Every year, I am the co-race director for a youth cycling event called the Nicole Reinhart Memorial Tour de FCCC. The event has been in existence for more than 25 years and I am fortunate enough to have been involved for the last eight years.
Every year, more than 100 young bike racers (ages 10-18) come to the Lehigh Valley to compete in the region’s only Junior Stage Race (FYI, the Tour de France is a stage race). Our stage race has three stages (a Time Trial, a Road Race and a Criterium) and is run over two days. The winners (gold, silver and bronze) of each stage, as well as the overall GC winners in each age group, are honored in a full-fledged podium ceremony. GC stands for General Classification and honors the lowest combined time over the entire event. This year we were lucky; the oppressively hot weather broke and we had a beautiful two days in the countryside of western Lehigh and eastern Berks counties. Children from Virginia to Connecticut, as well as Bermuda, put on their race gear and took to the streets. We could not have had such a successful event if it weren’t for dozens of volunteers, including two of my workmates at Altitude: Jeremy (seen driving the VW wagon following the race with spare wheels and a race official) and Adam, who diligently stopped traffic and instructed drivers on the proper precautions.
Giving back to the community is something we value here at Altitude and this is a very rewarding experience for me every year. But in a pinch for helpers, my teammates came to my rescue, and for that I am truly grateful.
