ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, March 21, 1996 TAG: 9603210013
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B3 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: ROCKY MOUNT
SOURCE: DANIEL UTHMAN STAFF WRITER
Medalist Sports, Inc., gave Franklin County a surprise present when it put 60 miles of the 1996 Tour DuPont course on the county's roads. Now county officials want to show their appreciation to the organizers of America's premier cycling race.
Franklin County plans to do that by making its share of Stage 5 from Mount Airy, N.C., to Roanoke (May 5) as fan- and rider-friendly as possible, according to the local organizing group that met Wednesday morning at the county courthouse.
``We'll be projecting the image of Franklin County to people we haven't thought about before this race,'' said David Talbott, chairman of the committee.
Neither Talbott nor anyone else on the committee realized the county would be such a large part of the bicycle race until the Stage 5 course was announced Feb. 15. Since then, they've been in contact with Medalist and drawn up ideas on how to do their part.
When riders enter the county on Virginia 40 near the Thomas Orchards, a sign will welcome them in a variety of languages. Volunteers will pass out leaflets to viewers along the course that phonetically explain how to cheer each rider in his native language. ``It gives them a reason to focus on an individual rider,'' said Macon Sammons, a county administrator.
The committee also is thinking of placing Civil War re-enactors, the Ferrum College cheerleaders and the Franklin County High School band at various points along the route. Because parking will be limited, particularly on the more scenic mountain runs, school buses will be deployed to transport fans to and from those points.
Students at local schools will be asked to make signs, and children will be given chalk to draw team logos or riders' pictures on the course pavement. ``We're going all out in respect to signage,'' Talbott said.
Officials initially were concerned the race would conflict with Ferrum's graduation ceremonies on the morning of May 5, but riders aren't expected to reach Franklin County until 2:30 p.m. ``We couldn't schedule it for a better time in terms of exposure,'' Sammons said.
The course runs into Franklin County from Patrick County on Virginia 40, then turns west on Virginia 860 and moves north on the Blue Ridge Parkway in Floyd County. Riders will bypass Rocky Mount to the west, but will visit the communities of Algoma, Callaway and Boones Mill on their way to a finish in Roanoke.
The committee said it knows some people won't be interested in the event and others will object when their road is closed for an hour or so, but they expect a favorable response to a sport that generally has a more cosmopolitan orientation and following. He figures the men with muskets and children with chalk can only help.
``It's a long way from Winston Cup, I know, but that's OK,'' Talbott said. ``You get caught up in it, and that's what we're hoping people will do.''
LENGTH: Medium: 58 linesby CNB