On behalf of Page Valley Cycling, I wanted to take a moment to thank the people and Town of Shenandoah and the surrounding communities for their patience and hospitality this past Saturday during the third annual Shenandoah Time Trial bicycle race.
Even though it’s only a few hours once a year, I know that this event presented some inconveniences for residents along the course, particularly this year with the community yard sale scheduled for the same day. While we make every effort to inform all residents through the town newsletter and by delivering flyers directly to homes along the race course, I understand that some are caught by surprise. Thus, I am particularly appreciative of the courtesy shown our volunteer road guards, who work hard to assure the safety of the event for both the racers and motorists.
As the Race Director, the only compensation I get from the event is the satisfaction of putting on an event in a place I love for a sport I love. However, residents should know that there are some benefits to the community. As a not-for-profit organization, Page Valley Cycling provides a sizeable donation of its race revenue to designated charities, including Choices of Page County, which provides direct assistance to victims of domestic violence and sexual abuse. Already, we have donated $2 thousand to that organization, and we plan to donate more at the end of the racing season. We also provided a contribution to the Shenandoah Heritage Society on race day and will be donating to the Shenandoah Volunteer Rescue Squad in the near future.
Last year, a little over 530 people visited Shenandoah for the time trial, including 203 bike racers. Survey estimates show somewhere around $12 thousand was spent locally on food and merchandise, and about $9 thousand on lodging. More importantly, the visiting racers were left with a positive impression of the town and its people, which means additional future revenue for the town and its businesses with return trips. The impression left by one visitor says it all: I most likely will visit Shenandoah off the bike because of my experience there on the bike. While we have not completed the survey for this year, with a comproble amount of racers attending, I fully expect similar outcomes.
I know that we had a number of logistical issues this year that will need addressing, and I already have some ideas to increase the safety of the event. While we have not had any major incidence in our three years running this event, there’s always room for improvement. I welcome any input from residents as well. Please feel free to contact me at
Again, thank you for your patience and hospitality during the Shenandoah Time Trial and for contributing to the success of the event.
Sincerely,
Christopher Gould
Race Director, Page Valley Cycling
WWVC Racing
