Redlands Area Residents Welcome Bicycle Classic Riders Each Year
Each year since 1985, residents in the greater Redlands area have welcomed competitors in the Redlands Bicycle Classic presented by San Manuel Band of Mission Indians to stay with them before and during the event.
For this year’s five-stage event on April 10-14, temporary housing has been
found for over 250 expected participants. More homeowners are needed to house the
other 100 entries “who are anxious to finalize their arrangements for the event,” said
Robyn Purves, lead housing coordinator.
Purves said homeowners provide a roof over the riders’ heads along with
a clean place to sleep with clean towels and a shower available.
Homeowners are not required to feed or clean up after the riders each day. The
minimum obligation would be to house two riders. Some homeowners have made room
for up to eight team members. The commitment is one week – April 7-14.
One of the host families this year is Dr. Jessica Sabo, a Beaumont dentist and
her daughter and son, who occupy a four-bedroom home.
This is the third year the Sabos have hosted riders. Their first year they provided
space for eight members of the under-23 Lux team. Last year they hosted the Redlands
Blue Ridge Twenty24 team which won the women’s team title in 2023.
For the 2024 race, the Sabos will have four of the seven Blue Ridge Twenty24
women’s team riders plus staff.
“Once you have done this, you realize that you are creating lifelong friends,” said
Sabo. “Hosting the under-23 team the first year was really cool.”
She encourages any homeowner or family who is interested in supporting the
event in this way to do it.
“These are great athletes who work hard every day and they come back to the
house tired. After they turned in, we prepared posters with positive messages to place
outside their bedrooms to read when they got up the next day to give them
encouragement,” Sabo said.
An added bonus for the Sabo family is that 18-year-old daughter Ella will be
competing as a professional for the first time at the Redlands event. She competed in a
lower level race at the Valley of the Sun three-stage event in Phoenix on Feb. 16-18.
Ella and her mom will share a bedroom while their racing guests occupy the
other three bedrooms and her son moving downstairs to the den.
Purves said each rider requires a bed or air mattress with clean bedding.
Sleeping bags are acceptable. Some team members bring their own air mattresses and
all riders are used to sharing a room. Travel trailers onsite are acceptable quarters but
must not be parked on the street. A secure location for rider bicycles is also required.
To register as a housing host, contact Robyn Purves, lead coordinator at
Robyn4RBC@gmail.com.
Learn more about host housing at redlandsclassic.com/host-housing.
For more information on volunteering as a race marshal or technical support worker go to redlandsclassic.com/volunteers.
The full event schedule can viewed at redlandsclassic.com/event-schedule.
Meanwhile, registration is now open for various racing events.
Here are the links:
Criteriums: https://www.bikereg.com/redlands-classic-criteriums
Junior stages: https://www.bikereg.com/redlands-classic-juniors
Pro racers: https://www.bikereg.com/redlands-classic-composite
Other event links:
Public Races: https://redlandsclassic.com/official-public-races-entry-form/
Sunday Mile Run / 5k Run / Family Fun Walk: https://redlandsclassic.com/run/
Plain Wrap Ride: https://redlandsclassic.com/plain-wrap-ride/
