Hundreds compete in Greenville Cycling Classic

GREENVILLE, S.C. (WSPA) — Hundreds of cyclists rode through Greenville as part of of the Greenville Cycling Classic.

Thursday’s event featured amateur and professional cyclists from across the southeast.

“They might go 40 to 50 laps,” Tor Bennstrom, an organizer of the Greenville Cycling Classic, said. “Each lap could take a minute, so 40 or 50 minutes. They could be doing anywhere from 25 to 35 miles per hour going down our streets.”

Cyclists rode through the heart of downtown as people of all ages cheered them along.

“I’ve watched the Tour de France and some other cycling events but never here in the city,” Ryan Patecell, who attended the competition, said. “It’s really cool to see just the speed at which the cyclists move and the competitiveness of the races.”

Dillard Townley was one of the first winners of the day. He finished first in the Men’s Category 4/5 race.

“The course is really great,” Townley said. “I liked how there were so many turns. It was pretty hard having to stay in the front the whole time like that.”

This was the first cycling competition to be held in Greenville since 2016. Bennstrom said the city provided an ideal backdrop for the races.

“For anybody who likes to ride a bike and comes to Greenville, without hesitation and without any fail, they constantly remind us all that this is a fantastic place to ride,” Bennstrom said.

As the sun set, the crowd prepared for the biggest and longest race of the day where 130 professional cyclists competed for the grand prize.

“That will be about an hour and a half race,” Bennstrom said. “70 laps. That will be thrilling. It’s like a freight train flying down the street.”

The competition is part of the Speed Week Race Series. Races will be held in Spartanburg on Friday and in Athens, Georgia on Saturday.

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