Turn 4 The Better

In recent years, the quiet streets of the Wingate Creek Business Park provided a safe place for criterium racers to practice.  Turnouts were small—if you knew the practices existed, you probably were a friend or teammate of all the participants—and the competition was spirited but not cutthroat.  I never had any criterium ambitions, but I participated in the practice sessions on a few occasions and found them to be great workouts.

This year the series will be more organized and, I’m willing to bet, more popular.  Now sanctioned by USA Cycling, the series will be an incubator for new racers who want to build confidence and experience.  And it should remain popular with veteran racers, who will come not just for training but also for the prizes that the series organizer has secured from various sponsors.  I still don’t have any criterium ambitions and my racing license covers only mountain biking and cyclocross, so I’ll probably regard the series as an interested bystander.  But I do want the series to be a success, so maybe I can help at the registration table or as a corner marshal.  See you there!