Mt Baker Hill Climb - September 14th, 2025
United States | Midwest | Ohio >> Volkswagen U.S. Pro Road Nationals headed to Knoxville

Volkswagen U.S. Pro Road Nationals headed to Knoxville

The 2017 Volkswagen U.S. Professional Road & Time Trial National Championships will be held in Knoxville, Tenn., next June, USA Cycling and Visit Knoxville announced Friday

“We are very fortunate to have the opportunity to run our most prestigious road cycling event in Knoxville next summer,” said USA Cycling CEO Derek Bouchard-Hall“Knoxville’s love of cycling, natural beauty and renowned hospitality will make an exceptional location for us to crown our top professional road cyclists in just nine months!”

The 2017 Volkswagen U.S. Professional Road & Time Trial National Championships will run June 23-25 in Knoxville. The men’s and women’s individual time trials will run on Friday, June 23, followed by the June 24Knoxville Gran Fondo. Showcasing the weekend, the men’s and women’s road races will run Sunday, June 25in downtown Knoxville, highlighted by challenging climbs as well as other scenic features offered only in Knoxville.

“Visit Knoxville is thrilled that USA Cycling has chosen Knoxville for their event,” said Kim Bumpas, President, Visit Knoxville. “The Visit Knoxville Sports Commission worked very hard to make this partnership come to fruition. We are also lucky to be working with The American Red Cross of East Tennessee on the Knoxville Gran Fondo. We hope that the community rallies around these elite athletes as well as participates in the Fondo and visits the Cycling Expo at World’s Fair Park.”

USA Cycling is making this a standalone event in June rather than pairing it with Masters and Para Cycling National Championships in May as it did in 2016. This decision focuses greater attention on this marquee event and eliminates the many challenges associated with holding multiple championships simultaneously.

The timing of the June 23-25 event aligns with the UCI calendar’s designated timeframe for nations to run their respective road national championships. This marks the first time that USA Cycling’s professional road championships fall in line with the UCI’s designated road national championship weekend.

Visit Knoxville estimates the event will draw in over 10,000 people and $8.4 million in total economic impact. 

Micah Rice, the vice president of national events for the organization, said in 2015 the race is changing venues more frequently to keep participants and spectators from having to fly in for the same race over and over.

Tennessee is no stranger to the event. After 21 years in Philadelphia and then six years in Greenville, South Carolina -- the event eventually came to Chattanooga for three years between 2013 and 2015. The event raked in $6 million for the city in 2014 after nearly 25,000 people came in from out of town to watch the spectacle.

Visit Knoxville says it was conservative in estimating the people and funds the event will bring in next year. 

Volkswagen U.S. Pro Road Nationals headed to Knoxville