Virginia Blue Ridge Cyclocross comes to an end on Sunday

ROANOKE, Va. (WDBJ) - Sunday is the final day of the Virginia Blue Ridge Cyclocross event and although there was a bit of rain, that didn’t stop cyclists from pedaling.

The USCX Cyclocross Series presented by Fat Tire started at Virginia’s Blue Ridge Go Cross on September 16 and 17.

“It is a closed course where cyclists are doing a kind of athletic and technical things like climbing up over stairs, hopping over barriers, running through sand pits, going over this flyer you see behind,” says Virginia Blue Ridge Cyclocross event manager, Kait Pedigo. “It’s a really exciting really fun spectator type of racing.”

Pedigo says everyone is welcome to improve their skill set.

“So we have a lot of elite riders who are here to get points and then we also have a lot of amateurs who are invested in the sport who are coming out to race on the same course of those pro athletics,” added Pedigo.

Cara Schultz competitively raced for eight years. This is her sixth time racing at the Blue Ridge Cyclocross.

She says she picked up Cyclocross because of family.

“I started racing because my husband was racing and once my son was grown and out of the house, I was coming along watching and I’m like, ‘I need to get some exercises so why I don’t do this too,’” said Cara Shultz.

Shultz and Irasar Kisov met through cyclocross years ago. Both of their teams are rivals and often race head-to-head.

“She and I have battled it out for second and third place. And she beats me every time by a margin,” stated Shultz.

Kisov says she enjoys the thrill of racing and the unexpected turns it entails.

“You come to the race; you don’t know how it’s going to pan out. It’s challenging, it’s very difficult but at the end of the race, you let it all out on the course. You feel good sometimes better sometimes not that good,” explained Kisov.

“It’s both physical and intellectual challenge so you build up your physical the best way you can before coming here. And then intellectually you have to say what went right and what can you do better next time,” added Shultz.

Both cyclists are among many who train for this competition all year long, in hopes of improving.

“It’s been a really fun time, we’ve seen people from all over the country, Canadians, people from France, Belgians all kinds of people from all over the country. It’s been really cool to catch up with them and see people come back after last year,” says Pedigo.

Pedigo hopes everyone enjoyed the spectating and participating in the event and can’t wait to see everyone next year.

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