TULSA, Okla. — Tulsa Tough kicked off on June 6, with the first races kicking off late in the afternoon and more on the way.
Also on the way is some stormy weather. 2 News Oklahoma is looking at organizers’ game plan for if the weather goes topsy-turvy, and listened to racers about the weather being an extra challenge.
When asked about his favorite part of racing in Tulsa Tough, cyclist Aaron Beebe replied, “It's the whole weekend atmosphere. … It's an amazing race organization, great crowds, really competitive racing. … It ticks all the boxes. You have a great community and just a lot of fun and fast competition.”
Those are things that bring bikers from all over the country and the world to T-Town.
But we’re not just known for that and Crybaby Hill, it’s also the volatile weather.
This weekend, we’re slated for some storms. Part of the forecast calls for rain.
“Hopefully it stays dry,” said racer Cristian Chavez.
His teammate, Ron Tuazon, told 2 News, “It looks like tonight there might be a chance of rain in the evening for the Pro one race, but that's just another character that adds to the race, so yeah, it'll make it interesting for sure.”
Tulsa Tough organizers shared a list of things they would do in potential weather situations. The general rule of thumb is that they ride rain or shine.
But if extreme weather does strike, organizers said they may change the courses, delay races, or cancel or combine categories — among other things.
We asked the event’s media relations official if she or another official could do a five-minute interview about the weather protocol, but she told us nobody was available.
When we asked Tuazon and Chavez if they’re up for Mother Nature giving them a challenge, Tuazon replied, “Oh yeah. I mean, I'm always open to everything. I came here prepared. I brought two sets of tires that I could swap out of you know, depending on what condition we have to face tonight.”
Chavez replied, “Go fast, don't crash. … That's what we're trying to do today.”
2 News meteorologist Brandon Wholey said: “We're concerned about … another storm complex coming into the area Saturday morning. And so, there's probably going to be some lightning flash flooding, damaging gusty winds, and maybe an isolated tornado or two. So, Saturday morning does not look great. The afternoon on Saturday and evening much better. And then Sunday looks a whole lot better.”
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