The Shenandoah Time Trial was held Saturday July 28th in Shenandoah Virginia and was presented by Page Valley Cycling & WWVC Racing.
Registration was held at Historic Stevens Cottage on Maryland Avenue. Shenandoah's Mayor, Clinton O. Lucas Jr. and Assistant Town Manager Juanita Roudabush were handing out welcome bags, water and gator aid to all racers. Nancy Karens and other Shenandoah Heritage Center volunteers were selling sandwiches and sodas inside Stevens Cottage. Shenandoah Police Department was on hand controlling traffic at the intersection of Highway 340 & Shenandoah Avenue. The Shenandoah Rescue Squad was staged at the intersection of Fleeburg and Naked Creek Road. Volunteers with the Shenandoah Merchants Association and other volunteers also assisted with traffic control at key intersections throughout the course. The start line was set up on Shenandoah Avenue between 7th & 8th Street, and the finish line was moved this year to Back Road between 10th & 11th Street. Medals were presented at Stevens Cottage to 1st, 2nd, & 3rd place finshers in each of the categories by Chris Gould.
Nearly 200 racers had pre-registered for this year's race. They came from all parts of Virginia, D.C., West Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Delaware and ages ranged from 11 to 74. This was the second consecutive year that the Page Valley Cycling has held this race in Shenandoah. "The town is honored to have the Virginia Cycling Association designate the Shenandoah Time Trial as the Virginia senior championship!" said Clinton Lucas, Jr., Mayor of Shenandoah. "We were pleased to assist Page Valley Cycling and Whole Wheel Velo Club by hosting the time trial in 2011 and look forward to helping once again with the 2012 race. We are especially excited about welcoming our brave troops here to compete in Shenandoah. It is notable that Shenandoah Time Trial is the only time trial in the series outside the Tidewater region."
"It was a pleasure to work with the Page Valley Cycling on last years time trial here in Shenandoah", said Shenandoah Merchants Association Secretary Gary Patterson. "Judging from the look of the racers coming into the finishing stretch, it's clearly a tough course and it's not surprising that this event was designated a championship race."
In post-race surveys from last year's race, racers cited the friendliness of the people and natural beauty of the area as reasons to come back and visit. The time trial course itself also received praise, drawing comparisons to time trials in Europe. The race also provided a small economic benefit the promoter hopes will grow in future years. According to survey results, participants and friends spent a little over $15,000 on food, merchandise, and lodging in Page County over race weekend. Some revenue from last years time trial and Page Valley Cycling's annual Tour of Page County bicycle race was also donated to support the Shenandoah Rescue Squad.
Please follow this link to see over 290 photographs of this year's race:
https://1drv.ms/u/s!BAeVZ3gFdb-onRi3dX-wEEVv45NG?e=THeaWe
COURSE DESCRIPTION: The START will take place on Shenandoah Ave just off of Route 340 in the Town of Shenandoah situated along the Shenandoah River and nestled between the Blue Ridge and Massanutten Mountain in southern Page County, this new time trial course includes a small technical section in town before heading out to a hilly section. The 40 km version also includes a false flat following the Naked Creek as it passes the gravesites of Revolutionary War soldiers going up a hollow into the Blue Ridge and a turn-around point at Jollett Bible Mission Church (just prior to a steep ridge known as the Devil's Jump). The in-town portions of the course will be traffic-controlled by the Shenandoah Police Department in order to assure the safety of the event, and the county portions of the course are lightly-traveled. At about 5 km into the course on Fleeburg Road, there is a dip in the road after a descent which will be well-marked by signs. The course is smooth asphalt, although there are several bridges with bumpy surfaces, and which will be well-marked. While a road bike is acceptable in this race, it's been tested and passed by several guys on TT bikes!
