Parker Gerl
Tulsa World Sports Reporter
Tulsa becomes a madhouse once a year when several thousand spectators gather to watch cycling.
An in-your-face, intense atmosphere fills the downtown streets as cyclists cut sharp corners and race at high speed, while some are there just to chug a beer or put on a goofy costume. That’s Saint Francis Tulsa Tough, the cycling festival which has become “the Super Bowl on two wheels” and perhaps the most well-known road race, despite not being held in a major market.
Tulsa Tough’s path to becoming what it is today is simple because Tulsans are responsible for it. They treat the three-day event like royalty and have created an atmosphere that blends the Tour De France and a mini Mardi Gras.
“It’s turned into like a block party for the community,” Mor