Lots of Ways to Watch the Tour!

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Tour de Pets

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

-Alison
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Dear Gaston area cyclist,

Weeknight rides have begun in Gaston County. When the weather is
cooperative, these rides are usually well attended.

Here is the current schedule, which will be updated as necessary on the
club website:

GCC Weeknight Ride Series - 2008
Series will continue throughout Daylight Savings Time
Rides Start at 6:00 p.m.
Mondays (20 miles): Forestview High School, 5545 Union Rd, Gastonia NC
Tuesdays (32 miles): Restoration Church of God, 1800 Spencer Mtn Rd,
Ranlo, NC
Wednesdays (35 miles): Forestview High School, 5545 Union Rd, Gastonia
NC
Thursdays (32 miles): Restoration Church of God, 1800 Spencer Mtn Rd,
Ranlo, NC

Coasters Ride Series – 2008
Tuesday and Thursdays: 6:00 p.m. Forestview High School, 5545 Union Rd,
Gastonia NC 20-25 miles
(start time will move to 6:30 p.m. in May)
Sundays: 7:00 a.m., 25 miles, New Hope Baptist Church, New Hope Rd.,
Gastonia, NC.

Sincerely,

John Price
coastineditor@yahoo.com
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Sunday, April 20
The Winston Salem Downtown Criterium (WSDC) will take place in the heart
of Downtown Winston-Salem at 1st and Church Streets on April 20th with
over $1,000 in prize purse and $200 in primes. Top 3 will be receiving
trophies. It is being hosted by the Wake Forest Cycling Team
(www.wfu.edu/cycling) in conjunction with the 2008 ACC Cycling
Championships. The collegiate race will take place in the morning and
the UCSF portion will begin at 12:30P. In addition to the USCF race,
there will be a FREE kid’s race at 2PM for all ages. In conjunction
with the kid’s race, The CycleSafe.Org Kid's Bike Rodeo benefitting
Brenner Children's Hospital presented by the AJ Linville Foundation will
continually run between 12-4PM. Please sign up online if you plan on
attending, it is FREE for all kids. To register for all races including
the kid’s races, go on line to
http://www.bikereg.com/events/register.asp?eventid=6153 or go to
www.bikereg.com and search for Winston Salem Downtown Criterium. Online
registration closes at April 17, 2008 at 11:59pm. A $5 late fee will
be assessed for race day registration. For more information, go to the
WFU Cycling Team web page as above and download the media guide. If you
have any questions, please feel free to email the race director John
Shilt at QuadJRanch@aol.com.
Wednesday, April 23 - 2008 Charlotte Summer Series Kick-Off

ONLINE REGISTRATION for the entire summer series is NOW available. Check
out
http://www.active.com/event_detail.cfm?event_id=1571088
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The 2008 Charlotte Summer MTB Series will kick-off at Col Francis Beatty
Park. The park rotation for 2008 will be Col Francis Beatty,
Renaissance Park, N Meck Park/Fisher Farm and USNWC. One new exciting
thing for the series, we will visit Fisher Farm twice during the series.
Two of the N Meck races will be replaced with Fisher Farm. We are also
going to be change the Sport Category by adding one additional age
group.
All info has been updated and posted on the web. Almost EVERY shop in
the Charlotte area is sponsoring the 2008 Charlotte Mountain Bike
Series. Bicycles East, Bicycle Sport, Bike Gallery, BikeLine,
BikeSource, Blood, Sweat and Gears, Cool Breeze Cyclery, The Cycle
Path, First Flight Bikes, iRide Cycles, REI, The Spirited Cyclists,
SouthPark Cycles, Sun and Ski Sports, Ultimate Bike, KONA, Hydrapak,
Clif Bar, Giordana, Endurance Magazine, Blackdogbikes.com Source Burn,
Defeet, and more
Info will be posted at www.charlottemtnbike.com
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Saturday, April 26
2008 will be the second year that the WHEELS FOR MEALS cycling event
will be held to help raise funds to support the mission of Meals On
Wheels of Greenville. Meals On Wheels prepares and delivers over 400,000
hot nutritious meals annually to homebound residents of Greenville
County. Each day Meals On Wheels of Greenville reaches nearly 1,500
people with life-sustaining meals that are delivered by caring loving
volunteers.

