Tour DuPont route redux



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Chiefhiawatha

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Hey all,

Going on a family trip from Chicago to NC.

Planning on stopping in Washington DC for a couple of days, and then head down to meet up at
Cape Hatteras.

Before I (litrally by paul shwerwen) die of boredom in Cape Hatteras, I'd like to hit some of the
more well-known spots in NC.

So what climbs or other highlights should I plan to hit on our meander from DC through
North Carolina.

I've done parts of the Blue Ridge Parkway, so it is a given that I will put in some miles there.

Anything else? Where were all the big stages in the Tour DuPont?

Thanks for any help
 
1996:http://web.outsideonline.com/events/dupont/stages.html

chiefhiawatha wrote:
> Hey all,
>
> Going on a family trip from Chicago to NC.
>
> Planning on stopping in Washington DC for a couple of days, and then head down to meet up at Cape
> Hatteras.
>
> Before I (litrally by paul shwerwen) die of boredom in Cape Hatteras, I'd like to hit some of the
> more well-known spots in NC.
>
> So what climbs or other highlights should I plan to hit on our meander from DC through North
> Carolina.
>
> I've done parts of the Blue Ridge Parkway, so it is a given that I will put in some miles there.
>
> Anything else? Where were all the big stages in the Tour DuPont?
>
> Thanks for any help
 
Hmm. The Blue Ridge Parkway isn't exactly on the way from Chicago to Cape Hatteras, but OK. You
should go there and ride around Boone - visit Beech and do some hill repeats a la Lance. It's only
about 6 hours out of your way. What makes you think you'll die of boredom in Hatteras? It's one of
the most beautiful places on earth, IMHO. Granted, the riding there won't be very exciting. Unless
you consider a 30mph headwind exciting.

If I were you, I'd go

[email protected] (chiefhiawatha) wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
> Hey all,
>
> Going on a family trip from Chicago to NC.
>
> Planning on stopping in Washington DC for a couple of days, and then head down to meet up at Cape
> Hatteras.
>
> Before I (litrally by paul shwerwen) die of boredom in Cape Hatteras, I'd like to hit some of the
> more well-known spots in NC.
>
> So what climbs or other highlights should I plan to hit on our meander from DC through North
> Carolina.
>
> I've done parts of the Blue Ridge Parkway, so it is a given that I will put in some miles there.
>
> Anything else? Where were all the big stages in the Tour DuPont?
>
> Thanks for any help
 
[email protected] (chiefhiawatha) wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
> Hey all,
>
> Going on a family trip from Chicago to NC.
>
> Planning on stopping in Washington DC for a couple of days, and then head down to meet up at Cape
> Hatteras.
>
> Before I (litrally by paul shwerwen) die of boredom in Cape Hatteras, I'd like to hit some of the
> more well-known spots in NC.
>
> So what climbs or other highlights should I plan to hit on our meander from DC through North
> Carolina.
>
> I've done parts of the Blue Ridge Parkway, so it is a given that I will put in some miles there.
>
> Anything else? Where were all the big stages in the Tour DuPont?
>
> Thanks for any help

The Beech Mtn stage climbed Roan Mtn from the NC side (I haven't ridden that side). The TN side is a
good 7.5+ mile climb with a good road because it is a state park. If you are pressed for time you
can take a left on 194 before climbing into Newland for a shortcut to Beech. Also, 221 between
Grandfather Mtn and Blowing Rock is a *great* road on a bike. We are racing Sept. 13&14 with the
Beech Mtn Hillclimb from Valle Crusis to Beech on Saturday and the Boone Crit on Sunday. Ashe County
(north of Boone) is primo for riding though, less traffic and plenty of great roads.
 
I believe Mt. Mitchell (tn , nc border) was on the the last tour du pont. Little switzerland off of
rt. 221 . Banner Elk , beech mt. (ski resort) comes to mind .
 
Regardless of whether it was in Tour duPont or not, you need to do Mt. Mitchell. It's the premier
climb in NC to the highest point east of the Mississippi River. If you've done the parkway
before, you probably know where you enter Mt. Mitchell State Park. From the entrance to the top
is about 3 miles IIRC. It's a very steep 2 miles, then it eases off for the last mile. The common
route most folks take is to start from Marion, NC. From there, it's 30 miles to the top -- all
but 2 of it is uphill.

Another great climb is from Rosman, NC to the parkway on Hwy. 215.

There are countless others around Saluda, NC, Brevard, Boone, etc.

Enjoy!

Bob C. "Patrick Brittain" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> [email protected] (chiefhiawatha) wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
> > Hey all,
> >
> > Going on a family trip from Chicago to NC.
> >
> > Planning on stopping in Washington DC for a couple of days, and then head down to meet up at
> > Cape Hatteras.
> >
> > Before I (litrally by paul shwerwen) die of boredom in Cape Hatteras, I'd like to hit some of
> > the more well-known spots in NC.
> >
> > So what climbs or other highlights should I plan to hit on our meander from DC through North
> > Carolina.
> >
> > I've done parts of the Blue Ridge Parkway, so it is a given that I will put in some miles there.
> >
> > Anything else? Where were all the big stages in the Tour DuPont?
> >
> > Thanks for any help
>
>
> The Beech Mtn stage climbed Roan Mtn from the NC side (I haven't ridden that side). The TN side is
> a good 7.5+ mile climb with a good road because it is a state park. If you are pressed for time
> you can take a left on 194 before climbing into Newland for a shortcut to Beech. Also, 221 between
> Grandfather Mtn and Blowing Rock is a *great* road on a bike. We are racing Sept. 13&14 with the
> Beech Mtn Hillclimb from Valle Crusis to Beech on Saturday and the Boone Crit on Sunday. Ashe
> County (north of Boone) is primo for riding though, less traffic and plenty of great roads.
 
"Bikerecker" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> >I believe Mt. Mitchell (tn , nc border) was on the the last tour du pont.
>
> Don't think so. I went up to Beech Mountain on that stage of the '96
race, and
> don't recall Mitchell being on the list of climbs they tackled that day.
Would
> be easy to check into, but God, I am lazy. Might do it tomorrow instead of work. Later, Greg

Correct - as evidenced in DC's post, in '96 the Stage went from Bristol to Beech via Roan Mtn. Was
there on Roan and Beech myself. Did part of that back route in June, in fact; the north side of Roan
as part of the Roan Groan RR, then the south side of the loop and back to Elizabethton over Iron Mtn
as a post-race training ride. DuPont never climbed Mitchell to its summit; they did do the long
climb up onto the parkway used in the AOMM, but went north from there. Believe that was '95.

SB
 
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