Cycling buffs can’t wait to get on the road with Gov. Mark Sanford, who stunned them with his announcement that he plans to ride across the state to encourage people to exercise more.

Veteran cyclists hope the experience will highlight what’s great about their sport as well as what the state needs to do to improve cycling conditions.

“I was absolutely ecstatic to hear it,” Natalie Cappuccio said of Sanford’s cross-state bike pledge in his State of the State address Wednesday. Cappuccio is executive director of the Palmetto Cycling Coalition. “There’s so much potential for tourism and economic impact in this state from cycling.”

Cappuccio called the governor’s office first thing Thursday and invited him to ride in Cycle South Carolina, a cross-state event held each summer.

Even if the governor chooses to take a different route, Cappuccio thinks his trip will be an eye-opener. Most roads lack shoulders, which cyclists use when there’s traffic. Motorists can treat road cyclists with disdain. And the litter along rural roads is terrible.

Mitch Greene, who edits the newsletter for a Midlands-based club called Carolina Cyclers, looks forward to the good publicity the governor can bring to the sport.

He also thinks Sanford might be surprised by what he experiences along the way.

“When you’re wearing a helmet and bicycle shorts, you won’t look like the governor anymore,” Greene said. “He’ll find that people will throw anything at you.”

Reach Holleman at (803) 771-8366 or jholleman@thestate.com.