In cycling terminology, “brevet” is a French word that refers to a long endurance ride.
That’s just what cyclists can expect on the roads of Jackson County June 19 as they test their mettle in the inaugural, 100-mile Jackson County Brevet.
“The Braselton-Jackson County area is really an untapped cycling arena, so that was one of the reasons that I chose that area,” said brevet organizer Robert Wilhite.
Pronounced “BRU-VAAY,” this century bike ride starts and ends at Braselton’s Zion Baptist Church. Between 250 to 300 cyclists are expected to participate. The event begins at 8 a.m.
This is not a race. Brevets are non-competitive events that honor those who finish. In addition to the 100-mile route, 65-mile, 35-mile and five-mile options are offered. Rest stops are every 18 miles.
Wilhite, head cycling coach for the Atlanta Triathlon Club and the proprietor of mycyclecoach.com, said 170 people from four different states have already registered.
What’s more, the Jackson County Brevet has been featured on more than 40 Facebook cycling group pages, and information has been sent to over 60,000 email addresses.
Wilhite expects 100 to 150 more cyclists to sign on as June 19 nears.
“This is huge,” said the 47-year-old Wilhite who’s ridden in over 170 of these events and biked nearly 100,000 miles in 11 years.
Century rides are popular in the Atlanta area, but Wilhite, who lives in Lawrenceville, saw something in Jackson County that needed to be explored.
The county’s predominantly flat and rolling terrain lends itself to biking, he said.
“Oh, absolutely,” Wilhite said. “There’s a terminology in the cycling community of being able to do a century in a sub-four, which basically means less than four hours.”
And that’s what Wilhite — who’s organizing his first century ride — thinks he’s found here.
Wilhite, who drove over 800 miles of county roads scouting out potential courses, said the Jackson County Brevet is comparable to the Covington Century — an event that fast riders and local cycling teams show up for in droves.
“I wanted to add a second option to the calendar with the Jackson County Brevet, because the terrain is extremely similar,” he said.
The brevet will stay off the state highways for the most part, with a few exceptions. There’s an approximate 10-mile stretch on Hwy. 124 coming back into Braselton and another 10-mile section on Hwy. 330 (from the intersection of Hwy. 129) to Pleasant Hill Church Road.
The addition of two high-profile cyclists to the Jackson County Brevet roster should bolster the event’s stature in the cycling community.
Nathan O’Neill, who lives in Braselton, and Cesar Grajales both ride for OUCH-Bahati Foundation pro cycling team and both will participate in the brevet.
O’Neill is an eight-time Australian national time-trial champion (“that’s unheard of,” Wilhite said), while one of Grajales’ claims to fame is beating Lance Armstrong and everyone else in Stage 6 of the 2004 Tour de Georgia, which included an arduous stretch up Brasstown Bald.
“These guys showing up and riding in this event is a huge shot in the arm for us,” Wilhite said.
If Wilhite’s blog is any indication, O’Neill and Grajales are already drawing a lot of attention.
“When I made the official announcement (last Wednesday), the activity went out the roof,” he said.
But, for Wilhite, the brevet means more than just introducing cyclists to Jackson County and its nice terrain.
All proceeds will go towards the research efforts of the Aplastic Anemia Foundation. Aplastic anemia is a deadly bone marrow disorder in which the marrow does not produce sufficient new cells to replenish blood cells.
Aplastic anemia hits especially close to home for Wilhite. His wife, Kelly, battles the disease.
“She was diagnosed at 19, and she was basically sent home to die with no more than two months left to live,” Wilhite said.
Today she’s 43.
“The bottom line, talking to me and Kelly, it’s only by the grace of God she’s still alive … we’re very strong in our faith,” Wilhite said, who’s been married to his wife for a little over a year.
Wilhite said the treatment for Aplastic Anemia hasn’t changed since his wife was originally diagnosed with the disorder nearly 25 years ago and others face the same frustration.
The aunt of a 14-year-old girl with aplastic anemia emailed Wilhite and told him that doctors continue to tell the girls’ parents: “If your child only had another disease, we’d have options.”
“That’s unacceptable,” said Wilhite.
And he’s driven to change that.
While cyclists will have the goal of finishing the Jackson County Brevet June 19, Wilhite has a fundraising goal in mind for that day.
“I’ve been told the goal that I’ve set is quite outlandish, but I don’t care,” Wilhite said. “My goal is to raise $5,000 from this first-year event.”
For more information regarding the Jackson County Brevet, visit www.jacksonbrevet.com or email Wilhite at info@jacksonbrevet.com.
ENTRY FEES
The rate for an individual cyclist is $35. There’s a $65 family package for parents and all children 12-and-under. A discounted $30-per-individual rate is offered for those who are part of at least a 10-person team.
Those prices will remain through June 12. After that, all rates increase by $10.