WHEELS FOR MEALS 2008 will begin and end at the West End Field in
downtown Greenville and will include a Metric Century ride, a 40 mile
anniversary ride and a 25 mile ride. On Monday April 28th, there will be
a post event appreciation party held at the BMW Performance Center with
special guest Freddie Rodriguez, 3-time US Pro cycling champion.
Attendees will be able to ride with Freddie on the BMW test track as
well as enjoy the food and festivities. Last year approximately 300
riders participated and raised over $80,000. Our goal for 2008 is 500
riders and $100,000. For more information about WHEELS FOR MEALS, visit
the website at www.mealsonwheelsgreenville.org .
Sunday, April 27th
Downtown Sanford Criterium

Come out and enjoy a fun day of racing on wide-open downtown roads. The
0.7 mile loop spans two city blocks and is flat with one slight downhill
into the finishing turn with a good 200 meter slight rise to the finish.
There will be something for the whole family as Depot Park, just
adjacent to the course, will have craft vendors, food, a 30 foot
inflatable slide and a bounce house for the kids. There will also be a
rock concert from 2:30-4:00pm in the park. See the flyer for full
details about the criterium and KIDS RACE.

http://trianglevelo.googlepages.com/SanfordCritFlyer.pdf

http://pre-reg.com
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Wednesday, April 30
Lowe's Motor Speedway Time Trial Series is in full swing. Wednesday,
April 30, 2008 is the 2nd of nine races held between April and October.

Bill Wiseman, President of the Carolina Cycling Time Trial Association
states..."The Time Trial Series is increasingly becoming an event that
many cyclists look forward to. Unlike many of the other time trials, the
Lowe's
Motor Speedway Time Trial Series is open to all cyclists. They don't
need a special license nor do they need to be a "racer" to enjoy riding
their bike on the NASCAR track. Many cyclists come for the opportunity
to ride the track and when doing so they discover the fun and thrill of
a time trial."
http://www.carolinatt.org/

A special event planned for April 30th is a visit from the Cervelo
Factory éRide demo van, hosted by Cool Breeze Cyclery. The Cervelo staff
will bring 30 road and TT bikes for test riding in a track setting. Test
rides available from 4:00pm to 8:00pm at Lowe's Motor Speedway.
Pre-registration for your test ride is suggested by visiting:

www.coolbreezecyclery.com
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April 28 - May 4
USA CRITS SPEEDWEEK
http://www.usacrits.com/speedweek08/
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May 2 - 11
2008 BIKE! Charlotte - Set Your Life in Motion
http://www.charlottesportscycling.com/BikeCharlotte/BikeCharlotte.htm
BIKE! Charlotte is ten days of bicycle related events and promotions
used to encourage families, friends, and colleagues to breakout the bike
and use it as a means of transportation and recreation. The bicycle is
an efficient, non-polluting mode of transportation that is good for your
health and provides many free perks. The event features an agenda of
exciting activities for children and adults.

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Saturday, May 3
Giordana Dilworth Criterium presented by SouthPark Cycles - Charlotte,
NC
This year, the 35th Annual Dilworth Criterium will be part of the USA
Crit Speed Week and offer over $12k in CASH!
The event will once again feature the neighborhood beer race but this
year, it will be held on adult trikes.
REGISTRATION IS OPEN and available on three different online sites.

BIG News Juniors
Lees-McRae College will be providing two $500 prime scholarships and a
$1,000 scholarship to the winner of the
Juniors 17 - 18 race. The scholarships will be to the Lees-McRae
College Cycling Program.

