Cheer on the Competitors at the Copa America de Ciclismo!

The Copa America de Ciclismo has been held seven times in Sao Paulo, and each time it has proven to be an exciting event with huge participation and support from the Brazilian community. This event brings together some of the biggest and best names in the sport of competitive cycling, whether they’re from Latin America or elsewhere across the globe, all competing in this one event that will determine who is the best cyclist in America.

The competition has both a men’s and women’s division, and these races are run separately from each other. In total, the event only takes one day – but it is a long and grueling day for the competitors. In fact, the men’s portion of the Copa America de Ciclismo is a part of a larger group of competitions known as the UCI Continental Circuits, wherein various cycling teams compete in a series of races on a regular basis. This ensures that the participants are in the best shape for each race, since they aren’t necessarily looking to win just this one large event – they want to win them all!

In January of 2007, the seventh Copa America de Ciclismo was held and was won by Nilceu Santos, who has won the event for the past three years – Clemilda Silva took home her second first place title in a row. This was a fortunate event for the Brazilians, since it meant that their homegrown athletes took home first place once again! Since the inception of the races in 2001, only twice has the men’s title been stolen by someone from outside of the country: in 2002, the American John Lieswyn took first place, and then in 2004, Alem Reyes of Uruguay placed first in the race.

The Copa America de Ciclismo distributes approximately $21,000 in prizes to the winning athletes in first to third place, and there are typically around 600 athletes competing in the men’s and women’s races in total. The course is run in 8 rounds, in order to give the cyclists rest breaks throughout the long day, which also allows for cyclists to stretch their muscles and have emergency medical treatment if necessary.

The track for 2007 was a little over 33 kilometers long, and there are designated viewing points along the track for spectators – of course, it’s always more fun to watch from the beginning or the end! Visitors to the event each year do need to purchase tickets to get in, since it is generally held at the autodromo Jose Carlos Pace, where the Formula 1 races are held at other points during the year. Tickets often sell out quickly, so if you are planning to be in Sao Paulo during this event, make sure you purchase tickets well ahead of time!

Of course, if you plan on visiting the city and want to be a part of the race itself, you can do that too! If you’re a federated athlete, simply fill out a registration form on the Copa America de Ciclismo website and confirm your participate a few weeks before. Participation is limited to 300 spaces in the women’s and the men’s categories and you must be represented through past races and race placements – but whether you’re racing or watching, the America Bicycling Cup Sao Paulo is still a great time!

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