Brooksville Cycling Classic
For about twelve years Topview Sports has covered the southeast of Florida. They added Brooksville amongst their locations for this event about six years ago where cyclist enthusiasts are provided with the beautiful Hernando County scenery as well as some challenges.
“It’s wonderful over here. There are friendly roads. It’s hilly which the riders love, it’s out in the country, where a lot of our riders are from more urban areas, so they come out here and they get to see good ole’ Florida country,” said Tim Molyneaux, President of Topview Sports
It all started when a local business owner here in Hernando County, Laura Dewitt of Get healthy food store, pitched the idea to Molyneaux about seven years ago. “So this is our sixth year at Brooksville, we do the downtown race and The ARC Nature Coast, who have been gracious and letting us use their facility,” Molyneaux said.
Saturday’s event held on April 9 in Downtown Brooksville was a 1.19 mile ride; however Sunday’s event was a 16 mile course which included some great roads, hilly roads. For pro cyclist’s, it is a three lap course, a 51 mile challenge and with those hills, cyclists incline as slow as 10 miles an hour and decline as fast as 45 miles an hour.
Glenn Harsin, a Truck Driver from Ridge Manor, competed in the Masters 35+ category and has been actively involved for ten years. Harsin brought a new look as well as a new attitude. “I was out of shape, so I bought a bike, hit the Withlacoochee Trail doing 10 miles on the weekends and saw these guys whizzing by (on bikes) and thought that looked fun!” Harsin said.
Cyclists from Tallahassee to Fort Lauderdale and ages 11 to over sixty all participated in this event.
“Take advantage of the resources we have and try to better your health and that’s the reason I started. I am 54 and I feel great,” Harsin said
For those that are curious about this 16 mile ride, your starting point is Neff Lake Road – then on to :Olympia Road – Spring Lake Hwy – Batten Road – Powell Road – Spring Lake Hwy and back across the finish line at Neff Lake Road.
Hernando County surely did not disappoint the cyclists that competed in this event, with the beautiful scenery and challenging hills, it’s a win win.
For more information about cycling, visit these sites
For national races http://www.usacycling.org/
Florida Races http://www.floridacycling.com/