Happy 4th of July! Happy Independence Day! The rain has been brutal all this week, but we are keeping our fingers crossed that the sun pops out and shines a light on what should be a full day of grilling, feasting, and yard-game-playing with friends and family. Hopefully, you have a four-day weekend to celebrate/recover. As temps climb into the 90s, it is a good time to reflect on those great summer traditions: tubing, baseball, running through the sprinkler, music festivals, the Tour de France, riders getting busted for doping at the Tour de France, etc. Yes, it’s true, despite itself, pro cycling is still a fun spectator sport, and we even have some regional talent in the Tour field this year. Watching the best riders in the world on tv half a world away can be a good time, but that means spending it inside looking at a screen. If you want some action packed cycling action a little closer to home, and little less indoors, head for western North Carolina this weekend for the Inaugural Pisgah Bike Omnium presented by Hunter Subaru.
We here at BRO love to support awesome new events, and the Pisgah Bike Omnium certainly looks like it is shaping up to be just that. The Omnium is comprised of three events designed to test riders in different disciplines. The Stage One Etowah Time Trail is Friday and consists of a flat 20k beginning at 4pm. The Stage Two Brevard Criterium is Saturday in downtown Brevard starting at 8am, and the culminating Stage Three Hedersonville Road Race is Sunday starting at 8am at the intersection of US225 and Green River Rd. There is over $15,000 in cash prizes, preems, and awards up for grabs, so if you are up for it there is race-day registration. If you just want to take in the fast-paced pedal action, we suggest taking in the always fun criterium in Brevard on Saturday, which should be the most spectator friendly of the events, and also the most rowdy. Along with the racing, there will be a “After Crit Party” at Oskar Blues from 7:30-10pm with live music and 10 percent of all beer sales will go to the Pisgah Cycling Club.
So get out and catch some regional talent race in the streets this Independence Day weekend, drink some beer, and support your local outdoor organizations, because isn’t that what America is all about?
