HUNTSVILLE- Huntsville’s Cummings Research Park located on the border between Huntsville and Madison will be filled with extraordinary athletes this weekend as the U.S. Paralympics Cycling Open, presented by Toyota, will race through North Alabama for two days of eye-opening athleticism.

The two-day event is one of four domestic cycling events and the second opportunity for para-cyclists to qualify for the Summer Paralympics in Tokyo this summer. Due to COVID-19, this will be the first competitive racing for the approximately 100 para-cyclists in over a year.

The best part for the local communities is the fact the event is free to the public. No ticketss or admission is required. Bring the family, pack a cooler, bring chairs and a blanket and come witness the incredible showmanship of Paralympic athletes in a variety of para-cycling.

The competition will heat up in these races: Handcycle- using an arm-powered or arm trunk power hand bike and competing while in a kneeling position; Tricycle- for those who can’t ride a bike due to severe locomotor dysfunction; Cycling- utilizing a standard bicycle; Tandem Cycling- an able-bodied pilot in the front with a stoker in the back who has some degree of visual impairment; Exhibition- Paralyzed Veterans of America Racing Team will send 20 athletes to this event. They will stay on Redstone Arsenal and partake in recumbent exhibition races both days.

The competition will include three different types of road cycling- men and women’s road races, individual time trial and handcycling team relay.

Traffic changes will be evident during the two-day event with Explorer Blvd. closed to traffic beginning at 6:00 a.m. both Saturday and Sunday. This is the main “ring” for the competition course. Attending race spectators are asked to use Enterprise Way, Discovery Drive, Voyager Way and Jan Davis Drive.

Several companies within Cummings Research Park have extended the use of its parking lots for parking the spectators. An interactive map is available on the following websites: cummingsresearchpark.com/hsvchamber.org.

Saturday’s race schedule will be 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. Sunday’s schedule is set for 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.