Pro Cycling Returns to St. Louis for the Gateway Cup
Prestigious American Criterium Cup Event Includes
Four Days of Races through Four Historic St. Louis Neighborhoods
Top level professional cycling returns to St. Louis. St. Louis will play host to hundreds of cyclists and 40,000-50,000 spectators for the 40th edition of the Bommarito Audi West County Gateway Cup, a series of races taking place over Labor Day weekend. Starting on Friday, September 4th and concluding on Monday, September 7th, the four-day race series spanning four St. Louis City and County neighborhoods including Lafayette Square, The Hill, Francis Park, and historic Old Town Florissant.
Top Professional Cycling Teams Headline 2026 Gateway Cup
Participants in this year’s event include the top professional race teams from across the United States and beyond. This includes the Legion of Los Angeles, Caldera Medical x Aurea Racing, SD Worx-Protime, and Virginia’s Blue Ridge TWENTY28 women’s teams and the Legion of Los Angeles, Team Cadence Cyclery pb Waldo Racing, and UCI Pro Continental Team Medellin-EPM. Many more will be announced in the days leading to the event.
300 Professional Racers to Compete in St. Louis
The Bommarito Audi West County Gateway Cup welcomes a maximum of 300 professional racers, 150 men and 150 women. The Sunday, Giro della Montagna Race is featured as the Final of the prestigious American Criterium Cup (ACC), a 6 race, season-long professional series with over $500K of prize money on the line. All four days of the Bommarito Audi West County are sanctioned by USA Cycling on their National Calendar.
American Criterium Cup Finale Comes to St. Louis
“St. Louis has great bike culture and is home to the best and most exciting cycling events in the country,” said Mike Weiss, event organizer and owner of St. Louis-based Big Shark Bicycle Company. “Several years ago, the Gateway Cup earned Pro Road Tour status with USA Cycling, and is now the final event on the American Criterium Cup calendar, and in turn, tens of thousands of spectators each year who watch the race and join in on the festival-like environment that’s created throughout the host neighborhoods. We’re proud to welcome back Bommarito Audi West County as this year’s Title Sponsor, and we thank them for their commitment to helping bring exciting events like this to St. Louis and continuing to build our city’s reputation as a premier race destination.”
Amateur and Professional Cycling Races All Weekend
This year, nine races will take place each day, beginning with amateur competitions that cyclists of all ages, skill levels and abilities can participate in. Each day finishes with the professional men’s and women’s competitions.
Kids’ Races and Community Events Support Local Organizations
Daily kids’ races and recreational events raise money for a variety of local non-for-profit organizations. 700 unique riders are expected to participate over the course of the weekend’s events, with over 2,500 starts.
High-Speed Criterium Racing Through St. Louis Neighborhoods
Professional cyclists will be riding the streets of St. Louis in multi-lap races called criteriums, an Americanized style of racing featuring one-mile laps. Spectators will experience groups of cyclists passing by at average speeds of 30 miles per hour every few minutes. Cyclists will compete for cash prizes totaling $50,000. The American Criterium Cup’s $40K season ending prize list will be determined at the Giro della Montagna race on September 1st.
Gateway Cup Creates a Festival Atmosphere for Cycling Fans
“The Bommarito Audi West County Gateway Cup is an exciting event for cyclists and spectators alike,” said Weiss. “The speed and skill of the cyclists takes first time fans by surprise, and always impresses. St. Louisans appreciate sports, and they recognize that they are seeing something special. Our announcers are the best in the business, and the crowd gets pulled into the action and informed by the ‘play-by-play.’ You can’t help but cheer. That’s why we’re the best sports city in the country.”
Gateway Cup 2026 Schedule
A complete schedule of events, and registration can be found online on the Bommarito Audi West County Gateway Cup website.
