Page 11 - BeaufortMemorial

More than 150 professional cyclists raced through the streets of downtown Beaufort on Tuesday, May 3, as, for the ffth straight year, the city played host to one of seven races scheduled as part of the USA Crits Southeast Cycling Tour. Beaufort Memorial has been the lead sponsor of the Cycling Classic since its inception, and BMH President and CEO

Rick Toomey feels the race is a good ft with the hospital’s mission of promoting community wellness.

“As the community’s primary health-care provider, we are delighted to be a part of Beaufort’s pro cycling event,” Toomey says. “Te Beaufort Memorial Cycling Classic truly celebrates active, healthy living, and this year was another success.”

Te race is part of the national profes-sional cycling season that kicked of in early February with the Tour of California. Beaufort hosted all 15 United States-based professional teams, who competed for a total purse of $15,000.

“It is such an honor to be selected as a host city for the professional cycling tour,” says Joe DiVito, of Lowcountry Velo Cycling Club, which manages the Beaufort race. “And while the race takes place in downtown Beaufort, we view this event as belonging to the entire lowcountry and coastal empire.”

Cycling has become the third largest participation sport in the world. And as a spectator sport, its ranks are growing thanks in large part to criterium races, a unique form of cycling that features high-speed racing through short, urban courses. Because criteriums take place on short-lap courses through city streets, they ofer spectators the opportunity to watch Olympians and national champions up close as they ride at top speed for up to two hours.

Te Beaufort race featured two ofcial events: one for men, one for women. Local organizers also hosted a kids’ race that was open to local children, and the hospi-tal hosted a cycling safety event two days before the race.