Racing on Friday will begin at 9:00 am and finish about 12:30 pm. For the safety of cyclists, it will be a fully closed route, with no vehicles allowed on course until the last rider finishes.
The three day long Baker City Cycling Classic was created in 2002 by Nathan Hobson to showcase the sport of competitive cycling, and in 2012 received the Ovation Award as Best Sporting event in Oregon. Local non-profit Baker Loves Bikes and the Baker and Union county communities sponsor and support this yearly event, with the mission of Baker Loves Bikes to “educate and support greater access and safe opportunity for all cyclists in Baker County.”
Why is the event held in Baker City? While the weather is unpredictable even in June, with snow, hail, rain, and blistering heat at times, Baker City is in the heart of rolling farm country with well-maintained roads with generous shoulders and few cars. Each year, the colorful streets of Baker city are blocked off for the race, and restaurants set up chairs outside for fans to eat lunch and sip microbrews while watching this mini Tour de France from the front row.
This year’s event will continue throughout the weekend, with each race lasting from 40 minutes to an hour, depending on the caliber of the racers. On Saturday, the first race will start at 8:30 am from the Baker City Church of the Nazarene on Hughes Lane and continue out to Highway 30., and then onto Davenport Rd, Chandler Lane, and finally onto Old Oregon Trail Rd, to finish about a mile from Highway 86.
Northbound traffic can expect detours from 8:00 am until 11:30 am on Highway 30 at Hughes Lane onto Pocahontas and then onto Chico, where it will rejoin Highway 30. A second event, the wild Tour d’Town Criterium circuit race and Kids Races will be held in Historic Baker City from 1:00 pm until 7:30 pm, restricting parking on Main Street, Valley, 1st, 2nd, 10th/Broadway, Court, and Washington Avenue from Saturday morning through Saturday at 8:00 pm.
On Sunday June 25th, the event will begin at 7:00 am from Baker High School and head North on Highway 30 to Highway 203, where it will follow a rolling course through Medical Springs, Union and North Powder. From there, it will follow Anthony Lakes Highway to arrive at the finish line past Anthony Lakes Mountain Resort before noon.
Throughout the weekend, motorists are advised to heed detour signs and other directives to make this event safe for everyone.
In the event that you or someone that you care for has been injured in a cycling-related accident, you may be eligible to file a damages claim. For a free review of that claim, contact a licensed bicycle accident lawyer in Portland from Rizk Law. We have experience handling bicycle-accident cases and charge no upfront fees if we take on your case.
Rizk Law – Ph: 503.245.5677.