2012 Owen Cup
On Saturday morning, about 35 local and visiting cyclists rode in the sixth Owen Cup. The Virginia Tech Cycling Team hosts the Owen Cup annually on the weekend before the beginning of the collegiate cycling season.
The race sent cyclists on back roads outside Blacksburg limits between Mt. Tabor Road and Catawba Road. A-Class riders, the most advanced type, had to race three laps, with B and C-Class riders racing two laps and one lap based on their skill levels.
Immediately after the race kicked off at 10 a.m., a light rain started falling.
“This is almost always the hardest race of the year. Wind, rain, some kind of weather is always guaranteed,” said John DeLong, who took first place (pictured top, left)
DeLong is a member of Team VeloShine, a local racing team. He graduated from Tech in 2005 and is currently a research specialist at the Center for Automotive Safety Research at the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute.
DeLong said the Owen Cup is more informal than most races and functions as a group practice before the start of the official season.
“It’s a bonding thing, that’s what this is all about,” DeLong said.
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| Photo: Daniel Lin |
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| Photo: Daniel Lin |
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| Photo: Trevor White |
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| Photo: Trevor White |
Owen Cup Photos By Trevor White Face Book album
Owen Cup photos behind the Scenes
