Luke cyclist rides across Iowa

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Stephen Delgado
  • 56th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. --  Most people are familiar with the Tour de France and its perennial winner, Lance Armstrong. Luke has its version of this record-breaking cyclist. Meet Maj. Sabrina Woods, 56th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron officer. 

She rode 471 miles across Iowa July 20 to 26 as part of the Air Force cycling team. The ride is sponsored by the Des Moines Register and is called the Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa or RAGBRAI. This year's ride was the 36th one, but the debut for Major Woods. 

More than 10,000 riders of all ages and backgrounds participated in the ride. The Air Force team had 125 riders and 30 support personnel. The support people helped set up tents, provided drivers to transport people and ran whatever errands were needed to help the cyclists. The team slept in tents all but one of the nights, according to Major Woods. 

The Air Force cycling team is sponsored by the Air Force Recruiting Service.
"Luke doesn't have a team, so I rode with the group from Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M.," she said. "Our group had seven members." 

RAGBRAI began July 20 in Missouri Valley in southwestern Iowa and journeyed through numerous towns and hamlets, coming to an end at the opposite end of the state in Le Claire on the banks of the Mississippi River July 26. 

The ride is a great recruiting tool for the Air Force, according to Major Woods. 

"We rode through a lot of really small towns, which gave us an opportunity to promote the Air Force," she said. "People really responded well to us. We had pens, pencils and other memorabilia to give away. If people wanted information about the Air Force, we were there to provide it." 

As with any outdoor event, the weather can be a problem. 

"We had a tornado warning one of the days, which made us go to a shelter," she said. "The following day, we experienced record cold, but the rest of the time the weather cooperated." 

RAGBRAI is a self-paced ride. Some people, especially those with young children, ride for a day or two, while others did a three-day ride, she said. 

"I wanted to complete the entire distance over a span of seven days and ride every day. It was a long, difficult experience," Major Woods said. "The second day was the most challenging. I rode nearly 100 miles. The long ride and sleeping on the ground were taking a toll on me. I felt sore and tired, but by the sixth day, I felt great. I did enjoy arriving in Ames. We got to sleep in a real bed instead of on the ground in the tents." 

Major Woods said that one of the most profound memories of the ride was doing an alternate loop, which added some extra miles, in memory of Lt. Col. Kevin "Sonny" Sonnenberg, a pilot from the 180th Fighter Wing, Ohio Air National Guard. He was killed June 15, 2007, when his F-16 crashed shortly after takeoff from Balad Air Base, Iraq. His widow, Lorin, also participated and was given a custom red, white and blue bike to ride.
The Air Force team concluded the home stretch into Le Claire by riding in formation. 

"We had a great response," Major Woods said. "The people gave us a warm greeting of approval." 

Major Woods is already preparing for the 2009 event, but she is hoping more people from Luke will join her. 

For more information about the Air Force cycling team, go to AirForcecyclingteam.com, or to find out more about RAGBRAI, go to ragbrai.org.