COLUMBUS CYCLING CLUB

Promoting Bicycling in the Chattahoochee Valley

For more see www.columbuscyclingclub.org

 

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EBULLETIN (An ‘Almost’ Weekly Cycling Newsletter)

February 22, 2005

Issue # 50 – Event News

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TOUR DE GEORGIA – VOLUNTEER AND WATCH THE RACE IN ROME!

An Invitation from Dora Ditchfield - Coosa Valley Cycling Association (CVCA) - Volunteer

 

Hello CCC members!

 

Greetings from Rome, GA, host city to TWO stages of the 2005 Dodge Tour de Georgia!  I hope that many of you are planning to come to Rome on April 20th & 21st to see the stage finish (complete with three circuits downtown, including a VERY steep climb up “Clock Tower Hill”) on the 20th and the time trial on the 21st.  If you haven’t been to Rome before, it is a wonderful town with the biggest sense of community and “can do” spirit I’ve ever experienced (I’m a Columbus native and just moved here a few years ago), and it really shines when it comes to sponsoring the Tde GA.  The LOC (local organizing committee) has been meeting for months already to prepare for the great event.

 

Along those lines, the president of our local cycling club (CVCA- Coosa Valley Cycling Association) and I are in charge of securing all volunteers for the time trial on the 21st.  We’ve been in constant communication with city and county police and organizers from last year, and it looks like we are going to need 175 course marshal volunteers to have the route covered to keep it safe for both fans and riders.  I cannot tell you how exciting the event is and, if you are planning on coming to Rome anyway, we would LOVE to have your help as a volunteer.  Obviously, it is a commitment.  The TT itself will last about three hours, and you would need to be at your assigned location an hour in advance.  But, oh, how wonderful to be a part of this event!!

 

I’m attaching a TT volunteer application as well as a map of the course.  If you would like to volunteer, please fill it out and “snail mail” it to me (we need to have your actual signature for the waiver of liability) to the address listed on the form.  Please only fill one out if you are absolutely sure that you will be able to help.  Because check-in will be in the morning, you would really need to come up the evening before if you are planning on helping.  We will make all assignments at least several weeks in advance and, since you will probably not be able to make it to the volunteering training session provided by Tde GA staff, we will e-mail a great volunteer handout to you, a list of things to bring, directions to the various check-in stations, and basically everything you need to know.  At check-in you would get your volunteer t-shirt and any other free stuff we can secure for you as our way to say “thanks”.

 

Regardless if you are coming to volunteer or just be a spectator, please do come!  I would highly recommend that you plan to be here for both stages so you can enjoy all the excitement.  The stage race on the 20th is expected to arrive in Rome at 5:30 p.m., so you could leave Columbus at noon, check into a hotel in Rome, and be downtown with time to spare (its 3 &1/2 hours max. from Columbus).  We (the LOC) are planning all sorts of fun activities to occur downtown that night, so there should be plenty to do.  Planning to bring your bike for a short spin while you’re here?  I’d be happy to provide directions for our club’s weekday 27-mile route—a beautiful ride with a rolling hills (a few good ones), little traffic and lots of wonderful scenery (horses, cows, llamas, you name it).

 

Okay, where to stay?  Well, there are a number of hotel chains in Rome which you can look up on the internet (Hampton Inn etc.) but, I found out in today’s LOC meeting that many of them are already booked.  There is a new, plain, little motel on the north side of town (about a 4 &1/2 mile direct shot to downtown and all the action) that I would highly recommend.  There’s no pool or pretty scenery, but it is brand new and the rooms are GREAT (refrigerator, microwave, hairdryer, the works).  Prices are $48 + tax for a double, and $43 + tax for a single (King).  Business is slow since it is new and not a chain, so I bet that the CCC could probably book the entire place!  If interested, it is called King’s Inn, and the number is 706-233-9364.  It is located on Martha Berry Hwy. (the same as Hwy. 27), 2.2 miles north of Berry College.  I’m sure that rooms will be going fast there soon as well, so you won’t want to delay in making reservations.

 

We hope to see you in April, and please pass the word along to your friends!

 

(See Attached)

·    Time Trial Volunteer Application (MS Word document)

·    Tour de Georgia, Rome Time Trial Map (PDF file)

 

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CLUB CONTACTS AND INFORMATION

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MEMBERSHIP - Membership forms can be found at any of your local bike shops:  Arnold Bicycles, Mike's Bikes, or Ride On Bike Shop or on the website. Please complete the membership form and waiver, attach your check and mail everything to the address on the bottom of the form. If you have any questions about membership or renewal, please contact us directly Annette Santiago (asantiago@tsys.com) or Barry Carswell (706/644-1783) Be sure to send an email note telling us you have mailed your form or dropped it at the bike shop, so that we can be get you added to the e-bulletin distribution list right away, and be on the look out for your membership.

 

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SUBMISSIONS

If you have anything you would like to submit to the CCC e-bulletin, contact Barry Carswell at 644-1783 (daytime) or email at bcarswel@tsys.com, or contact Annette Santiago at 649-5122 (daytime) or email at asantiago@tsys.com