Bernardino Allegretti Philadelphia, PA 3 years ago

The bike race has been a fixture in Philadelphia, particularly in Manayunk/Roxborough, for decades. I always say that it's my second favorite holiday - it's a joke, but there is some truth to that. It's the one day a year where the entire neighborhood welcomes everybody with open arms. Strangers will invite you into their homes and backyards to share their food and drinks without a second thought. It's a day where you see old friends and make new ones just from walking through the neighborhood. Every year without fail I have some blast-from-the-past chance encounter with an old classmate, teammate, or neighbor that I haven't seen in years while I make my way along the course. It's one of those opportunities to see Philadelphians at their best. Sure there are cycling fans scattered among the crowd, but the vast majority of spectators pay no attention to cycling the rest of the year. Yet on this day, we all line the course and cheer on every single rider at the top of our lungs, applauding and shaking our cowbells. The highly visible positivity and enthusiasm of Philadelphians at the bike race shows the true spirit of Philly sports fans and how absurd the national misconception of us is. While it's true the prestige of the race has fallen from its heyday, this event is still a unique occasion to draw international attention to the city with everything else we have to offer, and it would be a shame if we lost the opportunity to build on that.