The Liberty Classic was an annual women's bicycle race held from 1994 to 2012, simultaneously with the Philadelphia International Championship. The 57.6 mile race consisted of four laps of a 14.4 mile circuit through Philadelphia with 5 climbs up the famous Manayunk Wall.

Liberty Classic
Race details
DateEarly June
RegionPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
DisciplineWomen's road
TypeOne-day race
OrganiserPro Cycling Tour
Web sitewww.procyclingtour.com Edit this at Wikidata
History
First edition1994 (1994)
Editions19 (as of 2012)
Final edition2012
First winner Marianne Berglund (SWE)
Most wins Petra Rossner (GER)

6 times

Final winner Ina-Yoko Teutenberg (GER)

It was part of the UCI Women's Road World Cup until 2001. From 2002, it was an Elite Women's Category 1 event under UCI race classifications.

History

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The Liberty Classic was the final leg of the inaugural 2006 Commerce Bank Triple Crown of Cycling for women. The Triple Crown was a one-week, three-race circuit, with the three races taking place in the Eastern Pennsylvania cities of Allentown, Reading and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The opening race was the Lehigh Valley Classic, followed two days later by Reading Classic, with the Liberty Classic finale in Philadelphia three days after the Reading race.

In January 2013, the race's organisers announced that the 2013 International Championship and Liberty Classic had been cancelled,[1] with local media reporting a breakdown in the relationship between the organizers and the city authorities; however, in May of that year a group of local politicians and promoters announced the revival of the men's and women's races as The Philadelphia Cycling Classic, under the direction of Robin Morton.[2]

Past winners

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Year First Second Third
1994   Marianne Berglund (SWE)   Julie Young (USA)   Dede Barry (USA)
1995   Clara Hughes (CAN)   Jeannie Golay (USA)   Jacqui Nelson (NZL)
1996   Petra Rossner (GER)   Jeannie Golay (USA)   Karen Livingston (USA)
1997   Edita Pučinskaitė (LTU)   Rasa Polikevičiūtė (LTU)   Karen Kurreck (USA)
1998   Petra Rossner (GER)   Diana Žiliūtė (LTU)   Gabriella Pregnalato (ITA)
1999   Petra Rossner (GER)   Karen Dunne (USA)   Hanka Kupfernagel (GER)
2000   Petra Rossner (GER)   Diana Žiliūtė (LTU)   Vera Hohlfeld (GER)
2001   Petra Rossner (GER)   Anna Millward (AUS)   Debby Mansveld (NED)
2002   Petra Rossner (GER)   Laura Van Gilder (USA)   Dede Barry (USA)
2003   Lyne Bessette (CAN)   Lynn Gaggioli (USA)   Judith Arndt (GER)
2004   Petra Rossner (GER)   Gina Grain (CAN)   Laura Van Gilder (USA)
2005   Ina-Yoko Teutenberg (GER)   Regina Schleicher (GER)   Laura Van Gilder (USA)
2006   Regina Schleicher (GER)   Ina-Yoko Teutenberg (GER)   Tina Pic (USA)
2007   Ina-Yoko Teutenberg (GER)   Regina Schleicher (GER)   Gina Grain (CAN)
2008   Chantal Beltman (NED)   Brooke Miller (USA)   Ina-Yoko Teutenberg (GER)
2009   Ina-Yoko Teutenberg (GER)   Joanne Kiesanowski (NZL)   Shelley Olds (USA)
2010   Ina-Yoko Teutenberg (GER)   Shelley Olds (USA)   Theresa Cliff-Ryan (USA)
2011   Giorgia Bronzini (ITA)   Shelley Olds (USA)   Jennifer Purcell (USA)
2012   Ina-Yoko Teutenberg (GER)   Rochelle Gilmore (AUS)   Giorgia Bronzini (ITA)

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Philadelphia International, Liberty Classic races cancelled". cyclingnews.com. 2 February 2015. Retrieved 17 June 2015.
  2. ^ Malach, Pat (28 January 2015). "Finish atop Manayunk wall to spice up Philadelphia Classic". cyclingnews.com. Retrieved 17 June 2015.
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