A potential partnership between an Arlington bicycle race and one of the world’s largest cycling event organizers received a shoutout during weekend coverage of the Tour de France.
NBC sideline reporter Steve Porino referred to negotiations between the Amazon Armed Forces Cycling Classic and the Amaury Sports Organization, which owns and operates the Tour de France.
“The [Amaury Sports Organization] … has actually taken interest in a very small race back in the United States in the D.C. area because, as they like to say, they’re always looking for great races in great places,” Porino said. “And they talked to the man who started that race 29 years ago, Rob Laybourn, a humble guy, kind of overwhelmed by the fact that they were interested in it.”
Laybourn told ARLnow he is in talks about transferring ownership of his early-summer event, which has been taking place in Arlington since 1998. He said that the race’s popularity and corporate sponsorships — including with Amazon, which added its name to the event in 2025 — caught the eye of the France-based sports organization.
“There’s no other cycling event in the world that comes close to the Tour de France,” Laybourn said. “They’ve recognized that we are doing something special here, and there’s huge potential, a tremendous impact we can make on our sport in America.”
The NBC segment discussed cycling organizers’ struggles to produce other marquee events outside of the Tour de France, especially in the United States. Laybourn’s business strategy has helped his race continue to grow while others have failed.
“He’s got a different idea on how to keep these [races] sustained because that is the important part,” Porino said. “How do you sustainably grow these races into something like this? I mean, it’s a lot. But he says what he does is he engages all of the corporate sponsors there.”
Laybourn’s sponsorship deal includes the “Challenge Bike Ride,” which is a 20 kilometer ride on the first day of the event for sponsorship company employees.
“What we do is we create and design a jersey for a pro team to wear with a company’s logo, and then the employees wear that same jersey for the challenge,” Laybourn said. “And so now we’re bridging the gap, just like the 14th Street Bridge we’re using to get across to D.C. We’re connecting the employees with the team they’re sponsoring because they’re on the same team.”
Laybourn’s commitment to corporate sponsorships has helped him grow this race into a multi-day event that includes two professional cycling races — The Capital Cup and The Clarendon Cup. Proceeds from the event benefit the Clarendon-based nonprofit Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS), which provides care and resources for people grieving the loss of a military loved one.
“From fast-paced racing like the iconic Clarendon Cup to family-friendly activities including kids’ races, the event offers something for everyone — whether you’re riding, cheering, or simply soaking in the energy of one of the area’s most anticipated spring traditions,” a spokesperson for the Cycling Classic told ARLnow earlier this year.
The deal with ASO will take at least a couple more years, Laybourn said. But if The Amazon Armed Forces Classic continues to show growth, he’s hopeful that it will get done.
“I really appreciated many of the text messages, the DMs, and emails I got from many, many of my friends,” Laybourn said. “I may own it — I run it — but we would not have the success that we’re enjoying if it wasn’t for all the staff, the jurisdictions, the police, the county board, you know, Events DC, all those pieces, the sponsors, all of that. This is our event.”
