2024 Maryland Cycling Classic derailed by complications from Baltimore bridge collapse, event canceled

The Maryland Cycling Classic, the highest-ranked international cycling race in the United States, will not take place this year. According to BikeRace officials decided to postpone the event until 2025 due to ongoing complications from the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in March in Baltimore.

Preparing for its third edition, the Maryland Cycling Classic is a UCI 1.Pro race that attracts a truly international, world-class field of riders to the United States, the likes of which we haven’t seen since the last Amgen Tour of California in 2019. Previous editions have seen a WorldTour podium, with Belgian Sep Vanmarcke (Israel-Premier Tech) winning the 2022 edition and Lidl-Trek’s Mattias Skjelmose winning last year’s event.

The Tour of California, a WorldTour event on the men’s and women’s calendar, was the first to announce its indefinite hiatus in 2020, followed by the international men’s Tour of Utah race and the Colorado Classic (the remnants of the historic Coors Classic). This spring, the Joe Martin Stage Race, America’s oldest stage race, announced its postponement until 2025, citing rising costs. Even America’s newest cycling series, the NCL, is struggling and taking a hiatus, leaving few racing opportunities for the nation’s elite.

On March 26, 2024, a massive container ship lost power and collided with one of the support columns of the Francis Scott Key Bridge. The incident left at least six people dead and led to the closure of the Port of Baltimore, one of the busiest ports in the United States. As rescue efforts continue, the city is grappling with the absence of a key transportation artery, causing major traffic jams.

Although the Maryland Cycling Classic route does not cross the bridge, the race traditionally finishes in downtown Baltimore during Labor Day weekend, a peak travel period. The ongoing challenges resulting from the bridge collapse and its subsequent effects on the city’s infrastructure made it impossible to maintain the usual standards of the event. Faced with these unforeseen circumstances, stakeholders made the difficult decision to postpone the race until 2025.