Top Riders in 48th Annual
Nevada City Bicycle Classic
Many of the nation's top cycling teams are heading to the Northern Sierra foothills to take on one of the toughest challenges in the world of competititve bicycling.
The 48th Annual Nevada City Bicycle Classic on June 15 features a full day of world-class cycling in one of Northern California's most colorful small towns.
A Father's Day tradition, the Nevada City Classic is the oldest bicycle racing event on the West Coast, second oldest race in the nation, and a top sporting event of the Sierra foothills.
Bicycling Magazine once reported, “If there's a perfect bicycle racing town anywhere in America, it has to be tiny Nevada City, California.”
The bike race is a big event in Nevada City. On race day, the city's population of 3001 swells by several thousand cheering spectators who line the course to witness the high-speed action through the heart of the downtown historic district. Racers have often said there is nowhere on the cycling tour that draws the crowds and levels of enthusiasm they see in Nevada City.
Race Director Duane Strawser said at least seven of the nation's top ten cycling teams will be represented in Nevada City. “We're going to have a number of riders who raced in this year's Tour of California,” he said.
The main event is the men's senior/pro 90-minute main event. Spectators feel the breeze as riders speed down Broad Street at speeds approaching 50 mph before tackling the tough climbs through Victorian neighborhoods around the back side of the course. Spectators often walk the course to take in the action from various spots.
Women's, Junior's and Master's races also are planned. Racing action begins at 1 p.m. and continues until 6:30 p.m. The main event is scheduled at 5 p.m.
Nevada City is located at the 2,500-foot elevation on the forested western slope of the Sierra Nevada. From Sacramento, it's a one-hour drive via eastbound Interstate 80 and northbound Highway 49. Nevada City is 90 minutes from Reno and 50 minutes from Truckee via westbound I-80 and Highway 20.
The Nevada City Classic is under the sponsorship and direction of the Nevada City Chamber of Commerce.
For information on the 48th Annual Nevada City Bicycle Classic, call the Nevada City Chamber of Commerce at (530) 265-2692, or see www.nevadacitychamber.com/events/bikerace.cfm. or go to the official race website, www.ncclassic.com.
