SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 531 Offered February 19, 2007 Commending the U.S. Open Cycling Championships. ---------- Patron-- Stolle ----------

WHEREAS, the U.S. Open Cycling Championships, to be held in the Commonwealth on April 7, 2007, is the premier internationally sanctioned cycling event in North America; and

WHEREAS, the U.S. Open Cycling Championships is America's newest international sporting event and combines the scenic beauty of cycling in the grand European tradition with the high-speed excitement of spectator-friendly circuit racing to create a new sporting tradition in America; and

WHEREAS, in its inaugural year of 2007, the U.S. Open Cycling Championships will run concurrently with Jamestown 2007, providing additional excitement during the celebration of the 400th anniversary of America’s first permanent English settlement; and

WHEREAS, the U.S. Open Cycling Championships will provide the Commonwealth with a multitude of educational opportunities, including school-based programs and community education opportunities that will promote Virginia’s initiatives in the areas of health and wellness, safety, alternative transportation modes, history and other areas; and

WHEREAS, the event and accompanying festival will feature children’s events, a public charity bike ride, an international pro-women’s circuit race, and the featured men’s professional road race from Williamsburg and Jamestown to Richmond along the scenic and historic State Route 5 corridor; and

WHEREAS, the event will showcase many of the same male and female cyclists that compete in the Tour de France, the Olympic Games, and other international events; and

WHEREAS, the U.S. Open Cycling Championships will be nationally televised on April 7, 2007, and transmitted around the world through a live streaming webcast; and

WHEREAS, the U.S. Open Cycling Championships is a national and international promotional platform for the Commonwealth of Virginia, an annual event that will draw the focus of the international sports community to Virginia each April, and is a powerful tool to showcase historic Virginia and Jamestown 2007–America’s 400th Anniversary, both at home and among the countries of the people who have also contributed so much to America's history; and

WHEREAS, the U.S. Open Cycling Championships presents an opportunity for the Commonwealth to create additional national and international partnerships for Jamestown 2007, the Virginia Capital Trail, and other state initiatives; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the Senate, the House of Delegates concurring, That the General Assembly commend the U.S. Open Cycling Championships for promoting Virginia as a great place to race, visit, live, and do business; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Tim Miller and Richard Durishin as an expression of the General Assembly’s appreciation of the U.S. Open Cycling Championships and best wishes for an exciting and successful cycling event in the Commonwealth.