A Cove classic
Posted On: Sunday, Jan. 18 2009 12:45 AM
By Rebecca LaFlure
Killeen Daily HeraldCOPPERAS COVE – Bikes, helmets and brightly colored Spandex could be seen for miles on Copperas Cove's rolling hills Saturday morning for the city's first bicycle race of the year.
More than 300 men and women from across Texas competed in the TBi Copperas Cove Classic Road Race, sponsored by Team Bicycles Inc. and the Copperas Cove Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Bureau.
It was TBi's and the chamber's ninth year to organize the biannual event.
"This is a heavy-duty sport. It's a fun, passionate kind of sport," said Andy Hollinger, TBi president and an avid bike rider for 23 years. "This is for people who want to be part of the action. ? And Copperas Cove is the best place to be."
Participants ranging from 14 to 65 years old covered nearly 100 miles of the city's hills, both starting and finishing the race at the Copperas Cove Civic Center.
The race was divided into five categories: an advanced male division, two beginner to intermediate men's divisions, one women's division and a 40-plus category.
Each group was scored separately and awarded medals. The bikers competed for money, trophies and prestige.
Richard Swords, a bike rider for 15 years, traveled from Austin to compete in his second bike race in Copperas Cove. A seventh-grade guidance counselor by trade, Swords rides his bike between 10 to 17 hours a week.
"I like the ability to see things, especially in the Hill Country," Swords said. "You go on these epic rides and see so much without just riding in the car."
Richie Howell also commuted from Austin to compete in the race. Howell began bike racing five years ago after his wife got him interested in the sport.
"I like the competitiveness, and it's hard," Howell said. "It's very hard to win a race."
Often called the Bike Center of Central Texas, Chamber President Marty Smith said the bike races in Copperas Cove are a huge tourist attraction for the city.
Smith said more than 500 people traveled to the city for the event and each person equaled an estimated $50 a day for Copperas Cove.
"People come here and see how friendly we are and what our countryside looks like, and we get a lot from that," Smith said. "We're a bike-friendly city. People love to come here, and they keep coming back."
Team Roadkill, Copperas Cove's very own bicycle gang, volunteered at Saturday's race. The group, organized in 1995, consists of more than 100 area riders.
Because of the bike races' continuous popularity, TBi and the chamber will sponsor three riding events this year instead of the usual two.
The next race is scheduled for June 20.
Contact Rebecca LaFlure at
rlaflure@kdhnews.com or (254) 501-7475.