Statesville, NC – Start 2 Finish is proud to announce the 2017 Crossroads Classic bicycle race and festival will take place in Statesville, North Carolina August 4 – 6.
Downtown Statesville Development Corporation and the Statesville Convention and Visitors Bureau have teamed up with Start 2 Finish to host two criterium events in Downtown Statesville on Friday, August 4 and Saturday, August 5.
On Sunday, August 6 the event will move to northern Iredell County with the prestigious Carolina Cycling Association Regional Road Race Championships. The three-day event brings a plethora of energy to Downtown Statesville as professional, elite and amateur cyclists from around the country will fill the streets with color, excitement, and speed, as they battle each other in daily bicycle races. “We are excited to host all three days of the Crossroads Classic in Statesville this year, with 2 criterium bike races in Downtown. We think this will be a great opportunity to showcase our beautiful Downtown to visitors and local spectators,” said Marin Tomlin, Executive Director of Downtown Statesville Development Corporation.
The Friday evening race in Downtown Statesville will use the traditional six corner, “L” shaped course with the finish located at D’Laney’s Sports Bar and Grill. On Saturday evening, the course will be reversed with the finish line located in front of First Flight Bicycles on South Center Street. Cyclists love Statesville’s fast, “L” shaped course, as they are able to drive up the speed and race to exciting sprint finishes. Race director, Neal Boyd, is extremely excited about the 2017 events in Statesville. “It will be interesting to see how the course differs as we race in the opposite direction on Saturday evening.
The City of Statesville embraces the cycling event and its athletes, and provides a tremendous amount of support and energy which helps create an enthusiastic atmosphere for the Crossroads Classic.” Boyd said. Statesville is the only venue that has been in the series all seventeen years.
What is a criterium bike race and why is it exciting?
A criterium style bike race is a circuit race held on downtown streets or in a business park, and is typically less than 1 mile in length with several tight corners. The 80 plus person “peloton” or group of cyclists, will race between 25 and 40 miles, based on their category. These courses are also closed to traffic, which allows the spectators to get up close and personal to the excitement of the race. They are able to witness the strategies of the teams as they draft off each other at speeds of over 40 miles per hour, a breakaway from the main pack, sprint finishes, and the occasional crash! Some have even compared this type of race as the NASCAR on two wheels! The electricity from this type of event is not only felt by the athletes, but by the crowds that come to cheer them on!
This event is not only thrilling to watch, but is a great opportunity for adults and children alike to learn more about one of the fastest growing sports in America. The races are FREE to the public and we will even have FREE races for kids of all ages at 7:20PM on Friday evening and 6:30PM on Saturday evening. Between the Friday night races, watch the 2017 Trike Races brought to you by D’Laney’s Sports Bar & Grill at 6:40 pm, 7:20 pm, 8:05 pm, and 8:55 pm.
Also on Friday night, Carolina BalloonFest will be holding a Balloon Glow in the Street during the later races as a preliminary warm up for Carolina BalloonFest scheduled for October 20 – 22, 2017.
Come out and get a close up view of a Hot Air Balloon at night. Weather permitting it will be Spectacular! Inflatable fun for the kids will be provided at no charge on Broad Street, as well as Statesville Recreation & Parks will be providing activities such as Cornhole, Hula Hoops, and other kid-friendly activities!
Come on out Friday and/or Saturday evening with the whole family, grab dinner in Downtown Statesville, do some shopping and check out the fast action of the Country’s top cyclists!
For more information please call us at 704-878-3436 or [email protected].
Friday Event Schedule
5:00 PM – Street Closure
6:00 PM – 10:00 PM Kids Entertainment and FREE Sponsor Area
6:00 PM – Women Race
6:40 PM – Local Trike Racing Sponsored by D’Laney’s Sports Bar & Grill
6:45 PM – Cat 4/5 Amateur Race
7:20 PM – FREE Kids Race for ALL Abilities
7:20PM – Local Trike Racing Sponsored by D’Laney’s Sports Bar & Grill
7:25 PM Masters 40+, 50+ Race
8:05 – Local Trike Racing Sponsored by D’Laney’s Sports Bar & Grill
8:10 PM – Cat 3 Amateur Race
8:55 PM – Local Trike Racing Sponsored by D’Laney’s Sports Bar & Grill
9:00 PM – Feature Professional Race
*The course start/finish will be located on West Broad Street.
Saturday Event Schedule
2:00 PM – Street Closure
3:00 PM – 9:00 PM Kids Entertainment and FREE Sponsor Area
3:00 PM – Cat 5 Men Race
3:35 PM – Masters 50+
4:20 PM Cat 4 Men
5:05 PM – Masters 40+
5:50 PM – Women
6:30 PM – FREE Kids Race for ALL Abilities
6:40 PM – Cat 3 Men
7:30 PM – Feature Professional Race
*The course start/finish will be located on South Center Street.
For maps of the race course and more information on the event, check out www.crossroadscyclingclassic.com
Crossroads Classic bicycle race
