Live stream, Sunday, September 11: 2016 Thompson Bucks County Classic

On Sunday, September 11, CyclingTips will be hosting a live stream broadcast of the 2016 Thompson Bucks County Classic, held in Doylestown, Pennsylvania.

Founded in 2003, the Thompson Criterium of Doylestown has grown into one of the great races in the United States. The technically demanding circuit is both praised and feared by the riders, who fly shoulder to shoulder around tight turns and dig for every last ounce of energy they have each time they hit the incline leading to the finish line.

The men’s race begins at 1:00pm, with teams tackling 100-kilometers (62-miles) of racing on a challenging, high-speed and beautiful course thronged by spectators and lined with house parties. As the race is a stop on the USA Cycling Pro Road Tour, teams will receive invitations to the event through the race direction.

Some of the top competitors on USA Cycling’s Pro Road Tour will be on the start line of the Thompson Bucks County Classic professional women’s criterium sponsored by Doylestown Health.

In 2015, the international field of the second annual Pro Women’s race provided exciting start-to-finish action, with Australian Lauretta Hanson winning with a powerful solo move. Pennsylvania’s star racer, Laura Van Gilder, won the sprint for second ahead of Morgan Brown of Athens, Georgia.

This year, the Doylestown Health Professional Women’s race returns, with the race’s new national status set to bring a deeper and stronger field to Doylestown, and the racers fighting for $12,000, an equal prize list to the men. The race is now open to Professional and USA Cycling Category 1 & 2 women only.

A pair of sisters, who are in the top five of the Pro Road Tour standings, are scheduled to start one of the last events of the season-long competition. Heading into the Labor Day weekend, the No. 1 and No. 4 riders — Samantha and Skylar Schneider — were battling it out for points against perennial threat Coryn Rivera (UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team) and three-time Olympic gold medalist Kristin Armstrong (Twenty16-Sho-Air).

Both Schneider sisters compete for ISCorp Cycling presented by SmartChoice MRI, the team leading the PRT standings. Their squad will be competing for the first time in the Thompson Bucks County Classic. Samantha Schneider was the winner of the 2015 USA Cycling National Criterium Calendar.

“We have had the pleasure of racing in Pennsylvania before and I am always impressed with the atmosphere of the races,” Skylar Schneider said. “Spectators line the streets and it is electric with how loud they all cheer. It is also really thrilling to be doing a course that we have not done before, as there are many unknown variables. I am pleased to be bringing my team to Doylestown and am really looking forward to the racing and engaging with a new community.”

Amy Cutler of Fearless Femme Racing and winner in Doylestown in 2014, said the 25-mile race has it all: a healthy $12,000 prize pool, live streaming and big crowds.

“The effort it takes to put on such a notable event really inspires me to put on a good show,” Cutler said. “I absolutely love to race, clocking in upwards of 76 races in a single season spanning seven months. To win Doylestown, especially now that it is on the PRT, requires that a rider have a skill set on par with the absolute best criterium racers in the nation.”

Multi-time U.S. national criterium champion Tina Pic (Happy Tooth Pro Cycling Team) will also take the start. “I have never done this race before but I have heard it is awesome,” she said. “Really great course, hill and more like a circuit race than most criteriums. I am really excited to race it.”

Doylestown Health Pro Women’s race: 11:45 a.m. Eastern
Thompson Bucks County Classic Pro Men’s race: 1 p.m. Eastern

For more information on the 2016 Thompson Bucks County Classic, visit the official race website, here.

Thompson Bucks County Classic Men’s Teams
Astellas Oncology Cycling Team
Battley Harley Davidson
Berks Regional Cycling
Bissell ABG Giant
CCB Racing
CRCA-Lupus Racing Team
Credité Velo-Trek
CS Velo Racing, LLC
Echelon-Storck Devo
Elevate Cycling Team
Equipe Transports Lacombe/Devinci
Foundation Elite Team
Gateway Harley Davidson/Trek U25 CT
Kelly Benefit Strategies Elite Team
Holowesko Racing Team
LowerRates.com
Lupus Racing Team
Metra/Cycles 54 Cycling Team
PushWorks Racing p/b Van Dessel
Rally Cycling Team
Ride With Rendall
Support Clean Sport/SeaSucker/Guttenplan Coaching
Team Finish Strong Elite
Team Illuminate
Team Jamis
Team Skyline
UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team

Thompson Bucks County Classic sponsored by Doylestown Health Teams (partial list):
Cercacor presented by Podium Sports
Colavita/Bianchi
Fearless Femme Racing
Happy Tooth Pro Cycling Team
ISCorp Cycling presented by SmartChoice MRI
Mellow Mushroom Pizza Bakers presented by Van Dessel
Monster Media Racing