HANOVER CO., Va. (WRIC) — On Wednesday the UCI Road World Championships will take the scenic route as cyclists in the Elite Men’s Time Trials make their way through Hanover and Henrico Counties.
To kick things off, Kings Dominion will open its gates for free at the start line.
Kings Dominion Communications Manager, Katelyn Curry says,“We’re actually standing near the starting line of the men’s elite time trials. They’ll head out right behind me here and take off at our front gates. We’ve had crews here all week setting up. You can see the bike racks here behind me and that’s actually the course that the men will ride down.”
Cyclists will start at Kings Dominion and ride 301 south along Hanover Courthouse Road, eventually picking up East Laburnum Avenue in Henrico and ride into Richmond.
To prepare, road closures and detours will be set up tomorrow ahead of the race.
Area restaurants along the route are also prepping.
“It’s very exciting, we hoping to get our regulars to come in, we’ve already had some reservations to sit outside because we have outdoor seating,” says Christy Baker with Houndstooth and Liliana Café.
Maria Pierce has had the Hanover Cafe for 17 years and says the UCI Championships are the most excitement they’ve seen in a long time.
“We are prepared to set up with some stuff out front for our customers to enjoy the race,” she said. “We’ve never had anything like this happen here before so it’s a whole new experience for us, we really don’t know what to expect at this point, but we are preparing for the best.”
Over at Kings Dominion, fan zones will be set up from 10-4 p.m.for everyone to enjoy the theme park and cheer on their favorite teams.
“We’re hoping that a lot of folks come on out, you know. Hanover county does not have school tomorrow. So, bring the kids out, we’ll have a couple of rides open tomorrow,” Curry added. “You can come into the park for free and watch the guys warm up.”
Henrico and Hanover County schools are both closed tomorrow.
Click here for more information on tomorrow’s road closures.
