Beaufort, South Carolina Memorial Cycling Classic Set For April 28, 2009
BEAUFORT, S.C. – Racing at top speeds of up to 35 and 40 miles an hour, more than 120 professional male and female cyclists will compete in downtown Beaufort during the third annual Beaufort Memorial Cycling Classic, a celebration of active, healthy living in the Lowcountry, on Tuesday, April 28, at 5 p.m. It’s all free and open to the public.
The format will offer spectators the opportunity to watch Olympians and national champions up close as they ride at top speeds for up to two hours on the .6-mile course.
Cyclists representing all 15 national professional cycling teams will participate in the race, all vying for a slice of the $15,000 purse: $10,000 for the men’s competition and $5,000 for the women’s competition.
The evening will kick off with a kids’ race at 5 p.m. on Bay Street and will be followed by the women’s, then men’s races. The professional races will follow a .6-mile course that begins and ends at the clock tower on Bay Street.
The hospital is hosting its second annual Cycling Sunday, a family cycling safety event on Sunday, April 26, from 2 to 4 p.m. at the hospital annex on Ribaut Road. The event will feature bike fittings, bike safety instruction and a bike rodeo and end with a family fun ride through Mossy Oaks led by local cyclists. Each participant will receive a free bike helmet, tire reflectors and more.
A Pathways Connect hundred-mile century ride on Saturday, April 25, also is part of the cycling weekend.
“As the community’s primary healthcare provider, we are delighted to be a part of Beaufort’s pro cycling event,” Beaufort Memorial Hospital President and CEO Rick Toomey said. “The Beaufort Memorial Cycling Classic truly celebrates active, healthy living, and we are looking forward to this year’s event.”
The Beaufort Memorial Cycling Classic is a part of the USA Crits Southeast series that kicks off in Athens, Ga., on April 25 with the “Athens Twilight,” and continues with a total of seven races in nine days – each in a different Southeastern city.
America has a rich history of criterium racing, a unique form of cycling that stresses high-speed racing contested amidst an urban atmosphere. Criterium racing’s ability to combine the most exciting elements of popular sports with the large-scale appeal of
downtown festivals has made it the most enduring form of cycling in North America with an ever-growing following of fans.
Because professional criteriums are run on short lap courses through city streets, they offer spectators the opportunity to watch Olympians and national champions up-close as they ride at top speed for up to two hours. This has made the criterium format the most spectator-friendly form of cycling.
The event is managed by Lowcountry Velo, with corporate support by Modern Jewelers and additional local sponsors, dozens of volunteers and cycling clubs.
For more details about the Beaufort Memorial Cycling Classic please visit www.lowcountrycyclist.com
April 10, 2009
Posted in: United States SouthEast
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