After racing in Prospect Park first thing Sunday morning, I was going to take Amtrak to Philly for the International. My sister will meet me heading from Allentown. A couple of questions for the more seasoned fans among us:
--I don't know if I want to join the allegedly drunken hordes on the Manayunk wall. I've heard Lemon Hill is also uphill-fan-friendly, and mellower, is this true?
--What's the best way for me to get to the race from 30th St. station? I'm not familiar with Philly subway: do they have one ;)?
--Is there a good place for my sister to park, relatively close to the race, or at 30th Street where we could go together?
--Where's the expo? I want to do some shopping.
Thanks in advance for any answers. Forecast shows beautiful weather, much better than the furnace last year, so I hope to see lots of you there.
John M.
Philly Pro Race on Sunday
"I've worked in downtown (""Center City"") Philly. I haven't attended the USPro race (now called ""Commerce Bank Triple Crown of Cycling"") but have seen it televised live in on Philly TV. THe race is not a huge event in Philly but the most crowded area is Manayunk due to The Wall. Race Web Site: http://www.procyclingtour.com/race_overview.cfm/race_id/6
The Manayunk Wall is THE signature feature of the race with a 17% grade at the halfway point of each of 10 laps. Lemon Hill is tamer but no one goes to watch the pros climb that one. Everyone wants to watch who cracks on The Wall.
Philly does have a subway system and a surface light rail system. See: http://www.septa.org/maps/center_city_map.html
You can walk from 30th Street Stn to the race and even manayunk. There is plenty of Parking and parking lots around Center City. You can take a 15 min. train-ride from 30th St Stn to Manayunk. See septa.org
Average bikers used to be able to ride a lap before the race but that was when Wachovia was the lead sponsor.
Have fun. Eat a cheese steak hoagie for me!"
Thanks for the info -- Pat's, Geno's, or Jim's?
If you go to Geno's, just make sure you order in English (Philly-style).
http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/news/editorial/14720152.htm
"I'm pleased to read Derek's saying ""The race is not a huge event in Philly.""
I ran into a whipsaw from the race promoters and sponsors when I challenged the announced attendance for the first several years. As I recall, it preposterously began with an estimate of 150,000 when, to the eye, attendance was slight-to-non-existent. And year after year the announced attendance was inflated and inflated. I last heard and ""saw"" it at 600,000 and that was a number of years ago.
Yeah, right, like 600,000 come out to watch that race. Do you doubt for a second if there were anywhere near that number, national TV networks would be falling all over one another to get TV rights to it and advertisers would be lining up for it?
The last year I watched the race it was reported there were c. 250,000 just along the Manayunk climb. From the length of the climb that came out, as I recall, to there having to be people standing shoulder-to-shoulder, something like 18 or 20 deep on both sides of the road. In fact, there are pockets along the climb where the crowd, large (and boisterous)as it was, was 0 deep.
"
