Route Overview

Stages 1A and 1B Philadelphia 1A: Individual Time TrialStart Location: North Concourse Drive at Memorial Hall in Fairmount ParkFirst Rider off: 10AM. Opening Ceremonies: 9:30 AMMiles: 2.18 Kilometers: 3.51Last Rider Finishes: Noon. Awards Ceremony to follow
1B: CriteriumStart/Finish Line: North Concourse Drive at Memorial Hall in Fairmount ParkOfficial Start Time: 6:30 PM, Opening Ceremonies: 6:00Miles: 30 Kilometers: 50 (20 laps)Approximate Finish Time: 8:00 PM, Awards Ceremony to follow
Independence Blue Cross Finish Line Festival: 3:00 PM – 8:00 PM

With start and finish lines in front of majestic Memorial Hall in Fairmount Park for both the time trial and criterium circuits, Stage 1 places competitors on the same ground as historic events like the 1947 National Cycling Championships, the famous Keystone Open and the Pennsylvania State Track Championships. The two-mile time trial circuit incorporates the Memorial Hall concourse as well as Philly’s scenic Martin Luther King Drive. The 1.2 mile criterium, which will total 25 miles, will also play out on the Memorial Hall concourse. Day One will conclude with an auto transfer to Downingtown.


Stage 2
Wednesday, June 25Downingtown to Carlisle
Route Details:Start: Downingtown, Green Street and E. Lancaster Pike (Rte 30)Finish: Carlisle, Route 641 South and West StreetOfficial Start Time: 10AM Opening Ceremonies: 9:30 AMMiles: 91 Kilometers: 146.45Estimated Finish Time: 1:15 – 2:00 PM Followed by Awards Ceremony
Highmark Healthy High Five Finish Line Festival: 1:00 PM – 6:00 PM West Street at High Street


The first official road stage takes riders through the heart of Amish country where they’ll likely find themselves pedaling alongside Lancaster County’s distinctive horse-and-buggy transportation. This course begins on mostly rolling terrain, with smooth roads giving the riders a day to ease their way into the race. However, two intermediate sprints will test their power in Ephrata and Hershey. The course will also allow the riders to find their climbing legs with a 2.5 mile subtle, yet all-important visitPA.com King of the Mountain (KOM) sprint at the top of Spring Hill. The final sprint will be fast with a straight lead-in (and great vantage point for spectators) to the finish line in Carlisle in front of Dickinson College.



Stage 3
Thursday, June 26Camp Hill to Bedford
Route Details:Start: Highmark Headquarters, 1800 Center Street, Camp Hill, PAFinish: Bedford, Penn and South Juliana Street Official Start Time: 10:00AM Opening Ceremonies: 9:00 AMMiles: 104.2 Kilometers: 167.69Estimated Finish Time: 2:15 – 3:00 PM Followed by Awards Ceremony
Highmark Healthy High Five Finish Line Festival: 1:00 PM – 6:00 PM South Juliana Street at Penn Street





Stage 3 starts in Camp Hill at presenting sponsor Highmark’s campus. This stage features a 104-mile road race with a classic European Road race progression. Riders will roll into the race easily for about 37 miles, with sprints in Carlisle and Chambersburg, before ascending the first of two mountain passes. The first visitPA.com KOM begins at mile 66 and climbs 3.5 miles to the top of Tuscarora Summit, a climb that is only the beginning of some very difficult passes to come. The final visitPA.com KOM is at mile 82 at Sideling Hill – this climb is about 3 miles long with an elevation gain of 2,500 feet. After the KOM, the riders will descend at speeds of 50 mph, negotiating some very technical turns, plummeting down to the finish line in the town of Bedford.


Stage 4
Friday, June 27Bedford to Latrobe
Route Details:Start: Bedford, Penn and South Juliana StreetFinish: Latrobe, Ligonier and Alexandria Street Official Start Time: 11:00 AM Opening Ceremonies: 10:30 AMMiles: 59.5 Kilometers: 95.76Estimated Finish Time: 1:00 – 2:00 PM Followed by Awards Ceremony
Highmark Healthy High Five Finish Line Festival: 1:00 PM – 6:00 PM Lot on Ligonier Street near Alexandria Street






This 60-mile stage will push the riders to their limits with the most elevation gain and the hardest of all climbs in the event. After departing the town of Bedford, the roll will be easy for only 15 miles before turning upward for a difficult climb to Bald Knob Summit, the first visitPA.com KOM for the day. Bald Knob Summit is a 5.5 mile climb with grades of 10% to15 % and will surely decide the day’s top climbers, as they make their way up and over the Allegheny Mountains. After a slight rolling descent, the riders will again go up hill and crest the Laurel Hill Summit at mile 40 for the second KOM of the day. This 2 mile climb is shorter but with a very intense mountain pass that will also see grades of 15%. The descent into the last leg of the day will be fast, but will also have a flat section, rolling through Ligonier and following the river into Latrobe with a tricky sprint finish in the downtown area. Although relatively short, this day is likely to be the hardest stage and will certainly separate the field, revealing who the potential leaders will be for the week.



Stage 5
Saturday, June 28Ligonier to Pittsburgh
Route Details:Start: Ligonier, Market Street just off Route 30 Finish: Pittsburgh Southside, Sidney Street right before Hot Metal Street Official Start Time: Noon Opening Ceremonies: 11:30 AMMiles: 91 Kilometers: 146Estimated Finish Time: 2:55 – 3:30 PM Followed by Awards Ceremony at American Eagle Outfitters HQ on Sidney Street right before Hot Metal Street
Highmark Healthy High Five Finish Line Festival: 2:00PM - 9:00PM 28th and Sidney Street in Pittsburgh Southside



This 83-mile stage will give the riders a more subdued ride as they enter into the City of Pittsburgh. The route will follow a mostly rolling course with one short visitPA.com KOM at mile 21 and one last intermediate sprint at mile 38 on the outskirts of Latrobe. The race will continue through Pittsburgh’s East End and into the City’s historic South Side with a sprint finish at the headquarters of title sponsor American Eagle Outfitters. Spectators should be prepared for a thrilling, four-corner city neighborhood sprint finish.


Stage 6

Downtown Pittsburgh Criterium Start/Finish Line: Blvd of the Allies and Stanwix StreetOfficial Start Time: 5 PM, Opening Ceremonies: 4:00 PMMiles: 50 Kilometers: 80.5 (33 laps on a 1.5 mile/2.4km circuit)Approximate Finish Time: 6:50 PM, Awards Ceremony to follow
Highmark Healthy High 5 Finish Line Festival: 2:00PM – 9:00PM Blvd of the Allies and Stanwix Street


The culmination of the Tour of Pennsylvania will be a 50 mile, classic criterium in the heart of downtown Pittsburgh. A four-corner style course with a slight rise in part of the route, the criterium is a NASCAR type race that offers great viewing at all points around the course for the final day of this history-making, six-day journey.