Over the past thirty years, aspiring professionals have used it as a launching point during the formative years of their careers.
From the Tour de France to World Championships, the professional peloton usually has a few riders who are Jefferson Cup alumni. Take a minute to learn why Charlottesville’s spring classic looms large in the careers of some of America’s most successful professional riders.
Jeff Cup was actually maybe my first big win. It’s always been the sort of crown jewel of road racing in the area. When I was getting going in road racing I was a Cat 3 rider and did the 1/2/3 race. It was rainy and miserable, and I bridged to the break for two laps, caught them at 1k to go and won the sprint. I’m pretty sure I only won the sprint because I was the warmest of the guys I was sprinting with, but in any case, it was a nice win, and maybe I wouldn’t be where I am if I hadn’t won Jeff Cup! I think we all went for pizza in Charlottesville after. A fond memory!
The Jefferson Cup was my first road race ever. It had a major impact on hooking me on cycling and gave me the chance to test myself against the best riders in the area. The roads are still part of my regular training routes, and I always ride them with nostalgia imagining the race flying by every spring.
Jefferson Cup Road Race was my first venture into road cycling, and it was instrumental in my progression in the sport. I’d train all winter in college thinking about Blenheim Hill and the rolling course in Charlottesville, Virginia.
