Come and Take It Bicycle Race Returns

The second annual Come and Take It Bicycle Race, sponsored by Southern Clay Products Inc., gets underway Saturday morning in downtown Gonzales, and then shifts to Cost for Sunday’s road race.

The weekend of racing is expected to attract 400 racers to the area for each day of racing. Proceeds from the event will benefit the Gonzales Healthcare Systems Foundation.

The criterium event on Saturday begins at 7:30 a.m. and is expected to end at 5:30 p.m., with 10 races throughout the day. Criterium races consist of fast laps around a short circuit that is closed to traffic, and are great events for spectators because the pace is fast and racers pass by every few minutes. The course route includes St. Lawrence, St. Paul, St. Louis and Smith streets. The start/finish line will be on St. Louis Street near the intersection with Rather Street. During race hours, the race loop will be closed to traffic. Motorists will be directed around the course to their destinations by course marshals who will be at each intersection.

There will be a children’s race during intermission at 11:30 a.m. Any child with a bike is invited to participate and complete one lap of the same course the racers will be using. All children who participate will receive a medal. Parents must register their children at race registration, which is behind the Gonzales County Courthouse on St. Paul Street. All riders, including children, must wear a helmet to participate. Helmets for children can be borrowed at registration.

Sunday’s race will be held in Cost beginning at 8 a.m. The start/finish line is on FM 466 about 1/8 mile from the intersection with Highway 97. The Cost road race is a 33-mile loop comprised of state Highway 97, FM 1682, U.S. Highway 80 and FM 466. Racers will either make one circuit of the loop or two, depending on their race category. The course will be open to traffic during the race, but motorists are asked to proceed with caution and be alert to racers and race vehicles.

Last year’s race provided both revenue for Gonzales businesses and benefits to a local charity, Norma’s House. Southern Clay Products has again provided financial support to the Gonzales community as the race title sponsor for 2012.

The feedback from the racers in the July 2011 event was overwhelmingly positive, race coordinators report. The racers praised the venue and the local support. Racers expected to participate this year will be predominately from Texas, but many states will be represented at the event. Last year, notable racers at the event were David Wenger, U.S. National Elite Criterium champion; Dulce Pliego, Mexican Women’s National Road Race champion; Laura Van Gilder, the winningest woman cyclist in U.S. history; and Kristian House, former British National Road Race champion. Wenger will return to the race in 2012, and will be joined by U.S. National Women’s Road Race champion Robin Farina along with a host of other professional racers.