Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, May 19, 1990 TAG: 9005210194
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: CATHRYN McCUE NEW RIVER VALLEY BUREAU
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG LENGTH: Medium
And this year, because of popular demand, there are more races for everyone to join.
Next Saturday, the wheels will be rolling around the race course at Virginia Tech - tricycles and roller blades included. (See the box on Page 2 for the schedule and age groups for races.)
And there'll be plenty of food and sporting goods' concessions near the start/finish line on West Campus Drive across from the Animal Sciences Building.
On Sunday, stand back as the pros take over in the grueling, grand 50-mile Race to the Lake - out to Catawba and back up to Mountain Lake.
"A lot of people were cussing at the mountains by the time they got up to the lake," said race director Mike Matzuk of the bicyclists who pumped their way to the finish line last year. "They love it."
And many of them are coming back.
Matzuk said that word has gotten out on the biking circuit about Blacksburg's Mountain Magic weekend. So far this year, riders from New York City, Georgia, Arizona, Colorado and in between have registered.
Only those licensed by the United States Cycling Federation may enter Sunday's races.
Purses range from $425 to $1,025 for different age categories.
On Saturday, USCF riders will race before and after the novice groups, and compete for prizes from $255 to $1,065.
But it's not just the money that brings cyclists here. Matzuk said road races, where traffic is diverted from highways so cyclists have the road to themselves, are rare.
"We wanted a high level race because we wanted to draw people in from other areas," said Blacksburg economic coordinator Doug Eckel. Both races are USCF sanctioned.
"This is a legit thing. This is not just a hokum bike race," said Jeff DeSchon of the Blacksburg Chamber of Commerce, which is helping stage the race.
"It's going to be a huge event for attention for Blacksburg and the whole valley, for that matter."
Among the more notable racers signed up is Camilla Buchanan, a national champion who ranked third in the Race to the Lake last year. Also, Eric Cramer, Lee Dumont and Ed Milenski - all winners last year - are signed up to cruise the Blacksburg courses again.
Planning this year's bike race began in December for Eckel, who estimated the event would bring between $180,000 and $300,000 to the area as each dollar spent by cyclists and spectators on hotels, food and so on, trickles down through the economy.
He expects more than 300 cyclists to enter the races, compared to about 250 last year. Already, this year's pre-registration is double what it was last year two weeks before the race.
And this year's race budget of $15,000 is one third higher than last year's.
A few glitches have been taken care of, Eckel said, such as adding events for citizens, beefing up emergency services, improving communication along the road-race course and providing support people and water for the racers at Sunday's finish line.
Organizers are also planning a "big spaghetti, carbo-loading dinner" and post-race party at Mountain Lake for the cyclists - and others who come just for the fun.
Matzuk said the Mountain Magic Bicycle Race was moved to Memorial Day weekend this year to dovetail with the WDBJ Festival Cup bike race in Roanoke on Monday.
"We wanted to create a more complete weekend of racing. Now they have three days of racing," he said.
Organizers of the two events worked in conjunction to promote the whole weekend, he said.
by CNB