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Fourth Annual Boone-Roubaix Bicycle Race Draws Hundreds to High Country for Brutal Competition

April 26, 2013. Pirate Race Productions’ fourth annual cycling event, the Boone-Roubaix Spring Classic Race and Gran Fondo presented by Performance Bike attracted a record field to the High Country on Saturday. The event, part of the the Capo Cycling Apparel King of Pain Series, challenges cyclists to ride a challenging 50 mile course featuring steep climbs and unpaved roads. Participants traveled from 14 states for the event, spending over $33,000 while visiting the area. The event raised $1,000 for Wine to Water and contributed over $700 to local first responders.  

images-6In addition to the infamous climbs and unpaved roads that make Boone-Roubaix one of the fastest growing road races in America, this year riders faced starting temperatures in the low 40s with a gusting breeze driving the wind chill well under freezing. Past winner Brian Sheedy (Brevard, NC – GIANT Factory Team) warmed up quickly, setting a blistering pace from the gun over the first Secteur Pave, a three mile stretch of pothole and gravel strewn roadway, that immediately established a group of 35 that would remain largely unthreated for the remainder of the day.

At mile 18, the then helped launch the decisive break on the Category Two climb up Ben Bolen Road. He then dropped the lead group on the penultimate hill of the day in the last five miles of the race. However, 2012 victor Joe Carpissasi (Winston-Salem, NC – Mock Orange Bikes/Smart Stop pb Mountain Khakis), and NCCX Series Champion Wes Richards (Winston-Salem, NC – Clemons Bicycles) paired up to charge over the final Secteur Pave in a desperate attempt to reel him in, but never were able to regain sight of Sheedy who was able to take the overall win in 2:25:43.13.

In a blistering sprint over the muddy track into the finish, Richards took the second podium step and the Under 30 division win ahead of Carpissasi. Stephanie Swan (Pittsburgh, PA – Team CF) donned the Capo Custom Queen of Pain leader’s jersey after spending most of the day dropping the boys on the climbs. Only after establishing a commanding lead on the Koppenberg of the High County, Big Flatts Church Road, did she allow a following group of male riders to tail on and collaborate against the building wind along the New River. Swan took the Women’s title in 2:47:56.59, ahead of Amanda Schaap (Jensen, MI – Team Kenda pb RACC) at 2:56:48.67, and Angelina Stevenson (Chapel Hill, NC – Spokeswoman Syndicate) at 3:07:33.39. Full results are available at www.BooneRoubaix.com/results.

Thanks to the hard work of the Appalachian State University student groups the Wine to Water Club, the Order of the Black and Gold, and the Ladies Elite Service Club, Pirate Race Productions is donating $1,000 on their behalf to Wine to Water, enabling the charity to build two new drinking wells in Cambodia.

Not only did Boone-Roubaix delight racers and raise money for Wine to Water, it also resulted in a $33,000 boost to the local economy. The event attracted over 250 visitors to the High Country during a cold and blustery weekend between the ski and summer tourists seasons. The cyclists spent over $13,500 on lodging, nearly $12,000 on dining and $8,000 doing other shopping while visiting the Boone area for the race. Notably, the Boone Tourism Development Association will completely recoup its marketing investment in the event as a result of occupancy tax revenue generated by the racers. 

The next stop in the Capo Cycling Apparel King of Pain Series is the Tom Dula’s Revenge Spring Classic Race and Gravel FUNdo in Wilkesboro, NC on June 2. Racers and recreational riders will be able to enjoy another Roubaix-style event on the scenic country roads of Wilkes County that inspired countless bluegrass legends, while chasing the ghost of Tom “Dooley” Dula.

Pirate Race Productions’ specializes in creating social media buzz around unique and exciting events to help our business partners attract dedicated new customers. Pirate Race Productions is dedicated to staging and promoting athletic events that are incredibly fun for our participants, valuable marketing opportunities for our sponsors, a positive contribution to our host communities, and provide great entertainment for our spectators. Visit BikeHighCountry.com to learn about our upcoming events including Tom Dula’s Revenge Spring Classic Race and Gravel FUNdo June 2 in Wilkesboro, The Ascent August 11 in Blowing Rock, and Three Peaks USA UltraCross September 22 in Banner Elk.