Thanks to the hilly terrain - and the support of two Canton mainstays - a nationally sanctioned pro-am bicycle race will draw about 400 riders to Canton this weekend.

The French Broad Cycling Classic’s road race leg will start and finish at the Canton Recreation Park on Saturday, Aug. 4. Races begin at 9 a.m. and different divisions have staggered start times until 1:50 p.m.
The race is being called the Blue Ridge Paper/Canton Papertown Road Race. The 16-mile loop course travels up N.C. 215 to U.S. 276, to Raccoon Road, up Ratcliffe Cover Road, into Stamey Cove and then back to N.C. 215 and a finish at the recreation park.

“We were in Canton in the early 1990s, and then switched to Hendersonville,” said race promoter Richard Dunn. “We had a lot of people say they wanted a hillier race.”

Dunn also credited Blue Ridge Paper and the Canton Papertown Association for their tremendous help.“They've really done a lot of the legwork,” he said.

“Both sponsors have done a whole lot to bring this race to Haywood County,” Dunn said.

Gail Guy, director of the Canton Papertown Association, said she hopes it is back to stay.

“We asked them to come back to the area. Plus, the racers said they had wanted a course that was more challenging, so it’s just a good fit,” Guy said. She said local law enforcement agencies and others have made it relatively easy to bring the race to Canton.

“I think this will be good mini economic boost. These people will spend some money in the county,” Guy said.

The course winds from Canton to Bethel and includes steep climbs over Waynesville Mountain, Ratcliff Cove and Stamey Cove. The start and finish are flat.

The Canton ride is one leg of the French Broad Classic’s three-race omnium. It includes an Aug. 3 20-K time trial along the French Broad in Marshall, the Aug. 4 race in Canton, and an Aug. 5 criterium
through the campus of UNC Asheville. Although riders can earn points in all three races, it is possible to register for any of the individual events. The amateur category of the Canton race, the “Cat 5-Citizen” category, begins at 9:15 a.m. and is 36 miles long.

However, race organizers limit to 50 the riders who can participate in the amateur category.

“In road racing, your ability to ride in a pack is very important. You can be dangerous to others if you don’t know what you are doing,” said Janet Hall, one of the race organizers.

Women amateurs will race in a category known as “Cat IV” that starts at 9:10 a.m. and goes 36 miles. The race is part of the Smart Fuel Women Cycling Series, a relatively prestigious series of races throughout the Southeast.

Women pros begin at 1:50 p.m. and will race 52 miles. The pro men start at 1:30 and will race 85 miles. The pro and upper level categories can have up to 100 racers, said Richard Dunn.

The French Broad Cycling Classic is put on by the Asheville Bicycle Racers Club, which has been organizing races in the mountains for the last 20 years, said Herb Young, a club member who is in charge of volunteers.

Young is still recruiting volunteers who might like to help on race day. Anyone interested can use the contact information that is in the infobox acompanying this article.

Dunn expects 300 to 400 riders each day, based on last year's figures.

“This year we are the only race in the Southeast. Last year we had about 300 a day and there were some other races,” Dunn said. “This year we should get more.”

Young and Dunn both said spectators are encouraged along the route, and that there will be traffic disruptions throughout the day.

“I definitely think this could be an exciting spectator event. Where the climbs are located are good spots because the riders slow, and also at the finish line,” said Dunn.

Among the top racers who will be competing are Andy Applegate, a member of the Subaru Racing Team and the recent winner of the 35-39 age group national championship.

 

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