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| Finish Line fun at the USA Crits Speed Week |
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| Racing on picturesque Hampton Street |
The anual Pro Cycling bike race that is a part of CRITS Speed Week returned to downtown Walterboro on April 30. A rainy forecast threatened this event but organizers kept a 'rain or shine' mentality and in the end it was not an issue, though more than two inches of rain fell just thirty minutes away at the coast. Some of the main streets in downtown Walterboro are closed at 3 p.m. for the remainder of the day so that Washington Street can serve as the straightaway with historic Hampton Street as the backstretch. The Masters Race began on time at 4 p.m. and the only crash of the day came when three cyclists felt the burn of the pavement after one of them caught a peddle on a protective hay bale along the course, causing a chain reaction. No one was seriously hurt, and a pro men's racer set to ride in the final event of the day said that there would be less chance of a wreck late, despite the higher speeds, since those riders should have more experience. A special kids race helps to bring the residents of Walterboro downtown to join in and support this special day of racing. Sidewalk cafe's are set up and food and beverages are served until the final race is completed just after dark, and the social scene alone keeps the event an annual favorite for locals. The cloudy weather kept the temperatures comfortable, even though the humid conditions brought out a swarm of sand gnats leaving some asking for bug spray - a sure sign of the summer biking season. For results from the 2014 Criterium click
here.
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| Crash aftermath during Masters Race |
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