Univest GP expands TV coverage

By Mark Zalewski, North American Editor

The 10th annual Univest Grand Prix, held in Souderton, Pennsylvania near Philadelphia, is preparing to race under increased television coverage. The Saturday, September 8 UCI one-day 107.3-mile road race opens with a 68-mile loop traversing 18 municipalities throughout Bucks and Montgomery counties before hitting the decisive finishing circuits in Souderton. The next day's criterium, the Univest Grand Prix of Doylestown, will be held on an expanded course.

Emmy Award winning producer Kent Gordis will provide live race pictures for WFMZ of Allentown, which has agreed to broadcast live coverage of the entire road race from the start at 10:30 a.m. through the finish at 3:00 p.m. In addition to live TV, post-race coverage will be broadcast on NBC-10 in Philadelphia on Sunday, September 23 from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m., with other NBC affiliates potentially signing on to the broadcast.

"We believe the number one priority of a race promoter is high quality television coverage," said John Eustice, president of Sparta Cycling, organisers of the Univest Grand Prix.

The makeup of this year's field reflects Sparta Cycling's commitment to helping develop a true North American racing class. Top North American teams, such as Navigators Insurance, Toyota-United, Tecos of Mexico and Canada's Symmetrics, will be challenged by teams from Germany, Italy, Colombia and Hungary.

In addition to the races, the Cyclosportif 100K recreational ride will return on Saturday, September 8, giving participants an opportunity to challenge themselves on the actual road racecourse.