomplishment in cycling, but we are aggressively taking the PCT to another level on the professional sports landscape.”

“This is a major announcement for the sport of professional cycling not just in the United States, but worldwide,” said Mark Gorski, General Manager, United States Postal Service Cycling Team. “Obviously we are hoping one of our young riders wins like Lance did in 1993, but more important is that the PCT has taken pro cycling to a new level by offering this type of bonus.”

Consisting of seven races from June through September with more than one million on-site spectators and live television coverage, the PCT features more than 15 American pro teams plus squads from such nations as Italy, France, Holland and Belgium and awards $300,000 in event-specific prize money. The 2003 PCT will feature Lance Armstrong in his only U.S. appearance in the T-MOBILE INTERNATIONAL, presented by BMC Software in San Francisco on September 14.

The PCT is managed by Threshold Sports and sanctioned by USA Cycling, the national governing body for cycling in the U.S. Threshold Sports is a sports marketing and event management company that organizes the nation’s biggest and best professional bicycle races.

-procyclingtour.com-