A couple weeks ago Richmond hosted the USA Cycling Collegiate Road National Championships, a dress rehearsal if you will for next year when the World Road Cycling Championships roll through town. Races of these size are firsts for Richmond, but a good indicator of how the city is growing and coming into it's own. In Church Hill we love it when anyone comes to visit so we were delighted to hear that both races would utilize our little part of town.
I'll be honest I had no idea what to expect having never seen a road race like this. With a Libby Hill neighbor's porch as my final destination, I rounded the corner of 27th that Sunday with my camera in tow and headed for the park. The crowds were already there and it was a gorgeous, windy day. My timing couldn't have been better, because the riders were just getting ready to make the steep climb through the park when I got there. The initial pace care came around the bend and something magical started to happen. People clambered to their feet, cowbells began to ring and there was an unmistakable energy that surged through the crowd. I found my heart racing and my voice yelling who knows what as the pack came into view. How unexpectedly exciting!
Different levels meant that the races went on for most of the day and we drank wine, cheered on our favorite schools and had a wonderful time. I am now a full-fledged fan for life and can't wait for next year's World Championships!
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