INSIGHT Magazine April 2014 | Page 11

LOCAL NON-PRO RACES If you want to get out and take a ride yourself, there are a lot of options on Sunday to get out and do some competitive biking. The Cheaha Challenge Gran Fondo starts at 7:30 a.m. (arrive a half hour early for free breakfast bagels and coffee), when all riders take off. The course allows for riders to choose how far they want to ride; 23, 44, 62, 84 and 104 mile options allow any skill and endurance level to have a great time testing limits. The race starts at Pete Mathews Colosseum in Jacksonville, with the 84 and 104 mile rides taking cyclists up to Cheaha State Park and back down, providing views of Alabama from up close and personal to eyein-the-sky heights. According to Wigley, pro riders sometimes join in on non-competitive races for fun before heading back out of town, so you may see some familiar faces from the night before! The Foothills Classic Road Race is a more competitive ride in which riders must be licensed, just like in the Sunny King Criterium, which might exclude some from participating, but means that you’re likely to see some excellent riders at the top of their game in the Cat 1 races, which you may recognize from the Criterium as well.The race takes place in Piedmont and starts at 9 a.m. Visit cheahachallenge.com or foothillsroadrace.com for more information and to register for the events. Click Here for additional information and register for the Foothills Classic Road Race INSIGHT April 2014 11