Philadelphia Cycling Championship

What: 27th TD Bank Philadelphia International Cycling Championship and Liberty Classic.

When: Sunday. The men's 156-mile race starts at 9 a.m. and should end around 3 p.m. The women's 57.6-mile Liberty Classic starts at 9:10 a.m. and should end around 11:30.

Where: On a 14.4-mile road course from Logan Circle, along Kelly Drive, through Manayunk and Fairmount Park and back.

Who: 180 men and 100 women from eight countries are expected to ride.

TV: Comcast SportsNet, noon-3:30 p.m.

Best places to watch

Start/finish line: This is where all the action is leading up to the 9 a.m. "go" for the men and the 9:10 a.m. start for the women. Race announcers set up shop here for the day, and a large-screen TV broadcasts the cyclists from all points on the course. VIP tickets are available for a tent right along the start/finish line on Champions Row.

Manayunk Wall: To see the riders power up the Manayunk Wall, get there early. Crowds really start to set in around noon. Cresson Street and Lyceum Avenue form the base of the Wall.

Manayunk Avenue: After seeing the riders climb the Wall, it's great to watch them descend. The place to catch them is along Manayunk Avenue - the "Fall From the Wall" - where they reach top speeds of 55 m.p.h.

Strawberry Hill: The top of Strawberry Hill is a secluded spot that is great for viewing the race and possibly catching an attack in the making.

Lemon Hill: It is definitely a hot spot, especially as the race nears the end. At the intersection of Sedgley and Poplar Drives, you can see the riders' skill in descending Lemon Hill, taking a sweeping right at high speeds.

Art Museum: Check out the feed zone on the northeast side of the Art Museum. Here, riders grab lunch on the go or a quick wheel change before their return to Manayunk. Also, as riders retire from the race, they head for the team tent, making this a great place to get an autograph. Across from the feed zone, at the base of the Art Museum, be sure to check out the TD Bank Family Fun Zone for entertainment and activities between the laps.

Did you know?

The average speed of the riders is approximately 25 m.p.h. for the entire 156-mile race.

A rider's average speed up the Wall is 8 to 18 m.p.h., depending upon the rider, which lap, and what their role is on the team.

The Manayunk Wall is a steep, one-half mile climb (the hill is a 17 percent grade incline).

Cycling is a team sport. Most people think it's an individual sport.

The average amount of calories pro riders need to consume is 4,000 to maintain energy during the race. An average 140-pound cyclist will burn about 700 calories per hour.

The average pro racer has about 5 percent to 8 percent body fat. Most non-elite athletes are around 20 percent.

In training, many of the professional cyclists log approximately 20,000 miles per year. That's more than the average person puts on his car.EndText