Racing at top speeds of up to 35 and 40 miles an hour, more than 120 professional male and female cyclists will descend on downtown Beaufort during the third annual Beaufort Memorial Cycling Classic, a celebration of active, healthy living in the Lowcountry, on Tuesday, April 28, at 6 p.m.
     The format will offer spectators the opportunity to watch Olympians and national champions up close as they ride at top speeds for up to two hours on the .6-mile course.
Cyclists representing all 15 national professional cycling teams will participate in the race, all vying for a slice of the $15,000 purse: $10,000 for the men’s competition and $5,000 for the women’s competition.
     The evening will kick off with a kids’ race at 5 p.m., on Bay Street, and will be followed by the women’s, then men’s races. The professional races will follow a .6-mile course that begins and ends at the clock tower on Bay Street.
     This year BMH is hosting its second annual “Cycling Sunday,” a family cycling safety event on Sunday, April 26, from 2 to 4 p.m. in the BMH Annex on Ribaut Road. The event will feature bike fittings, bike safety instruction and a bike rodeo. Each participant will also receive a free bike helmet, tire reflectors and more. The event will end with a family fun ride through Mossy Oaks led by local cyclists.
     “As the community’s primary healthcare provider, we are delighted to be a part of Beaufort’s pro cycling event,” says Beaufort Memorial Hospital President and CEO Rick Toomey. “The Beaufort Memorial Cycling Classic truly celebrates active, healthy living, and we are looking forward to this year’s event.”
     The Beaufort Memorial Cycling Classic is a part of the USA Crits Southeast series that kicks off in Athens, Ga., on April 25 with the “Athens Twilight,” and continues with a total of seven races in nine days – each in a different Southeastern city.
     The event is managed by Lowcountry Velo, and is supported by various local sponsors, volunteers and cycling clubs.
For more about the Beaufort Memorial Cycling Classic visit www.lowcountrycyclist.com .