Every year we draw a red circle around the 2nd Sunday in September when for the past 20 years the Bucks County Classic has returned to our hometown streets. The best racers in America including the 2024 Criterium National Champion, Stephen Bassett (Project Echelon), and 2024 Bucks County Classic champion Robin Carpenter (L39ion of Los Angeles), and plenty of international talent lined up for the 62-mile Thompson Pro Men's Race were on the start line that included over 100 racers. When it was all over we had a historic day for our team with Brad Green (Schwenksville, PA) finishing 7th and Colin Fitzgerald (Philadelphia, PA) finishing 9th. Not only was Brad our best finisher in the Men's Pro Race ever, but Colin's finish meant that we were the only team with 2 finishers in the top ten. Sam Smith (Doylestown) spent the early part of the race in a dangerous break-away group that had the potential to win the race but were eventually caught by the field. Connor Thompson (Sinking Springs, PA) and Alex St. Andre (Westport, CT) were 2 of the 50 racers who recorded official finishes in this race of attrition. Congrats to Sean Guydish (Easton, PA), Alden Weinhold (Doylestown, PA), and Andy Dudle (Emmaus, PA) who raced professionally and did so much work for our team.

The Doylestown Health Pro Women's Race had the deepest talent in anyone's memory of the race including 2024 USA Cycling Criterium National Champion Coryn Labecki (EF Education - Cannondale) and eventual racer winner Marlies Mejias-Garcia (Virginia Blue Ridge Twenty24). We scored another top-ten result with Bethany Ingram (Warrington, PA) followed by teammate, and current Pennsylvania State Champion Julianna Rutecki (West Chester, PA) in 14th out of the 31 women field. Bethany did everything she could to bridge up to the elite group of top American pro-women and fell just short during the 25-mile race.

Another first for our program happened early in the day when our gravel racing specialist Zach Repp (New Jersey) took 3rd place in the Men's Master's 35+ race. We have now recorded podiums in the 2022 Men's Amateur Race with Alden Weinhold, and now in the Master's category. Tip of the hat to Mike Bowe (Doylestown), Rob Beighley (Solebury Club/Buckingham), Pete Smith (Doylestown), and Jim St. Andre (Westport, CT) who also competed in the Master's races. Full results of the 2024 Bucks County Classic are here.