This past weekend my hometown of Knoxville, Tennessee, hosted the 2017 USA Cycling Professional Road Championships. Bike Law TN couldn’t pass up the opportunity and was a supporter of the weekend long event. True to Bike Law form, we had a great time while helping educate the cycling community to the fact that we exist and are here to help.
On Saturday morning before the racing began, Bike Law fielded a team of five to participate in the charity event, the Pedal for the Red, a fundraiser to benefit the Red Cross, which was the brainchild of the late Sam Beall. We got to ride the time trial course, which made it much more fun to watch the pros compete in the time trials later that day, as we were able to visualize the course as we had experienced it that morning. After the Pedal for the Red ride, we set up at our Bike Law Tent at the expo near the start line and bounced back and forth from our tent to the race course. As could be expected, beyond the excited local crowd which turned out, we met people from all over the country enjoying the racing, including Colorado, Georgia, and Kentucky.
Bike Law Son Wins Individual Time Trial
At 3:05 pm, Bike Law Ken’s son, Joey Rosskopf, began his time trial, and he blew the competition away, becoming the 2017 Time Trial National Champion! Congrats, Ken, and congrats Joey!
On Sunday, the decent-sized crowd from Saturday’s time trials turned into a large crowd who gathered for the women’s and men’s road race. It was awesome. Much like our time in Asheville, NC and Austin, TX for Cyclocross Nationals, Bike Law’s formula of mixing business with pleasure at USA Cycling National Championship events continues to work well. I am totally amped up from watching the racing, as is the rest of my town.
A Successful, and Safe, National Championship
For me, the USA Cycling Pro National Championships coming to Knoxville, Tennessee created the perfect opportunity to collaborate with the Knoxville Police Department. Visit Knoxville! could not have pulled off the well-run USA Cycling Professional National Champs which took place over the weekend, without the help of an amazing group of officers from the Knoxville Police Department. Officers were engaged in crowd control, keeping roadways and intersections closed for the race course, escorting competitors, and even managed to do some cheering while keeping us all safe.
I predict we will see a huge resurgence in road biking in Knoxville. I imagine bike shops will see a spike in sales, and clubs will see an uptick in membership. Riders who have stepped away from the sport will be motivated to return to the saddle, and newcomers will take up the pastime. Non-cyclists who turned out to spectate will have a new respect for those of us who ride, and the Knoxville Police Department, who was intimately involved in running this event and protecting the competitors, is excited about bikes!
