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"Thee" Story

435 miles in 48 hours

Local bikers will test stamina

By: David Lias
Plain Talk

To say that Joe Parlett, Craig DeVelder and Kevin Brady will soon be in for the ride of their lives seems to be an understatement.

The three avid bikers from Vermillion plan to participate in the second annual Highway 212 ³Gut Check² Endurance Race Across South Dakota.

As its name implies, the event is a test of endurance. But it¹s hardly a typical cross-country bike trek.

The three men will have little time to enjoy South Dakota¹s scenery. The race begins at 3 p.m. Mountain Time at the South Dakota/Wyoming border.

It ends at 4 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 19, at the South Dakota/Minnesota border.

That gives participants 48 hours to pedal their way 435 miles across the state.

Kevin and Joe both work at Information Technology Services at The University of South Dakota. Craig is employed at Clay County Abstract and Title Company.

The three are among only 19 solo riders signed up so far for the race.

³We will be on Highway 212 all the way across,² Kevin said.

The bikers will travel east through Belle Fourche, Faith, Gettysburg, Faulkton, Redfield, Clark and Watertown.

There also are a few lesser-known communities on the route, including Nisland, Maurine, Parade, Zell and Raymond.

³The race ends past Watertown in a little town named Goodwin,² Kevin said.

The race is designed as a fundraiser for research that hopefully will lead to a cure of Crohn¹s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis.

³We all kind of joined in on this without much arm-twisting,² Kevin said.

³We actually started talking about it last year,² Craig said.

The three men are familiar with long bike treks. They participated in the Argus Leader Tour de Kota earlier this summer.

³And we just came off the MS 150 (bike ride) this past weekend, not to mention many, many hours on bikes otherwise,² Kevin said.

Kevin and Craig will receive support along the way from their wives, and Joe¹s girlfriend will assist him. The three women will drive vehicles with needed supplies.

³This will probably be as hard on our significant others as will be on us,² Kevin said. ³They will have to wait and wait and wait. I know my wife plans to take along a lot of books.²