A Local Perspective:
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The Blood Sweat and Gears Century (100 mile) and Half Century (50 mile) routes attract over 1000 bicyclists from throughout the southeastern U.S. But for some lucky Sugar Grove, North Carolina residents the event has a very local flavor. The photos on this page are from one short stretch of a road in Sugar Grove where the Century route bicyclists pass by. At this point, they have cycled over 80 miles including the climb over Snake Mountain (4500' elevation.) However, they have just finished the flattest part of the, Old Highway 421 before arriving at this point and are mentally preparing for the ride through Bethel and back to Valle Crucis. |
A few neighbors gathered for over 3 hours to cheer the participants on and noted that, the further back in the pack the cyclists were, the more appreciative they were of the spectators' support. The cyclists passed by the beautiful, rural areas of Sugar Grove, North Carolina. Sites included many Carolina barns, horses and ponies, cows and other livestock and the blooming daylilies that the mountain region is famous for.
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" Proceeds from the ride will benefit the Jeremy Dale Fisher Fund and The Russell Fund, established by the Watauga County Chapter of the American Red Cross , which provides assistance to local families that are displaced by fire, flood or similar disasters. " "The Russell Fund honors the memory of Leo Russell Keene III, who died in the tragic attacks on the World Trade Center buildings in New York City on September 11, 2001. Russ was a security analyst for Keefe, Bruyette & Woods covering the e-brokerage sector. He had an MBA in Finance from the University of Tampa and was 33 years old. He died a "hero" helping other people get out of the elevator in which they were trapped. |
Long after the front-runners passed the finish line in Valle Crucis, bicyclists passed by this point in Sugar Grove with several tough climbs remaining. It left the spectators with great respect for those who take hours longer to complete the run than the leaders and who must take home with them a felling of great pride at finishing this demanding course. |
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Links to references in this article and to sites related to the Watauga lake Boat Parade:
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