July 2008 Archive

7-1-2008 8th Annual Giordana Crossroads Classic
Nine-Day Criterium Event
Nine days of bike racing in nine different North Carolina Cities
July 25 – August 3, 2008
www.crossroadscyclingclassic.com
$55,000+ Purse

Charlotte Sports Cycling is proud to announce we have teamed with several NC based cycling teams and sponsor Giordana Cycling Apparel to bring nine days of criterium racing to the Piedmont and Foothills of North Carolina. The eighth annual event will feature nine criterium races held July 25 – August 3 and will visit nine different North Carolina cities: Taylorsville, Lenoir, Morganton, Mocksville, Concord, Salisbury, Statesville, Harrisburg, and Winston-Salem. This exciting nine-day race brings an incredible amount of energy to each downtown as professional and amateur cyclists alike will fill the streets with color, excitement, and speed as the racers battle in the daily criterium events.

Charlotte Sports Cycling President, Neal Boyd says, “The Cities have really embraced the cycling event and provided a tremendous amount of support for the nine-day race”

The nine-day event will kick off Friday evening July 25 in the quaint Town of Taylorsville, NC. Taylorsville, nestled in the Foothills of North Carolina, will be entertained by the first ever bike race to travel the streets of the community. The Giordana Crossroads Classic will stay in the Foothills of NC with events in Lenoir on Saturday evening and Morganton on Sunday.

Monday will give the cyclists an opportunity to rest and gear up for six consecutive days of racing. The racing will resume in the beautiful Downtown of Mocksville, NC with a criterium event that raises money for the United Way. Wednesday, Crossroads promoters are bringing back a classic course with an event in Downtown Concord. The .4 of a mile course is flat and super fast race venue.

Thursday evening, the Giordana Crossroads Classic will make its way to the City of Salisbury with one of the most unique courses during the nine-day event. The course in Salisbury is a “figure-eight” loop that is exciting for the race participants and spectators. The City of Statesville will play host to the cycling community on the second Friday evening during Crossroads. Statesville is the only City to host an event all eight years of the Giordana Crossroads Classic. Harrisburg, NC will host its first ever criterium event in the Town Center Plaza on Saturday. Town Center Plaza is beautiful mixed use development in the center of Harrisburg.

The Giordana Crossroads Classic is anchored by the Hanes Park Classic NRC race in Winston-Salem, NC. The Hanes Park Classic has been a staple on the southeast racing calendar for many years and is in its second year on NRC calendar. Professional men will race for $15,000 and the women will race for $7,500.

July 25 – Taylorsville, NC
July 26 – Lenoir, NC
July 27 – Morganton, NC
July 29 – Mocksville, NC
July 30 – Concord, NC
July 31 – Salisbury, NC
August 1 – Statesville, NC
August 2 – Harrisburg, NC
August 3 – Winston-Salem, NC
The beauty of the Giordana Crossroads Classic is all events are within a short drive of the next race. We, here are Charlotte Sports Cycling, tried to organize an nine-day event that any and all cyclists could afford, lots of great racing within a short drive.

For start times, race categories, registration, course maps, directions, hotel rates and all other pertinent information, visit
www.CrossroadsCyclingClassic.com

7-2-2008  4 Great Days of Timed Stage Racing The 2008 Gwinnett Bike Fest, presented by Subaru of Gwinnett, is set for July 24-27. This year's event again kicks off at Road Atlanta on Thursday, July 24. Then we race where no cyclist has raced before...Historic Downtown Norcross for a historic criterium and festival related activities. Saturday, July 26 road race is a hilly 7 mile loop on the back roads of Dacula/Lawrenceville. Racing wraps up on Sunday, July 27 at the Gwinnett Progress Center, just off Hwy 316. To register, check out the race maps and all other details, visit www.gcvb.org/bikefest. Thank you to this year's sponsors: Subaru of Gwinnett, Road Atlanta, Gwinnett Convention & Visitors Bureau, City of Norcross, Frazier Cycling, Gwinnett Touring Club, Addicitive Cycles (official mechanic), Suwanee Creek Bicycles and Sun and Ski Sports. Gwinnett Bike Fest will be a USCF sanctioned event with proceeds benefiting the Foster Children's Foundation. All Juniors Races will be part of the Lance Armstrong Junior Olympic Racing Series (LAJORS).

