How could you not be a cycling fan after Sunday afternoon? Even veteran fans of the popular Natchez Bicycle Classic were wowed by the level of competition, the stamina of the athletes and the incredible 120-mile course through Adams County and downtown Natchez for the United States Cycling Federation Elite National Road Race.

The Sunday afternoon event proved to be a winner … and not just for Steve Cate of Norman, Okla.

From the hundreds of fans who lined downtown sidewalks to the dozens more who volunteered to brave the heat to act as course marshals or pass out water bottles to the passing cyclists, the community once again embraced an event, welcomed it and made it Natchez’s own with hospitality, spirit and enthusiasm.

More important, the race was pulled together in short order. With just a few months’ notice, local cycling enthusiasts helped design a rigorous course, promoted the event and lined up the volunteers to help stage it.

That was the hard part. Finding fans in Natchez to come watch was easy.

Anyone who’s ever had the pleasure of standing on a sidewalk a feeling the rush of adrenaline and the gust of air created by the cyclists’ pack spinning past is likely to become an instant fan of the event.

And anyone who’s traveled up and down Silver Street and D.A. Biglane — by chance even on a bicycle — is sure to be awed by the endurance and stamina of the cyclists who tackled the dreaded Under-the-Hill loop not once, but six times, at the end of Sunday’s race.

It was a tremendous feat … powered by hundreds of feet — from the cyclists’, to the volunteers’ to the spectators’.

And for that, they all deserve a hand.