The Freewheelers Cycling Association of Spartanburg is pleased to announce the 2020 Assaults on Mt. Mitchell and Marion is set for Monday, May 18, 2020. This one-day century ride, known as the Southeast’s Premier Cycling Experience, attracts cyclists from around the world each year, with a climb of more than 10,000 vertical feet over the course of the ride, dubbing it the “the Beast of the East,” as the ride has come to be known.
“We are excited for the forty-fifth year of The Assaults’,” said Jenn Chew, this year’s new Ride Director for The Assaults. “The Assaults was a tremendous success last year and because of the help of our generous sponsors, we were able to give back to organizations in and around Spartanburg. We look forward to our forty-fifth year and being able to further benefit the Spartanburg community.”
Cyclists can register for the Assault on Mt. Mitchell, a 102.7-mile climb from downtown Spartanburg to the summit of Mt. Mitchell, the highest peak east of the Mississippi, now through December 31 for the price of $150. The registration fee from January 1 through May 16th will be $175 and will increase to $200 at Packet Pick-up on May 17.
Seth Jones was the fastest rider in 2019, completing The Assault on Mt. Mitchell with a 05:06:13 time.
Cyclists can register for the Assault on Marion, which is the shorter, 74.2-mile sister ride from downtown Spartanburg, South Carolina, to the Tom Johnson Campground in Marion, North Carolina, now through December 31 for $50. The registration fee for Marion will be $55 from January 1 to March 31 and will increase to $65 from April 1 through May 16. Registration will be $75 at Packet Pick-up.
To register, riders may visit The Assaults website – www.theassaults.com. Registration closes Friday, May 15 at 5 p.m., however, participants may register in person at Packet Pick-Up on Sunday, May 17.
Michael Davis completed his 39th time riding the Assault on Mt. Mitchell with a time of 09:59:40.
Call for Sponsors
The caliber of The Assaults as one of the nation’s most beloved public cycling experiences provides incredible exposure opportunities for sponsors and event partners. Together with sponsors, The Freewheelers invests more than $165,000 annually to ensure that The Assaults will be a professional, safe and exciting ride for all.
Of the cyclists participating in The Assaults each year, 30 percent live within a 100-mile radius of Spartanburg, S.C. Seventy percent of those who participate in The Assaults come from outside this radius, and support the local economy through the hotel, restaurant, and retail patronage.
To learn more about sponsorship opportunities, contact Caroline Gross at 864-360-1015 or visit www.theassaults.com.
About The Assaults
A bucket list ride for serious cyclists, The Assaults is one of the most intense, premier cycling experiences in the Southeast with cyclists participating from across the nation and world each spring to ride from Spartanburg, S.C. to either Marion, N.C. (74.2 miles) or the top of Mount Mitchell (102.7 miles). To learn more, register, sponsor or volunteer, visit www.theassaults.com or email [email protected].
About The Freewheelers
The organization behind The Assaults, The Freewheelers Cycling Association is a Spartanburg, S.C.-based, 501 (c)(3) nonprofit community service organization founded in 1973. The Freewheelers’ mission is to provide education and promotion of bicycle safety and a forum for amateur sports competition and touring. To learn more about The Freewheelers, visit their website at www.freewheelers.info.
