The 12th Annual Blood Sweat and Gears Saturday, June 26, 2010 Start Time 7:30am at the Valle Crucis School CLICK HERE FOR 2010 RIDE DETAILS 2010 BSG Jerseys - Design and order information coming soon! The BSG is a challenging to strenuous full English century - 100 mile loop ride starting and ending at the Valle Crucis Elementary School, approximately 5 miles south of Boone, North Carolina. The route roughly circles Boone through the outskirts of Watauga County, the heart of North Carolina's High Country. The terrain is constantly changing with hills of all lengths and curves too numerous to count. The cumulative climbing elevation is 13,000+ feet, with the climb up to the gap at Snake Mountain, milepoint 63, reaching an 18-20% grade near the top. Read our Director's Message for 2010. Photo by Lonnie Webster. "It's a great area for riding, very hilly, but I'd say it's the best area for training in the whole of the United States." –– Lance Armstrong on Boone, NC Cycle Sport (June 1998) BSG offers a demanding route, which showcases the mountain communities of Watauga County, North Carolina; highlights of the route include a 21 mile section of the Blue Ridge Parkway, a strenuous climb over the 4,500 foot gap at Snake Mountain, and a 10 mile "flat" on old US 421. A 50 mile "Half Century" is available for those who prefer the sanity of a challenging, but shorter route. Both rides are fully supported with aide stations and SAG support. Proceeds from the ride will benefit the Jeremy Dale Fisher Fund and The Russell Fund, established by the Watauga County Chapter of the American Red Cross , which provides assistance to local families that are displaced by fire, flood or similar disasters. Start photo by Fred Germann of High Country Media.