The Philadelphia Cycling Classic has a new women’s champion.
Italian racer Chiara Consonni, 27, of CANYON//SRAM powered to victory Sunday on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, winning the women’s contest as the iconic race returned to the streets of Philadelphia for the first time in a decade.
Consonni led the field of 123 cyclists from 21 teams, completing the 62-mile course in 2:34:55, finishing ahead of 27-year-old Alexandra Volstad (Canada) of EF Education - Oatly and Ella Sabo, (United States), age 20, of Virginia's Blue Ridge - TWENTY28.
“It’s been a long season and Philadelphia was always my plan,” said Consonni, a gold medalist in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
In a race that tested the field across Philadelphia’s historic 14.4-mile circuit, Consonni conquered the legendary Manayunk Wall four times, navigating the half-mile climb with grades reaching 17% before making her winning move, narrowly edging out the Canadian Volstad.
“The City of Philadelphia has missed this race for 10 years, and these elite women athletes — including Olympians and national champions — showcased the kind of talent and grit that just reinforces why we absolutely had to bring it back,” said Carlos Rogers, co-owner of the race and co-founder of Race Street Partners, along with former Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter and Eric Robbins.
“Watching the women’s field take on this course has been one of the defining moments of race day,” said Bob Flexon, president and CEO of UGI Corporation. “Their performance showcased the very best of professional bike racing, and Philadelphia met their effort with the energy it deserved, setting the tone for an outstanding day and giving the entire city something to rally around from the very first lap.”
The women’s race included four laps of the Classic’s 14.4-mile circuit followed by two laps of a 3.3-mile finishing circuit between the Benjamin Franklin Parkway and Lemon Hill.
Tim Torn Teutenberg was victorious in the men's race, finishing with a time of 4:20:55. The German rider outpaced Robert Donaldson of Team JAYCO AlUla, and Jonas Rutsch of Lotto-Intermarché.
The Philadelphia Cycling Classic presented by AmeriGas features equal $75,000 prize purses for the women’s and men’s professional races, continuing a tradition established in 2013.
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