Rebranded Amazon Armed Forces Biking Vintage Kicks Off Weekend with Win in Washington D.C

For the primary time since 2001, Washington, D.C. will host an afternoon of racing and actions for a rebranded Amazon Armed Pressured Biking Vintage, the previous Crystal Cup changing into the Capital Cup and providing opening omnium issues for professionals within the two-day structure. 

Amazon broadened their sponsorship to incorporate naming rights for the weekend match, scheduled for Might 31-June 1. The Clarendon Cup returns for a twenty seventh yr on Sunday the usage of a particular five-turn, 1km direction positioned seven miles west of the country’s capitol in Arlington, Virginia.

“I’m honoured to bring racing back to D.C. now. Amazon also stepped up to take over the naming rights of it.” 

The Clarendon Cup has served as the hole day race in previous years, then switched with the race in Crystal Town, Virginia and a Problem Experience used to be added, which is now probably the most nation’s most well liked novice experience. The Problem Experience provides a 21km closed direction that welcomes biking fans of all ability ranges and can get started and end on one facet of the Capital. Contributors can purpose for gold, silver, or bronze medals, awarded in line with the choice of laps finished all over the three-hour match.

Laybourn expects greater than 30 firms to take part within the Problem Experience on Might 31, with 8 of the ones companies aligning with elite groups for co-branding within the professional/am races. This can be a very distinctive approach to generate strengthen for the races, in addition to spice up branding for the professional groups. 

For example, the DNA Professional Biking workforce used to be rebranded BlueHalo/DNA with a different version package for the 2 days of racing. Laybourn has achieved this for the previous 10 years, which has confirmed to be a win-win for each the workforce and for companies who in a different way would by no means be focused on professional biking, like BlueHalo, an international protection corporate.

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“I want to try to create opportunities and media coverage for a quality event. We’re trying to sell our spot outside of just the people who know about it. We get most of our support from corporate relationships,” Laybourn mentioned, announcing he would have extra main points quickly concerning the workforce co-branding companions. “I think we have a very mature property that continues to grow and be successful with the support we get here locally.”

Main points at the direction used for the Problem Experience and the Capital Cup will probably be launched later within the spring. The 2-day match continues to thrive as a stand-alone omnium match and isn’t a part of a US criterium sequence.

In 2019, Eric Younger (Raise-KHS) and Kendall Ryan (TIBCO-SVB) made historical past as the primary riders to win each days of races on the Armed Forces Biking Vintage, each sweeping omnium championships. Ryan repeated the feat for L39ION of Los Angeles in 2022, additionally profitable the Crystal Cup in 2024.

“Amazon has been a proud sponsor of this event for the past three years,” mentioned Patrick Phillippi, head of group engagement for Amazon in Better Washington. “The Armed Forces Cycling Classic reflects so many key important core values for our company, including health and wellness, support for our military community, and engaging our workforce and local community, all taking place in our backyard.”