Cynisca Cycling coming to Pulaski County for training camp

Pulaski County Sports and Entertainment announced today that Cynisca Cycling, one of the top women’s road cycling teams in the world, is coming to Pulaski County for a training camp from Aug. 31 to Sept. 4, 2025. 

“We are excited to welcome Cynisca Cycling to Pulaski County,” said Tim Miller, executive director of Pulaski County Sports and Entertainment. “Hosting a team of this caliber is a great way to showcase all the county has to offer and is the first step in a much larger cycling tourism strategy.” 

The team is preparing for the Maryland Cycling Classic, the premier cycling event in the United States, taking place in downtown Baltimore on Sept. 7. The event includes both a men’s and women’s race, and will feature a mix of international and domestic teams with some of the best male and female racers in the world. 

The three-year-old Cynisca Cycling team was founded by Indiana native, Chris Gutowsky in 2023. No stranger to Southwest Virginia, Gutowsky was part of the staff, along with Tim Miller, that produced the former Tour DuPont, an international men’s stage race that visited the region back in the 1990s with finishes in Roanoke, Salem, and Blacksburg, as well as starts in Wytheville and Bristol. 

Based in Europe, but registered in the United States, Cynisca has several former and current national champions on its roster and continues to elevate its profile and receive invitations to compete in some of the top events in the world. Riders attending the training camp and slated to compete in Baltimore include: 

• Chloe Patrick (USA), winner of the individual time trial at the U.S. National Championships in 2025 

• Caoimhe O’Brien (IRL), who finished second in the road race at the Irish National Championships in 2025 

• Heide Franz (USA), who won a stage of the Vuelta a Portugal Feminina and finished third overall in 2025 

• Natalie Quinn (USA), who won the Heusden Koers Dames in Belgium in 2025 

• Allison Mrugal (USA), who logged numerous top-10 finishes for the team over the last two years. 

• Katja Verkerk (CAN), who logged numerous top-10 finishes for the team in 2025 

"Over the past three years, Cynisca Cycling has been dedicated to creating pathways for women cyclists to compete at the highest levels of racing both domestically and internationally, resulting in wins and podium finishes alongside some of the best cyclists in the world", said Robin Farina, General Manager of Cynisca Cycling. "We are grateful to Pulaski County for welcoming us, for providing an exceptional opportunity to train as a team, and for their support of our mission to elevate women's cycling. It's supporters like Pulaski County that make our success possible, and why we'll head into Baltimore ready to compete for another victory." 

Along with the Roanoke-based Virginia’s Blue Ridge Twenty28 women’s cycling team, Cynisca is among the programs that have discovered that Southwest Virginia and the New River Valley, with its challenging and varied terrain, offers some of the best cycling in the country. Combined with the hospitality of the community and spectacular amenities, it serves as a perfect backdrop for any type of cycling adventure, whether its training for a competitive event, enjoying the miles of off-road trails, or just touring the countryside. 

In addition to their training schedule, the team will participate in several local events where the community will have the opportunity to meet some of the riders. Additional details will be shared in the coming days on our Facebook at Pulaski County Sports & Entertainment Authority and Instagram at @playpulaskiva. 

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