Salem's Witches Cup Bike Race Canceled For 2018

SALEM, MA -- Organizers of the Witches Cup bicycle race in Salem said Monday they were canceling the event for this year. The decade-old event had sought to bring elite-level bicycle racing to Salem. In a Facebook post, organizers said they hope to return with another race in 2019.

"It's with some sadness that we have to announce there will be no Witches Cup in 2018. We will continue to work to put the Witches Cup back on New England racing calendar for 2019. Thanks to everyone that has supported us for the last 10 years! Hopefully this will be just a brief hiatus!" organizers wrote in a Facebook post.

The race started in 2007 and was a criterium, which is a short, fast bicycle race requiring a mix of technical skills. It had been held annually on Salem Commons in August, and had attracted a wide range of local sponsors.

It's not the first time the race has been shelved. Following a boom in interest in the sport in the 1980s, the Witches Cup was started and drew elite-level cyclists to Salem. The race was canceled in 2000, but returned in 2007 with the effort of a group that wanted to "revive the strong bicycle racing tradition in downtown Salem." Last year, 67 riders competed in the men's pro race.

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Photo by Nick J. Steglich/Witches Cup.

Dave Copeland can be reached at dave.copeland@patch.com or by calling 617-433-7851. Follow him on Twitter (@CopeWrites) and Facebook (/copewrites).