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Junior bicycle racers prepare for Tulsa Tough

Posted at 10:29 PM, Jun 05, 2018
and last updated 2018-06-06 08:52:39-04

Professional cyclists from all over the world are on their way to compete in the three-day event known as the Tulsa Tough.

They call it 'Tuesday Night Crit's here in Broken Arrow.

What these cyclists practice here on this closed course pays off big time at Tulsa Tough.

When it comes to racing there are about a dozen kids that get on their bikes and compete in high octane performances like Tulsa Tough

"Today is a tune-up for the weekend," Coach Tanner Culbreath said. "The boys last weekend had a chance to test their legs against some Texas kids in Oklahoma City."

Before the older guys get on the course there's a younger generation climbing up the ranks.

"You wait," club member Mike Wozniak said. "People are going to be hanging on for dear life in a few years really."

For the last five years, a youth cycling team is starting to gain traction. 

"I think Tulsa really kinda lightning in the bottle right now with the cycling community," Wozniak said.

The Bike Club, which is an after-school program where kids learn to ride bikes, is getting kids into the racing world.

That's how Xavier Hunter and Malachi Jackson got hooked.

"We had bike club at my old school and I got in that and I just rode and one day," Jackson said. "Mike (Wozniak) took me to the Flyers Day Ride on Wednesday and I did that a couple times then after that I just started racing."

"You've got a kid in the classroom who gets introduced to cycling with a bike and then they're riding and they like riding," Culbreath said. "Next thing they know they're actually able to go to a race, see a race or be part of a race."

Tulsa already has racers like 15-year-old Edison student Aubrey Drummond competing all over the country.

"When I was 5-years-old I was watching him race and we started off mountain biking I just thought it looked really cool," Drummond said. "I just wanted to get out there with the older kids."

While these kids go out and compete-their friends are catching on too.

"Some of the kids they just ride for fun and I just tell them to do at least something besides play video games all day," Jackson said.