Cycling Classic rolls into town this weekend
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The Bridgestone road race, beginning Saturday morning at 8 a.m., covers 55 miles of grueling hill climbs, twists and turns, with the Pro 1 and 2 riders covering the loop twice for a total of 110 miles.
“The racers say it’s a tough course, but they love it,” said Cindy Rogers, manager of community projects for the Chamber of Commerce.
The Ben Lomand Telephone Time Trials start at 3 p.m. Saturday and run a straight up Highway 8 for 2.5 miles. The stage race is rounded out with the Dr Pepper Criterium on Sunday, starting at 8:30 a.m. at Warren County High School.
The event has become one of the premier bike racing events in the Midsouth, according to Rogers, with riders from all over the country, and even one from “down under,” better known as Australia, who rode last year and is returning to compete in this year’s race.
Rogers said the race draws a large number of racers with its $10,300 purse.
“We set a record last year with 430 racers,” Rogers said. “We were excited. So we’re hoping to break that record this year.”
Even though the race is geared toward competitive riders, Rogers says there’s something for everyone who would like to race.
“We have a class for any category rider who would like to ride. We start with juniors 10 to 14, on up to our 55 plus category,” Rogers said. “We have some folks in there that race that are in their 70’s, so we touch everybody that’s interested in racing. We have two classes for women as well, and we have a pro class for the elite racer.”
Rogers says the race has gained some prestige since its inception.
“We have the largest purse in Tennessee and are a premier race in the Southeast,” she said, “so we’re very proud of that. And we are part of the Lance Armstrong Junior Olympic Road Race Series.”
Rogers said the race has quite a beneficial effect on the local economy.
“It has a great economic impact,” she said. “It’s around $250,000 to $300,000 for the one weekend, so it has a significant impact for the community.”
For more information and copies of the official brochure, contact Rogers at the Chamber of Commerce at 473-6611. There are registration times at Three Star Mall today and tomorrow morning before the races begin.