Cycle North Carolina - Day 3

CNC Day 3
Statesville to Thomasville
19.1 mph average speed
35.6 mph maximum speed
3:15:30 ride time
62.21 miles
about 2320 feet of climbing

Today's route to Thomasville was really nice. Tim was loving it and Tim and Jon raced each other, dusting me. The unfortunate thing is that while Tim and Jon raced on ahead, Doug, Chris and I got split up and ended up riding solo.

The course had several hills but was much more rolling with about 2320 feet of climbing. We did run into a construction project that held us up and nearly 100 cyclists ended up waiting at the intersection. Since we all trickle out of the campsite at various times and then get further strung out as the day progresses, it's unusual for that many cyclists to be at any one spot that far into the ride -- even at a rest stop.

Cyclists line up at construction zone at NC801 and US64 (top), Chris at construction zone (middle), Doug at construction zone (bottom)

The one bad thing that happened on the ride is that I broke my perfect record. All last year and until day 3 of this year, I did not miss a single CNC rest stop. Three or four miles after the construction zone, there was a rest stop. Tim and Jon raced ahead out of site. I could see Doug and Chris. Neither of them stopped. It was a PB&J stop too! There is only one PB&J stop per day! Oh no! So much for my perfect record.

When we arrived in Thomasville we felt truly welcome. The Baptist Home for Children hosted us and they did a great job. They had good vendors at the finish -- pizza, burgers, nachos, sandwiches, etc. The indoor camping was great and much more appropriate than the cobble together camping in Statesville.

Every overnight stop has some sort of entertainment. Thomasville had High Point University do some entertainment for us. We saw a solo artist, whose name I did not catch and then she played with her friend Caleb Lovely, who was quite good. Finally, the Genesis Gospel Choir sang for us.

Bobby Labonte rode from Statesville to Thomasville with the CNC riders and he did a little presentation in Thomasville.

The mayor of Thomasville had a proclamation and invited CNC to come back. Ragan from CNC said that he hoped to return every three years.