Visit www.charlottesportscycling.com/dilworth.htm to register today.
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Sunday, May 4
The Brain Ride
The Outdoorlights.com Cycling Team will be hosting The Brain Ride to
benefit the Brain Tumor Fund for the Carolinas on Sunday, May 4th in
Huntersville at the Park (formerly Huntersville Business Park). Rain
date will be Sunday, May 18th.

http://www.thebrainride.org
The Brain Ride will be part of Bike! Charlotte week (May 2-11).
We will offer 30 and 50 mile routes with aid stations and SAG. Both
rides start at 8:00am. After 3 laps of the Park, we'll hit the
backroads of Huntersville, Davidson and southern Iredell county before
returning to Huntersville.
The inner loop of the Park will be closed off to traffic for a Family
Fun Ride from 9am-11am. Participants can ride the loop as much as they
want during this time period.
Just Fresh and Tijuana Flats will be hosting on-site registration and
post ride food and beverages for riders at their new restaurants in
Torrence Village (on Gilead Rd just inside The Park).
Online early registration will be $20 for 30 and 50 mile routes
(available soon). Onsite registration will be $25. The Family Fun
Ride will be $25 (for up to 5 family members; $5 each additional
member).
We will also be selling raffle tickets with chances to win some cool
prizes including 2 VIP seats at the Presbyterian Hospital Invitational
Criterium on Saturday, August 2nd.
1st 100 registered riders will receive goody bags with lots of stuff
from our sponsors.
Presbyterian Hospital of Huntersville will provide parking for all
participants.
The event website includes a link to the Brain Tumor Fund's donation
page. Although registration is only $20-$25, I encourage you to
raise/donate additional funds for this great organization that benefits
the local cancer fighting community.
Please check out the website for all details, registration information,
donations, event flyer, etc..

http://www.thebrainride.org
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Sunday, May 4
Uwharrie Xterra
For more info, visit www.middleringcycles.com
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We are just over a month away from Police Week. Last year we organized a
bicycle ride for Law Enforcement that started in Charlotte at CMPD HQ
and ended at the Police Memorial in Washington DC four days later. Only
four riders made the full trip and we learned a lot about cross country
journeys. It was quite a moving experience to join over a thousand
riders from the Police Unity Tour and ride into Washington DC together.
This year we will repeat the ride for those who would like to take on
the challenge while honoring their fellow officers. This is the year the
names of Sean Clark and Jeff Shelton will be added to the Police
Memorial so the ride will have extra special meaning.

While we are still putting details together, here is what we know for
now:
We will start Thursday or Friday (May 8 or 9) from CMPD HQ.
The route will be the same as last year:
a. Day 1: Charlotte to Asheboro (97 miles)
b. Day 2: Asheboro to South Boston, VA (95 miles)
c. Day 3: South Boston, VA to Richmond, VA (95 miles) then shuttle to
Fredericksburg, VA
d. Day 4: Fredericksburg, VA to Washington, DC (70 miles)
e. Day 5: Return to Charlotte. (unless you have a ride back on Day 4)
f. Rest stops will be provided about every 20-25 miles, allowing people
to ride a leg, and then rest in the support vehicle for a leg.
g. If someone just wants to ride 20 miles, or even 5, that’s fine too.
h. That’s because even hard core bikers probably aren’t up to
consecutive 100 mile days this early in the season
i. Speed will be in the 15-17 mph average so people can join us who
aren’t fast; however, if the group dwindles down to those who can
maintain a faster speed, we’ll pick it up
j. The ride will be NOT be escorted most of the way, we are able to pick
up Police escorts in some of the towns we pass thru.

The ride will be open to non-Law Enforcement riders, as well as Law
Enforcement, all along the route
Riders can join us for any or all of a day’s ride
For those joining along the route, transportation to and from the route
will be their responsibility
We will provide a way to get your bike back from DC if you end your ride
there.
We may have seats in vehicles to get you back from DC; if not you can
have a family member/friend come get you or there is always AMTRAK!
We will book motel rooms for those staying overnight on the ride.
The ride will end at the Police Memorial, a few blocks from the Capitol
in DC.

