don't take it for granted

I don't consider myself to be a huge pro cycling fan. I have a tremendous amount of admiration for them, it's just that - when it comes to endurance sports - I'd rather participate than watch.
That said, I watched more of this year's Tour de France than I ever have before. It seemed to be looping on the Versus channel every hour of the day, so I could watch most of it after work, then tune back in later in the night for my favorite parts. The last 10K of each stage always put me on the edge of my seat (or bed).

The Tour is over now but, if you live around here, you can start getting excited about the top American pros racing in Greenville. It's very cool when you think about it. Riders like George Hincapie, Dave Zabriskie and Craig Lewis were suffering on the Alps in June, and they'll be hurting on Paris Mountain in September.

Also, every professional athlete's performance and ability is much more impressive when seen live and up close. Pro cyclists aren't very intimidating when sitting still, but once they clip in and hammer past you on the road, they'll inspire you to cheer and high-five strangers.

If you watch the USA Cycling Pro Championships and enjoy riding around here, it's even more impressive. Local cyclists will watch them glide up Paris Mountain much like local golfers might watch Lucas Glover manhandle the toughest hole at Thornblade.

Taking that analogy a step further, the P3 Stars and Stripes Challenge allows local and regional riders to tee it up on the road race course just a couple of hours before the pros. It's an incredible opportunity, one that few other sports fans could ever hope to enjoy.

If you haven't been out to watch the professional cyclists race through Greenville over the past few years, I highly recommend you try it this year. If you do, I don't believe you will be disappointed.
 
Richard Osborne

Publisher, Go Magazine