'Captain America' Quinn Simmons headlines returning American classic ahead of World Championships
CyclingThursday, 20 August 2026 at 06:00
The Philadelphia Cycling Classic is back in the UCI schedule. Taking place on the 30th of August, it will immediately bring in several World Tour teams back into the United States of America - including none other than Quinn Simmons himself, the national champion of the USA.
Returning American race attracts top riders
In a press release issued by the event, the race organizers have revealed plenty of riders that will be taking part in the race. The World Tour's sole American team, EF Education-EasyPost, will be at the start with Sean Quinn and Luke Lamperti as contenders for the victory in the 'City of Brotherly Love'.
Most notable will be Lidl-Trek, the former American team who now carry a German license. Quinn Simmons, the reigning American national champion, has been a headliner over the past two editions of the Tour de France and will without a doubt be the main figure at the start of the American race, which had its first edition all the way back in 1984.
Lidl-Trek will also have Canadian national champion Derek Gee at the start, whilst former Giro d'Italia winner Tao Geoghegan Hart will also be part of the lineup.
In the women's race, Olympic champion Kristen Faulkner will be at the start, as will Canadian national champion Maggie Colest-Lyster - a rider for Hyman Powered Health.
'Captain America' Quinn Simmons will headline the 2026 Philadelphia Cycling Classic
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The Race
Taking place on the 30th of August, the race is part of the North American block that brings closure to the season. With the World Championships taking place in Montréal, Canada, this year, plenty riders will have Philadelphia in mind as potential preparation.
The race is classified as a 1.1 event in the UCI and last took place in 2016, where Spaniard Eduardo Prades of Caja Rural - Seguros RGA took the victory over America's own Travic McCabe.
The race will involve a 14.4-mile circuit in the heart of the city which will include the Manayunk Wall, one of the defining parts of the circuit in which the classics riders will have the upper hand.
The race will featured equal money prize purses for both men's and women's events, with €75.000 for each - one of the highest in the field of one-day races, and above most of the World Tour calendar.
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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