Friday, July 06, 2007
By Larry Walsh, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The trails and roads of Somerset County are getting a workout this summer.

A week ago, 500 Greenway Sojourn bicyclists pedaled through the county on the Great Allegheny Passage on their way to Pittsburgh. It was the largest group of riders on the passage since it was completed through the county last year.

This week, more than 2,400 cyclists arrived in the county to participate in the National Road Racing Championships sponsored by USA Cycling and California Giant Berry Farms and hosted by Seven Springs Mountain Resort.

“We are excited to welcome back the competitors, their families and the spectators,” said Scott Bender, the resort’s chief executive officer. “This great event helps to showcase Seven Springs and the Laurel Highlands region to guests from all over the country, while generating several thousand room nights in Somerset County and benefiting the local economy.”

The sanctioned races, which begin today and run through July 17, feature some of the nation’s most-talented cyclists, many of whom are competing for the opportunity to race in the world championships in Europe.

The championships will be divided into five categories: Junior (age 10 to 18), Under 23 (a development class for future cycling stars), Elite, Master (age 30 and older) and tandem. Each category will compete on courses ranging from 10 kilometers to 138 kilometers in length.

The road-race courses will start and finish at Seven Springs and, depending on the day, will include County Line Road, Route 31, Barron Church, Scullton, Middlecreek roads, Tannery and Trent roads and Copper Kettle Highway.

Motorists using those roads between 7:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. might encounter short delays on some race days, similar to those experienced during road construction. If you can’t avoid those roads on race days, give yourself at least an extra 30 minutes.

USA Cycling, the governing body of bicycle racing in the United States, Seven Springs, PennDOT and the state police will combine their efforts to ensure the safety of bicyclists and motorists alike.

As many as 175 riders will compete on the large circuit course leading from and to the resort and, depending on their age, will race from 12 to 110 miles. Road races test high-speed racing ability, climbing and endurance. They also require participants to work together as a team to position themselves to win.

The time trial races will begin and end on the northbound lanes of state Route 219 between its southern end and state Route 281. Detour signs will be posted. This event requires riders to race individually against time, rolling hills and prevailing winds, the latter of which can be unrelenting in the Laurel Highlands.

The criterium races will be at Somerset Industrial Park. They will be on a flat one-mile circuit and challenge the competitors’ bike-handling skills. Riders must be able to navigate through as many as 125 competitors, similar to NASCAR racing, and control their bikes through technical turns.

For a complete racing schedule, go to www.7springs.com/bike/race./htm. For more information on USA Cycling, go to www.usacycling.org.

Race across America

A four-member team of cyclists that included Bob Ansell of Greensburg placed sixth out of 16 teams last month in the Race Across America, a coast-to-coast endurance race.

The quartet, known as TeamEndeavor, raised more than $50,000 to benefit The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

The 3,042.8-mile race started in Oceanside, Calif., and finished in Atlantic City, N.J. TeamEndeavor covered the distance in seven days, one hour and 23 minutes.

Their average sped was 17.9 miles per hour as they pedaled through 15 states. The differences in elevation ranged from 170-feet below sea level in Mecca, Calif., to 10,550-feet above sea level in Wolf Creek Pass, Colo.

Their sponsor, Volvo Cars of North America, provided $30,000 and a new 2007 C70 convertible to raffle. A Volvo dealer gave the team two Volvo X90 SUVs to use as support vehicles.

Also on the team were Mike Ridgeway of Lancaster, Doug Palen of Landing, N.J., and Ray Peske of Harrisburg.

For more information, go to www.teamendeavor.org, www.raceacrossamerica.org or call 1-717-652-6520.

(Larry Walsh can be reached at lwalsh@post-gazette.com and 412-263-1488. )