World’s No. 2-ranked Lidl-Trek, EF Education-EasyPost and Jayco-AlUla Highlight Initial Teams for 2025 Maryland Cycling Classic
BALTIMORE, April 3, 2025 — Highlighted by the world’s No. 2-ranked Lidl-Trek (USA) and World Tour teams EF Education-EasyPost (USA), and Team Jayco-AlUla (Australia), the Maryland Cycling Classic, America’s biggest and highest-ranked professional cycling road race, announced a list of seven initial teams for the men’s race. The 2025 Maryland Cycling Classic will be held in Baltimore, Md. on Sept. 6, 2025, and for the first time will feature both men’s and women’s races.
Rounding out the list of initial men’s teams competing in the UCI Pro Series-sanctioned race are Colombia’s top team Team Medellin-EPM, Canada’s Hustle Pro Cycling, American continental team Project Echelon Racing, and Team USA, which will be made up of a composite of top young American talent.
“The Maryland Cycling Classic is an event we look forward to each year and are eager to head to Baltimore once again this year after the event was cancelled in 2024,” said Steven de Jongh, head sports director for Lidl-Trek. “As an American team, the Maryland Cycling Classic is an important race for us. In fact, it’s the only chance we have to race in the United States. Every edition provides exciting racing, and we have great memories of Mattias Skjelmose winning in 2023. Hopefully we will see a Lidl-Trek rider on the top step of the podium once more this year!”
Lidl-Trek has entered the 2025 season on fire following a string early-season wins and podium performances. In 2023, then Danish national-champion Mattias Skjelmuse of Lidl-Trek broke away on the final circuit to win the Maryland Cycling Classic in front of 80,000 spectators and a world-wide broadcast audience. Teammate and Latvian star Toms Skjuins has finished in the top five twice and was awarded the 2023 Maryland Cycling Classic Most Inspirational Rider jersey. EF Education-EasyPost’s American star Neilson Powless recently recorded a historic win at Dwars door Vlaanderen semi classic and has finished on the podium in both the 2022 and 2023 Maryland Cycling Classic races, while Team Jayco-AlUla has featured heavy in past races with riders like Michael Matthews, a former green jersey winner as the top sprinter in the Tour de France. Project Echelon Racing is the team of Maryland native Scott McGill, and in 2023 Team USA featured a young Matteo Jorgenson, who recently repeated as the winner of the prestigious Paris-Nice race. Team Medellin-EPM veteran star Oscar Sevilla, then 46 years old, finished runner-up for the 2023 Maryland Cycling Classic’s King of the Mountain title.
“It’s great to welcome back some of the world’s top men’s cycling teams to the Maryland Cycling Classic, including the top U.S. squads,” said Steve Brunner, the executive director for the race. “Our goal remains to field a high-level field and showcase professional cycling to American spectators and a global television audience. This is a rare opportunity to see some of the world’s stars race on American soil. We are currently in negotiations with other top-level teams for the race.”
A total of 16 teams of seven riders are expected for the men’s race. The initial list of women’s teams is expected to be announced in the coming weeks by the Maryland Cycling Classic.
The Maryland Cycling Classic is America’s biggest and highest-ranked men’s and women’s road race. It is owned and operated by the Sport & Entertainment Corporation of Maryland and chartered as a 501(c)-(3) non-profit organization and located at 351 Camden Yards, Baltimore, Md. The Maryland Cycling Classic was contested by men’s teams in 2022 and 2023 and was postponed due to the Key Bridge collapse in 2024. The 2025 event returns to Baltimore on Sept. 6, 2025, with both a men’s and women’s race along with community and festival events between Sept. 2-7.
Contact
Craig Miller, KOM Sports
(719) 339-6593