A-D Racing Race Report: Auburn Cycling Classic 2025
The Auburn Cycling Classic is a two day omnium held in Opelika, Alabama. It features a road race, a time trial and a criterium. I joined about 50 riders in the Masters 40 Plus / Masters 50 Plus and Masters 35 Plus B category. I raced my Ultima Carbon Disc Limited Graz for the 50 mile road race and 20 mile criterium and my tt Carbon Limited for the 7 mile time trial (Please search A-D Bikes to learn more about these affordable, beautiful and rideable framesets and the innovative A-D Bikes Sustainability Program or just call me Fred Thomas on 207 415 3746). As usual Topview Sports does a great job of organizing the event and it was fun to visit Alabama for the first time. The rolling hills are beautiful and the City of Auburn has a youthful but historic feeling to it. Strangely enough, it was really cold in the mornings (about twenty-nine degrees), but in the mid fifties by late morning. It felt like Maine in the spring.
I am going to keep this one short. Highlights: 1) Second place in the time trial (15:57 on a fairly flat out and back) which resulted in fourth place finish in the omnium (Peak of the Season). 2) The USA Cycling Chief Moto Referee who gave the most convincing and blunt warning about the yellow line rule I have ever heard in over twenty years of racing. It went something like “If I see you cross the yellow line, I am going to disqualify you immediately and if you don’t believe me just try it.” It was great. 3) The refreshingly high number of enthusiastic and very competitive men and women collegiate riders. Lowlights: 1) Missing the break in the road race. 2) Driving to Lee County Road 177 rather than Lee County Road 11 and almost missing the start of the road race. 3) Following up a decent sprint in the road race with a pretty lame one in the criterium.
Racing in the southeast is great. The fields are big, the bikes are cool, the competition is strong and it is unheard of for me to get in this much racing so early in the season. It is also great to see parts of the region I would never see otherwise. Alabama is a beautiful state and it has even bigger hills and higher elevations further west. Auburn University and its spirited support for its basketball team permeates the city and it was fun to be there on the occasion of their successful game against University of Georgia. I look forward to more racing in this part of the country.