April 19, 2004 – On Saturday, June 5, one hundred former international cycling legends and patrons of the sport will pedal 65 miles, with police escort, from the Lehigh Valley Velodrome in Trexlertown to Philadelphia's Benjamin Franklin Parkway. It's the annual Founders' Ride and Legends Luncheon which, this year, will celebrate two decades of pro cycling in Pennsylvania and raise money for the Allentown-based Nicole Reinhart Memorial Fund.
Since 1985 Philadelphia has hosted the national professional road cycling championship, now one of the world's top ten international cycling races. Known as the Wachovia USPRO Championship, the 20th anniversary race will be the culmination of a week of cycling celebrations and events recognizing the Championship's contribution to the sport of cycling and the City of Philadelphia. Nicole Reinhart was an international cyclist from Allentown who was introduced to cycling as a young girl selling t-shirts at the Philadelphia event and later competed in the race as she matured into one of the nation's top female cyclists. She died from injuries sustained from a fall in a race in Arlington, Massachusetts on September 17, 2000.
“We are pleased that the Founders Ride will serve to commemorate the rich history of cycling in Pennsylvania with many of the nation's past champions attending,” said David Chauner, CEO of Threshold Sports and an original founder of the Philadelphia race. “Its also fitting that the ride will benefit Nicole's Foundation, a charity set up to support cycling events and programs like those that contributed to Nicole's character and career.”
The Founders Ride will feature 50 “Legends”, the USA's past and current champions, Olympians and former top finishers of the Wachovia USPRO Championship and women's Wachovia Liberty Classic. Fifty patrons of the sport who donate at least $250 will be selected to ride with the Legends and join them for a special Legends Luncheon at the Wyndham Franklin Plaza hotel afterwards. Sponsored by GlaxoSmithKline, the Luncheon will feature a panel discussion by a dozen Legends of the sport who will share their experiences and recollections of pro cycling's growth over the last two decades. Michael Aisner, the “voice” of the Wachovia USPRO Championship since 1985, will serve as Master of Ceremonies and panel moderator. Tickets for the luncheon event alone may be purchased for a minimum donation of $100 each on www.procyclingtour.com or www.nicolesbench.com. 100 tickets will be available for the Luncheon with highest donors given preference.
Proceeds from the Founders Ride and GlaxoSmithKline Legends Luncheon will be donated to the Nicole Reinhart Memorial Fund, Inc. Mike Reinhart, Nicole's father and president of the Nicole Fund will attend the event to present a special award to the highest donor. “Nicole knew many of these legendary cyclists, having grown up at the Lehigh Velodrom and she loved the Wachovia USPRO Championship,” he said. “There will be great stories and memories to come out of this gathering and we're so pleased that funds will be raised from it to help the Nicole Fund support initiatives that will go toward perpetuating cycling's greatest values and traditions.”
For more information on the Founder's Ride and GlaxoSmithKline Legends Lunch, visit