Tour de LaFrance 2010

Last weekend was the 2nd Annual Tour de LaFrance here in Anderson, SC. What a great event to have here in the Upstate. The day started at LaFrance Elementary with a charity ride from there to downtown Anderson. There were two options on the ride. One was a 14 mile ride and the other a 40 mile ride. Once the riders made it downtown they were greeted with water and an option to park their bikes at a bike valet. After dropping their bike off, they could walk to main street to see several events that carried on through the day.

There was a Charity Trike Race held in front of the new court house. There were several contestants and each of them had a chance to raise money for his or her selected charity. The charity that raised the most was Challenge to Conquer with $2375. I heard the last total amount was over $8000! This was a great spectator event and it was great to see so many people behind so many great charities.

There was a bike rodeo sponsored by the Safe Kids Coalition of Anderson. The bike rodeo gave the little people a chance to learn some rules of the road, gave them an opportunity to learn how to handle their bike and remember to look for signs, and most importantly, reminded them to remember to wear their helmets. This is the one thing that both little and big people need to remember - always wear your helmet. Also, in midst of all the other racing, there was a kids race. All the kids that were amazed at the speed of the racers now had a chance to show off their skills. After watching these kids race, I think we have some potential in Anderson.

The crits were the biggest attraction of the day. These started at 9am and ending around 7pm. We had action going on all day downtown. Whether you were interested in testing your metal against the others out there or just seeing what criterium racing is all about, you had a perfect chance. The end of the day is definitely where all the action was found. There were around 90 pro riders on the start line, and they were from several different countries and several different national pro teams. These guys were fast. I heard several people mention that they were nervous to lean against the rails and see the action up close because the guys were going too fast. It was great to see this all happening in downtown Anderson, and it was a great stepping stone for the third annual Tour de LaFrance next year.

If you didn't get an opportunity to see the races, I am sorry you missed out, but there is always next year. The good thing about next year is that it will be bigger and better!

Remember to park your car and get on your bike!

Gary Knight

The Great Escape

Anderson, SC