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HISTORY OF THE BEAUTY AND THE BEAST The Early Years: 1987 The first Beauty & the Beast 100 tour/race was the highlight of the year. With Medical Center Hospital as sponsor, an estimated 2,400 riders turned out for the event. This was said to be the largest turnout for a first time tour in Texas. TBC member/racer Mike Maqouirk finished first in the 100 mile route race with a time of 4:37:00. Andy Fay, UT Tyler Cycling Team took third. The Saturday April 4th date was selected to match with the Spring Azalea and Spring Flower Trail. TBC President Rod Hadfield and Chip Chilton along with a corps of dedicated TBC members worked hard to pull off the B & B event and established a tradition that has endured through 10 years at this writing. Elaine Mariolle, ‘86 Women’s winner (10 days, 2 hr, 14 min) of the grueling Race Across America participated in the B & B event at the incitation of TBC & the sponsor. Celebrity Guest Mariolle, a California native signed autographs, gave talks and interviews. Ride events included 6.2, 25, 50, 64, and 100 mile routes. Registration fee was $12.00 and included the ride “T” shirt. Rest stops, sponsored by local businesses were spaced at 12 to 15 miles apart. Proceeds from the event went to the Life Bank of East Texas, an organ donor organization. TBC membership numbered about 120, up from around 30 members in 1986. The following is from an Interview with Mike Magouirk by Eric Williams 1998. In 1986 The Medical Center Hospital contacted the bicycle club wanting to get involved in some community service activity, such as a bicycle tour. It sounded like a good idea to the club. Roby Christian, the director of Hotter 'N' Hell, was contacted and proved to be invaluable with his wealth of information and experience. The first weekend in April, 1987 saw the inaugural ride of the Beauty and the Beast Bicycle Tour with 3,200 riders in attendance! Rod Hatfield was the President of Tyler Bicycle Club at the time. The first 2 tours were so successful that races were added in 1989 with Magouirk being the technical director. The race was a 2-day affair that saw 1,200 racers competing for $20,000 in prize money. From 1989-1992 The Beauty and The Beast was one of the largest races in the south, and no one dared schedule an event on the first weekend in April--that belonged to B&B. The races attracted some of the top racers in the U.S., including the Shaklee Team and the Coors Light Team. 1991 was the year of the Coors Light fiasco, when Texas Alcohol Control Board would not permit the Coors Light team to wear their uniforms because of Smith County being a dry county. It was quite an embarrassment for everyone involved and was written up in all of the cycling journals. Still, Magouirk believes that even with the death of a spectator in 1988 and a subsequent law suit, the main reason for the decrease in the number of riders for the B&B was the moving of the tour from the spring to fall of the year. The "Beauty" in "Beauty and the Beast" stood for the beauty of East Texas in springtime. Mike moved from Tyler in 1992 and has come back for some mountain bike races and to visit socially, but this was his first B&B since he left. However, he is still remembered and appreciated for what he has done for our club. |