The 2nd event of the Southern/Eastern Double Century Series was held Saturday, June 1, a 210-mile ride from Kernersville, N.C. (between Greensboro and Winston-Salem) to Ocean Isle Beach, N.C. (between Wilmington and Myrtle Beach).
The morning began cool, which combined with having race numbers and a police escort for 15 miles, encouraged an unusually fast pace.
Although we only started with 14 riders, we still had 13 together after 70 miles, despite an average speed of 21.5 mph. As usual, Terry "the Blountville Blaze" Arnold eventually went off the front, soon to be joined by Ralph Schlief and Shannon Woodruff. Shannon wisely dropped back to the main group after a few miles. The support stayed with the main group, and provided us with bagels, peanut butter, bananas and cookies at a lunch break shortly after the century mark.
A lead group of 7 finally overtook Arnold and Schlief around mile 170. The pace continued fast to the end, despite pesky east winds, with an on-the-bike average of nearly 21mph for the first finishers, and all finishers arriving beachside in under 12 hours.
The 3rd edition of The Beach Double is tentatively scheduled for May 31, 1997.
RESULTS -- BEACH DOUBLE CENTURY
Tom Fanning, Dixonville, PA (Western Pa. Wheelmen), 10.58, 4 points.
Shannon Woodruff, Gainesville, FL (Gainesville Cycling Club), s.t., 4 points.
David Petree, Greensboro, NC (Piedmont Flyers), s.t., 4 points.
Paul Evans, Montebello, VA (Land of Sky/Pro Bikes), s.t., 4 points (7 points).
Jimmy Williams, Kernersville, NC (Land of Sky/Pro Bikes), 11.09, 3 points.
Adrian Rubio, Greensboro, NC (unattached), 11.15, 3 points.
Terry Arnold, Blountville, TN (Tri-City Road Club), 11.35, 3 points (4 points).
Rick Offerman, Kingsport, TN (Tri-City Road Club), s.t., 3 points.
Roger Pierce, Gainesville, FL (Gainesville Cycling Club), 11.37, 3 points.
Ralph Schlief, Gainesville, FL (Gainesville Cycling Club), s.t., 3 points.
Ricky Boyd, High Point, NC (Piedmont Flyers), 11.55, 3 points.
Martin Holley, DNF, cramps, 1 point.
Staffan Viden, DNF, fatigue, 1 point.
Barry Poteat, DNF, fatigue, 1 point.
(Point system: start, 1; finish, 2; finish first 1. Total series points, if different, in parentheses.)