Event takes place May 14-19 in Charleston
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The City of Charleston and the Charleston Convention & Visitors Bureau has released the routes for the May 14-19 USA Cycling Pro Road National Championships.
There are three events within the championships: Time Trials, Criterium and Road Race. All races begin and end at Haddad Riverfront Park.
The Time Trials are an Olympic qualifying event with the top male and female winners representing Team USA at the 2024 Paris Olympics. This route is along Kanawha Boulevard. Riders start at Haddad Riverfront Park and travel to Daniel Boone Park where they will turn and ride to Patrick Street before completing the loop at Haddad Riverfront Park. The Time Trials take place May 14-15.
The Criterium, or Crit for short, is a multi-lap road race where the riders zip down city streets, navigating the course past cheering fans. This loop runs from Haddad Riverfront Park along Kanawha Boulevard to Court Street, onto Lee Street then Summers Street then Quarrier Street to Hale Street and back to Kanawha Boulevard. These timed races take place May 16-17.
The Road Race is a multi-lap competition along some of Charleston’s toughest terrain. Beginning at Haddad Riverfront Park, riders will take Hale Street to Virginia Street East and then over the South Side Bridge where they will climb Bridge Road to Short Road, then descend Louden Heights Road back down to Dickinson Street and McFarland Street to return to Kanawha Boulevard. The next turn is at Wertz Avenue and from there, riders tackle Oakridge Drive and WV-114 S (Greenbrier Street) before returning to Kanawha Boulevard. The loop completes with a turn on Brooks Street, then on to Quarrier and Summer streets. Elite and U23 Females will complete six laps, U23 Males will complete seven, and Elite Males will complete 10. The Road Race takes place May 18-19.
“As the USA Cycling Pro Road National Championships get closer, we will start seeing more folks biking along the race routes to get a feel for the routes and the terrain,” said Mayor Amy Shuler Goodwin. “To help ensure a safe road environment for everyone, it is paramount we emphasize the importance of road harmony – including awareness of one’s surroundings, sharing the road, exhibiting patience – among cyclists, motorists, and pedestrians.”
Road closures will be in place beginning on Sunday, May 12, and through Sunday, May 19 for the USA Cycling Pro Road National Championships to ensure the safety of participants and spectators. The closures will begin on Kanawha Boulevard from Clendenin Street to Capitol Street on Sunday and expand both eastbound and westbound for the Individual Time Trials on Tuesday and Wednesday, the Criterium on Thursday and Friday, and the Road Race on Saturday and Sunday. Closures will include both hard closures and rolling closures.
The City of Charleston is working with USA Cycling, the Charleston CVB, and community partners to ensure a robust plan is in place to communicate road closures and detours to the public – especially to those who live and work along the race routes, and taking into account other events and the Primary Election that will be taking place during the same timeframe. As this information is made available it will be posted to City of Charleston channels and https://charlestonwv.com/usa-cycling/.
Fan Zones will be set up along the courses, including City Center at Slack Plaza, and Bridge Road. Information will be released on Fan Zones later.
Officials with the CVB anticipate this year’s event will draw more than 500 athletes, as well as team staff, families, and cycling enthusiasts. This is the event’s inaugural year in Charleston and will continue each year through 2028.
For more information about the 2024 USA Cycling Pro Road Championships, visit www.charlestonwv.com
