Cowbells strike a perfect chord in Beaumont

The cowbells are gone, meaning they’ve all been given away. But don’t worry if you did not get your free bell this year. We’ll make sure to order more for next year’s bike race!

Fans of this Friday’s professional cycling event, the Beaumont Road Race, quickly snapped up about 140 free cowbells that the city promised to give away—and did—in less than a week.

Because of high demand, City Hall will double the order of cow bells for next year. Cowbell or not, you can still catch the thrills and excitement of professional cycling in your hometown.

“I would like to invite everyone to come out and enjoy this world-class event and catch 300 professional racers in action as they wind their way through the streets of our community,” said Mayor Roger Berg.

Race details

The one-day Beaumont Road Race is part of the Redlands Bicycle Classic, which starts this Thursday and runs through Sunday. The Beaumont portion of the cycling event consists of three separate races this Friday that will take riders throughout Beaumont and Cherry Valley. At 7:45 a.m., a special hand-cycling race for disabled athletes will follow a modified route. At 9:15 a.m., the men’s race will consist of five laps through Beaumont and Cherry Valley. (The men’s route will cover about 120 miles.) At 9:25 a.m., the women’s race will start with three laps through Beaumont and Cherry Valley, covering about 72 miles. All races start and finish at the Beaumont Civic Center, located at 550 E. 6^th St.

If you’re looking for a great spot to see the start and finish of all the races, the lawn in front of City Hall is the perfect location. Bleacher seating will be available.

During the race day, there will be rolling street closures and “No Parking” zones throughout the course. The areas most affected within the city of Beaumont will be along 6^th Street, Beaumont Avenue, Oak Valley Parkway, Brookside Avenue, Highland Springs Avenue and Palm Avenue. For a complete list of closures visit www.ci.beaumont.ca.us/bikerace

So whether you have a cowbell in hand, another noisemaker, or just your own hands to clap and voice to raise a ruckus, let’s cheer the cyclists on Friday as they race through our hometown streets on the way to the finish line!