ST THOMAS — For the first time ever, St. Thomas hosted their own bicycle race thanks to the Virgin Islands Cycling Federation (VICF). In the Rock City Road Race, cyclists were given the opportunity to earn cash prizes for completing a minimum six-mile course. The races began at 6am on Sunday, August 4th between Yacht Haven Grande and Crown Bay. Operating out of St. Croix, the Virgin Islands Cycling Federation was established in 1976 with the goal of developing talent and organizing cycling in the U.S. Virgin Islands. A 501 (c)(3) organization, VICF aims to promote cycling within the territory by:
- Coordinating and developing activity in the U.S. Virgin Islands directly relating to the sport of cycling.
- Promoting and encouraging public participation in cycling.
- Overseas representation at international competitions.
- Assisting individuals and organizations concerned with sports in the development of cycling training.
VICF’s current president, Mervin Mills, shared the organization’s desire to host a race on St. Thomas. “In the past, there’ve been discussions about doing a race over there… we put it on the schedule and just made it happen.” According to Mills, VICF has cyclists in St. Thomas that travel to St. Croix to support and compete. He mentioned that having a race in St. Thomas allowed for different terrains, different features and a different venue.
Rock City Road Race featured different race courses, with the shortest race for the junior cyclists beginning at Yacht Haven Grande to Crown Bay and back for a total of six miles. The other courses included the Women’s and Master’s races at 18 miles, the Sport race at 24 miles, the Expert race at 32 miles, and the Elite race at 48 miles.
VICF hosts several races each year where cyclists can compete for amazing prizes. To learn more about the organization or to get more details about their upcoming races, contact 340-643-5050.
Written by Anquanette Gaspard
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