More than 400 cyclists from over 20 states will visit the Scenic City this weekend for the annual Village Volkswagen River Gorge bicycle races, Saturday and Sunday. The event is comprised of three races held over the two-day period.
The Saturday races will feature a four-mile time trial on Raccoon Mountain beginning at 8 am. Saturday afternoon the spectator-friendly downtown criterium races begin. The course circles the EPB and TVA buildings along 12th Street, Broad Street, and MLK Boulevard, with a finish line on Market Street near the Pickle Barrel. The criterium races begin at 12:30 p.m. with junior and beginner races and culminates with the professional men’s race at 8:30 p.m.
“A lot of people compare a criterium bike race to NASCAR,” said Scott Morris, Village Volkswagen River Gorge race director, “The cyclists will race on downtown streets and spectators can come watch exciting races as well as enjoy food and drinks with onsite vendors.”
And new this year, the River Gorge Litespeed Criterium will also feature a mountain bike race and a Moonpie Mini Mile where the top 25 men and women from the morning’s 5K will compete for a $1,000 purse. The entire event will be live streamed as well.
Sunday’s road races start at Covenant Transport on Birmingham Highway and travel into Georgia and up Sand Mountain in Alabama before ending with the grueling mountaintop finish atop TVA’s Raccoon Mountain.
Mr. Morris added, “The Village Volkswagen River Gorge Race is a premier race in the region and draws some of the best athletes from around the Southeast. We enjoy showcasing our city and building on the local cycling initiatives.”
For more information regarding the races, please visit www.rivergorgeomnium.com and follow along on all the action once it begins on the race’s Facebook and Twitter pages.
Scenic City Velo was founded in 2005 when several city-wide cycling clubs merged to form one competition-oriented club in an attempt to bring the entities of the local cycling community under one roof. SCV is open to all riders who may be interested in competition, training, or just fast recreational riding. More information on joining the club can be found at www.sceniccityvelo.com.