Cycling Race and Fundraiser Tour de Gap Coming to Abilene Area July 28th

If you’ve ever been out towards Wylie or the 707 area then you’ve seen all the cyclists in training. I’m not sure if they are a herd or a gaggle but they usually travel in groups of 10-15 and they are serious about their riding. They are getting ready for next Saturday’s Tour de Gap, a 77 mile ride to raise money for the Food Bank of West Central Texas.

I’m not a cyclist but I have friends who are and they ride 20 plus miles a day to get in shape for such an event. There are many health benefits of riding but there are also some hazards as well. One friend hit a bit of gravel, lost control and face planted. She’s one tough cookie though, despite the scrapes and bruises to knees, elbows, chin and face she got back on her bike and continued her ride.

They ride at a pretty good pace too. I know this because a highway patrol was running his radar gun as my friends rode by one day and he yelled “15″, luckily they were in a 20mph zone so they didn’t get a ticket!

Cyclists are hard core athletes, especially those doing the Tour de Gap. The Tour actually has various routes you can register for ranging from 11 miles to the complete 77 miles. There are even categories for youngsters too. For more details about registration and the event see the Tour de Gap website.