We are trying to raise funding for ride expenses. Just in case that
funding falls through, you should be prepared to pay all expenses
yourself. Last year we received no funding, participants paid for all
their expenses including lodging, food, and fuel for support vehicles.
All money donated by the public last year went to the Clark and Shelton
families.
This year we may be raising money to support the Police Memorial. If we
get the OK to join the Police Unity Tour riders on the last day we will
quite likely have a minimum fund raising commitment per rider, we are
trying to get corporate donations to cover that. If you know of
potential corporate sponsors for this event, help by spreading the word
and asking for funding, you might be surprised who will offer money!

We need support personnel as well as riders. If you can make the trip
and drive a support vehicle we would love to have you join us. If you
know someone who will donate the use of a support vehicle (motor home,
pickup, etc) then please put them in touch with me.

WHAT I NEED RIGHT NOW is a return email from anyone who is interested in
doing the ride or getting more information.

We continue to work out details. Please spread the word among your
cycling and Law Enforcement friends, here and elsewhere in NC, SC, and
VA.

Ron Horton
Computer Technology Solutions
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department
rhorton@cmpd.org
ofc 704.336.7252



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May 24 & 25
The BURN 24 Hour Challenge is the Southeast's Premiere 24 Hour Mountain
Bike Solo & Team Relay
Race featuring an amazing trail system, electronic timing, kid's races,
great prizes, the infamous Alien
Abduction, and free BURN Energy Drinks throughout the event. This is
your source for race details,
registration options & race rules. While you are here please add your
name to the mailing list. We hope
you can join us in at Dark Mountain Trails in Wilkesboro, NC on May
24th & 25th, 2008. Details can be
found at http://burn24hour.com
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June 7
Collier Lilly Ride for Life
The Collier Lilly Ride 4 Life is a recreational bike ride to honor the
life of Collier Cobb Lilly, raise awareness and money for organ sharing,
and to bring various communities together to celebrate life.

Saturday, June 7, 2008

The day kicks-off with a 100K, a 50K or a 25K ride through the beautiful
back roads of Mecklenburg, Iredell, Rowan, and Cabarrus counties. These
rides will be fully supported with rest stops and SAG vehicles. The
rides will begin and end at Baker Sports Complex on the campus of
Davidson College in Davidson, NC.

After your ride, hang around for a delicious lunch (included with your
registration fee!!) and fun-filled activities for the whole family.
For more info, visit www.collierlillyride4life.com
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Saturday, June 21

Cowbell Challenge 12 Hour MTB Race
http://www.cowbellchallenge.org/
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July 25 - August 3 - 9 DAYS OF RACING IN NORTH CAROLINA
Dates for the 8th Annual Crossroads Cycling Classic are posted.
Check out www.crossroadscycling.com
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August 15-17
FOOL'S GOLD 100/50 Mile Mountain Bike Race & Festival
"Thar's gold in them thar hills!"
August 15-17 2008 in the mountains of North Georgia
The Fool's Gold 100 is Georgia's first and only 100 mile mountain bike
race, brought to you by the race
director of the largest and most fun 24 hour mountain bike race in the
Southeast, the BURN 24 Hour Challenge!
Fool's Gold 100 will be the 6th race of the 2008 National Ultra
Endurance Mountain Bike Race Series. Expect
lots of singletrack with a few gravel road grunts. Be prepared to ride
hard..and drink a few brews. We promise,
you won't be disappointed! With the low entry fee, great schwag, all of
the essential amenities (i.e. food, lodging,
beer) ALL WEEKEND!, and cash payout for the Open Men’s/Women’s class in
the 100 miler, we think this one
will be on your race calendar for good!


See you on the bike.
Neal

Charlotte Sports Cycling Inc.
2022 Dembrigh Lane
Charlotte, NC 28262
nealboyd@charlottesportscycling.com
www.charlottesportscycling.com
www.charlottemtnbike.com

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Cycling friends...