RICHMOND, Va. -- The UCI Road Championship is just months away, and the University of Richmond announced it has become part of the team of major partners of Richmond 2015.
Organizers made the announcement Friday afternoon that will put the private university on the World map. The Men’s Elite Road race will start on the campus during the final day of completion.
Organizers have been in talks with the university for months.
The 10-mile circuit for those bicyclists will start at Boatwright Drive before traveling south on Three Chopt Road to Cary Street, and then through Carytown.
The connection between UCI’s Road World championships and the university is that the athletes are from 75 countries around the world. And many of the student body are from some of those countries.
"It's going to be a surprise to everybody,” said Dr. Edward Ayers, Pres. of University of Richmond. The world is learning about it the same time we all are because we wanted to make sure everything was in place.”
“Students are going to love this,” Ayers added. “We think it's going to be a giant festival for the whole university."
There will be thousands of spectators expected on campus. Campus police will coordinate with the city, county and with UCI leadership.
“And what you're going to find is that one good thing about campus is it has a lot of parking and that people will be able to park on campus, as much as there is,” said Dr. Ayers.
The race will take place on a Sunday when there are no scheduled football games. Students expressed excitement about the event.
Organizers said this race is not just about distance but showcasing the city as a whole.
