2024 Maryland Cycling Classic derailed by Baltimore Bridge collapse complications, event cancelled

Maryland Cycling Classic, America's top-ranked international cycling race, will not take place this year. According to Velo, Race officials decided to postpone the event until 2025 due to lingering complications of the March Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse in Baltimore.

Preparing for its third edition, the Maryland Cycling Classic is a UCI 1.Pro race that attracts a truly international, world-class rider field to the United States—the likes of which we hadn't seen since the last Amgen Tour of California in 2019. Previous editions saw 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. 

When the Labor Day weekend race made its debut in 2022, Brendan Quirk, the CEO of USA Cycling, hailed the event as the 'most important bike race that's happened in America in the last five years.' This is due to the heavy blows U.S. professional cycling has sustained in recent years.

The Tour of California, a WorldTour event on both the men's and women's calendar, was the first to announce its indefinite hiatus in 2020, followed by the Tour of Utah international men's race and the Colorado Classic (the remnants of the historic Coors Classic). Just this Spring, Joe Martin Stage Race, the longest-held stage race in America, announced its postponement till 2025, citing rising costs. Even American cycling's newest series, the NCL, struggles and is taking a hiatus, leaving few racing opportunities for the domestic elite. 

With the cancellation of the 2024 Marland Cycling Classic, just two UCI races remain on U.S. soil this calendar year: Tour of the Gila and Gran Premio New York City.

In the case of the Maryland event, however, neither lack of funding, fanfare, nor attendance is to blame. Race officials told Velo the event is in good health and well-supported. Traffic issues are at the root of this year's cancellation.

On March 26, 2024, a massive container ship lost power and collided with one of the supporting columns of the Francis Scott Key Bridge. The incident resulted in at least six fatalities and led to the closure of the port of Baltimore, one of the busiest ports in the United States. As salvage efforts continue, the city grapples with the absence of a critical transportation artery, causing significant traffic congestion.

While the route of the  Maryland Cycling Classic does not cross the bridge, the race traditionally concludes in downtown Baltimore during Labor Day weekend, a time of peak travel. The ongoing challenges arising from the bridge collapse and its subsequent effects on the city's infrastructure have made it impossible to maintain the event's usual standards. In light of these unforeseen circumstances, stakeholders have made the difficult decision to postpone the race until 2025.