The Saint Francis Tulsa Tough pro cycling race is on this weekend June 7-9 in Oklahoma. Ahead of one of the premiere events on the US racing calendar, Kim Lucie of the DNA Pro Cycling team took a few minutes to share some thoughts on what makes this race special.
Please introduce yourself and give us a little back ground on you and your team
My name is Kimberly Lucie. I am from Tucson, AZ & I race for DNA Pro Cycling. This is the 12th year for the team & my 6th season crit dawgin’ for the squad. I love technical & hard races of attrition. When I’m not racing bikes, I love snacks and petting actual dogs.
That’s Kim on the front.
What’s your history with this race and what do you think makes this race unique from other races?
When I first started racing, I remember hearing stories about Tulsa and how hard it was/ how crazy the after party at Sound Pony was. This year will be my 7th time racing Tulsa Tough and I can confirm that all the stories are in fact true. I think one of the most unique things about this race is the crowds. Blue Dome is a true twilight crit and that always brings out the fans (& there’s even actual fireworks) but even the next two days at Brady Arts and Cry Baby despite the times getting earlier – the amount of people out there cheering in the blazing Tulsa heat is just amazing!
What are some special memories from racing here in the past?
My first experience racing Tulsa was pre-barriers on Cry Baby Hill and I just remember being mind-blown by how organized the chaos was. It was wild to ride around the corner and see tons of partially clothed humans dancing in the streets and then for them to just part like the sea for us as the whistles blew and then as soon as the field rolled through, they just closed back in on the road. Plus, I won the “Crowd Prime” that year and got a backpack full of sweaty cash which is something you always remember.
Goals for this weekend – what do you and the team hope to achieve?
Our goals for this weekend include – winning some bike races, taking home some jerseys, putting on a show for the fans, and then partying at Sound Pony & Club Majestic on Sunday night.
What would you say to riders and fans who haven’t seen this race before?
If you’re a bike racer in America and you race crits this is 100% something to add to your calendar at least once. I promise, you won’t regret it and if you do, honestly you probably don’t want to be a crit racer. For fans of bike racing – if you’re in the area come out and take in the atmosphere, and if you’re not able to be here in person this is luckily one of the premiere races in the US that you can livestream from the comfort of your air- conditioned home!
• The Saint Francis Tulsa Tough website
• See the latest news from North American road racing at the PEZ Hub Calendar
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