Rep. Brady announces plan for Philly bike race

PHILADELPHIA - January 31, 2013 (WPVI) -- Rep. Bob Brady announced a plan on Thursday to bring a bike race to Philadelphia this year, following the cancellation of the International Cycling Championship .

Under Brady's plan the new race, called the "Philly Cycling Classic" would be a "new world-class professional cycling race."

The Philly Cycling Classic has tapped Robin Morton of G4 Productions as Race Director. 

Morton said in a statement "We have informed the USA Cycling Federation and the International Cycling Union of our intent to keep the June 2, 2013 date in Philadelphia for a premier cycling event and look forward to their sanctioning this event in the near future."

"As long as there is a Wall in Manayunk there will be a world class cycling event in Philadelphia," Brady said in a statement.

Brady said the Philly Cycling Classic will announce overall title sponsorship as well as individual race sponsors, more board members and a community advisory board in the coming weeks.

TD Bank opted out as the title sponsor of the International Cycling Championship earlier this month and race officials said the numbers just "didn't work."

The new bike race will be organized by a mix of "sports event professionals with a proven track record of hosting world class events in Philadelphia, cycling advocates, and local business and community leaders," Brady's statement said. The team includes

-Alan Morrison, a local business leader and investor in the healthcare and endurance sports industries and a co-founder of the Philadelphia Insurance Triathlon in 2005.

-Richard Adler, the CEO of Philadelphia Triathlon, LLC, one of the leading multisport race production companies in the nation.

-Karen Bliss, the Vice President of Marketing for Advanced Sports International (ASI), a privately held bicycle sales and distribution company headquartered in Northeast Philadelphia.

-Ryan Oelkers, the co-founder of the Cadence Cycling Foundation, a non-profit youth development organization.

-Bob Clowry, a Manayunk based businessman and co-owner of Winnie's LeBus Manayunk and a certified USA Triathlon, USA Cycling and Special Olympics Aquatics coach.

-Jane Lipton, Executive Director of the Manayunk Development Corporation.  A longtime Manayunk business owner and former MDC board member, Jane has been involved with the bike race since 1986 and chaired the popular "Manayunk Stroll" for four successful years.

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