The Bike Works Powered by Fred Beans Cycling Team will field 11 elite riders on their home turf Sunday, Sept. 13, when the Bucks County Classic returns to downtown Doylestown for its 22nd year. Several team alumni are now training for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

The nonprofit squad, which earned USA Cycling Domestic Elite Team status in 2017, has spent the season racing national-level events including the Athens Twilight Criterium, Armed Forces Cycling Classic and USA Cycling Pro Road National Championships. On race day, they'll sprint a 1.2-mile circuit through Doylestown's business district and residential streets, 33 laps, starting at 1:55 p.m.

"Nothing compares to racing in front of our hometown," team director Brian Boger told the Bucks County Beacon on Aug. 11. "Every September, we get the chance to show our sponsors, families, friends and neighbors what their support has made possible."

The elite roster includes founding rider Chris Meacham of Perkasie, Andrew Wolfe of Philadelphia and Doylestown's own Gunnar Eichler, among others. The program has produced national and world champions, and multiple alumni are pursuing spots at the 2028 Games, according to Patch, though the team has not named which riders are Olympic hopefuls.

Wolfe told the Beacon that the hometown crowd fuels the riders late in the race. Meacham, in the same interview, pointed to growing local business support that has allowed the team to compete across North America, Europe and South America.

Beth Beans-Gilbert, vice president of Fred Beans Automotive Group and the team's title sponsor representative, told the Beacon the investment reflects the company's belief that competitive cycling builds discipline and character in young athletes who will remain part of the community.

The team is operated by the Delaware Valley Racing Team, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. It also fields a USA Cycling Club Team that gives younger riders a pathway to elite competition, and many of those developing athletes will race in amateur categories the same day.

Race director Laura Reppert called the Classic "the only major race in the country that takes place in a town and not a city," in a July 31 interview with BucksCo.Today. The event runs alongside the 35th Doylestown Arts Festival, which draws thousands of spectators to line the course.

Admission is free. The best vantage point is at the corner of East Street and Printers Alley. Racing begins at 9 a.m. with amateur and youth categories, including races for kids ages 3 to 12 and a free "Ride the Course" session open to anyone with a bike and helmet. An expo along Court Street will feature food trucks, local shops and cycling brands.

Upcoming:

  • Sunday, Sept. 13 — Bucks County Classic, downtown Doylestown. Racing from 9 a.m.; pro race at 1:55 p.m. Free admission.
  • Sunday, Sept. 13 — 35th Doylestown Arts Festival, concurrent with the Classic.