TULSA, Okla. — It was a big day for cyclists and partiers alike in Tulsa’s midtown soaking in the energy from the 18th edition of one of the highest-attended cycling events in the country.
It’s the hot ticket for Tulsans like Candy Richardson, who pulled up a chair at the base of the hill on Riverside Drive where hundreds of cyclists would climb the toughest stretch of the weekend's courses.
"You've got to cheer them on,” Richardson said.
One just has to also come prepared.
“Find shade!" Richardson warned. "It’s hot.”
The infamous Cry Baby Hill makes for a challenge even some cyclists like Colin Shaughnessy from Austin will want to witness from the railings.
“I’m having a great time," Shaughnessy, who crashed out of his competition Friday after suffering an injury, remarked. "I’m in spectator mode, drinker mode, party mode, it’s all of the above.”
After a weekend that's included some of the year's hottest temps along with stormy weather delays on Saturday, it's safe to say the spirit of Tulsa Tough was alive and well here on Cry Baby Hill.
“If you haven’t been here yet, you’ll never get here any younger,” Sue Wiedemann of Tulsa Spotlight Theatre said.
The Spotlight Theatre crew feed off the spirit sitting in front of the finish line while providing necessities to fans like drinks, air conditioning, and bathrooms.
"People like a clean bathroom more than they do anything else, except some way to hydrate. And we have lots of water and lots of great beers, most of them (from) Tulsa,” Wiedemann said.
The combo of fun, chaos, and competition help T-Town pedal through the summer sun.
“Tulsa Tough weekend is definitely one of the best of the year for this sport,” Shaughnessy said.
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