Former racer returns to Athens Orthopedic Clinic Twilight Criterium as vendors prepare for race weekend
Former Twilight racer Luke Harris rode through downtown Athens on Friday afternoon with the UGA Cycling group, scouting the course a day before the 46th Athens Orthopedic Clinic Twilight Criterium begins its pro races.
“We are here doing a little fun ride and checking all the stuff out today,” Harris said. Harris came with the UGA Cycling group and previously competed at Twilight with Kingdom, a cycling team. He expressed excitement and anticipation for the upcoming men and women pro races.
Around him, the 46th Athens Orthopedic Clinic Twilight Criterium was still preparing for its first full night. Food court vendors were setting up to serve the Athens community. Musicians ran through sound checks ahead of the ALL THINGS ATHENS concert on the Washington Street stage. Other cyclists rode through the streets, some stopping to do tricks or browse the vendor tents.
Reel
My field reel from Twilight weekend, posted to Instagram and tagged @ugagrady.
Why I Wrote The Story
Twilight was a field assignment, but it was a real one. Half of downtown shuts down the weekend it runs and people were looking for any kind of preview. Walking up to a stranger in cycling gear and asking him questions on camera was the part I had been avoiding all semester, and once I did it I realized the rest of the reporting was just describing what was already happening around me. The hardest part was deciding what to leave out. There was a band soundchecking, food court tents going up and cyclists tricking through the closed streets, and only one of those details belonged in the lede.