BLACKSBURG, Va., Nov. 5, 2009 – The Virginia Tech Cycling Team will host the third annual Tech Cross cyclocross competition Nov. 7-8.
The two day event is part of the Virginia Cyclocross Series. “Cyclocross is a mix of road cycling and mountain biking with races on grass and pavement and usually containing a few obstacles that must be negotiated, “explained cycling team member Ried Beloni of Charlotte, N.C., a senior majoring in Human Nutrition Food and Exercise in the College of Science.
The competition will begin at 5 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m. on Sunday at the Virginia Tech Upper South Recreational Area Fields. Changes will be made to the course prior to Sunday’s race to add to the challenge. Both days will consist of collegiate and non-collegiate USA Cycling events.
Tech Cross will include nine United States Cycling Federation categories including masters, junior, women, three-category men’s fields, and three collegiate-only fields. Each race will range from 30 minutes to an hour in length.
Pre-registration is available online. Onsite registration will be available, for an additional $10 late fee, an hour before racing and closes 20 minutes before each field starts. Parking for the event is free parking and is available in the Lower Chicken Hill Parking Lot located on the corner of Southgate Dr. and Tech Center Dr. Also the Health and Safety Lot is available on Tech Center Dr. Find more parking information online or call (540) 231-3200.
This is the third year running that the cycling team has hosted this bike race; last year's event was highly successful, bringing in participants from all over the Southeast. “The event is a great way to showcase not only the Virginia Tech Cycling Team and Recreational Sports but also the entire university and our community,” said Beloni, “The goals of the event are to create an enjoyable, competitive environment, promote the cycling team and fundraise for another successful cycling season.”
This event is open to Virginia Tech students, faculty, staff, and the public. Sign up to participate in these races, or just stop by to watch the competition and support the Virginia Tech Cycling Team. The Virginia Tech Cycling Team continues to be a serious contender both regionally and nationally in collegiate races. For more information on the Virginia Tech Cycling team or the Tech Cross race, visit the Virginia Tech Cycling Team website (http://www.cycling.org.vt.edu/).
Days Inn Blacksburg, Holiday Inn University and vitaminwater are proud sponsors of Virginia Tech Sport Clubs and the Virginia Tech Cycling Team. The event is also sponsored by Clif Bar, Red Bull, and USA Cycling.
Written by Kelsey George and Natalie Sherbak. George of Charlotte, N.C., is a senior majoring in communication and interdisciplinary studies in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences. Sherbak of Virginia Beach, Va., holds a bachelor’s degree in marketing management from the Pamplin College of Business and is pursuing a master’s degree in health promotion in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences School of Education.