Free Flite Sale Free Flite is closing their Buckhead store. What does this mean for you? Great deals on all of your favorite cycling gear! Check it out today!

Women's Night at Cycleworks Cycleworks is having another part of its Women's Evening Out series on July 19th at the Duluth store from 7-9 pm. The subject of the night will be power testing. See the Cycleworks website for more information.


Support Our Advertisers! Please remember to support Southeastern Cycling's Wonderful advertisers at the top of the page. They make this website possible!

7-3-2008 Silver Comet Robberies There have been a few robberies on the Silver Comet lately. Fox 5 had a story on one cyclist that was robbed a few weeks ago. Four suspects were arrested today.

7-5-2008 Medaling at Masters Nationals Congratulations to Doug Pomeranz (Team Cycleworks p/b HDR) and his partner, Kent Lofton (Velo Brew) for unseating the 3 time returning champions in the combined Men's Tandem 90-99 Masters' National Championship road race. Great win, guys! Brendan Sullivan (GTC) was the silver medalist in the Men's 45-49 Road Race. Way to go Brendan! (Brendan is also a monster on the cross bike!)

Doug Pomeranz (Team Cycleworks p/b HDR) and (Velo Brew), Masters Tandem National Champions. Photo courtesy of Team Cycleworks.

Reminders!  Just a few reminders! I am NOT a travel agency. No, I will not help you plan your trip to Atlanta. No, I don't know what stores are at the XYZ Mall that your girlfriend wants to go to while you ride your bike around Atlanta. No, I don't know if there is bicycle parking at the Aquarium. No, I don't know the best bicycling route from Savannah to Maine avoiding all highways, four lane roads, and 2 lane striped roads. No, I don't know the best route to ride your bicycle from your house in Canton to your job in Suwanee. Use Google Maps or buy a map at the book store and figure it out yourself. No, I don't know what time the Bugaloo Century mass start is. No, I don't know what time the Cat. 5 Men 185+ pounds master 40+ race starts at the BFE crit championships. Click on the link to the race website and look for yourself.

What do I know? I have over 100 maps on my website to help you plan your own rides. I have links to forums, maps, and such to help you plan your own trip. I put up news and information, so you can read it yourself and find out the information~ Read the site! Find out what's here. Then ask relevant questions. Yes, these were all questions asked of me the last month. Don't forget that I WORK FULL TIME as well as train to race. I don't have time to answer dumb questions! Thank you, that is all.

Mande Harris (Team Medplan) checks Joe Gasser's (Team Cycleworks) heartrate before Saturday's ride.

Counting Cyclists The Atlanta Bicycle Campaign is counting cyclists, and the AJC has an article.

The Team Medplan ladies and Mr. Squirrel get ready to tackle Silk Sheets over the July 4th weekend.

Dedicated Athlete Product Review  Reviewers: Trish (me), a Cat. 3 Roadie and Sport Mountain Bike Racer. The first two races of the year I had nutritional issues that resulted in “the shakes” and an upset stomach. The products I’d been using for the last few years were no longer working or something had changed with my body’s nutrional needs on the bike.
Chris : A Cat. 3 Masters Road Racer who normally buys whatever nutrition product is on sale or he can get a deal on at his team’s sponsoring shop. Chris sometimes does not drink enough on the bike and cramp as a result.

Products Tested:

Rapidade Energy Sports Drink Dedicated Athlete says that Rapidaid: “features a new hydration and energy technology (CT2M3 Technology) that can increase hydration, decrease cramping and sustain higher energy levels for a longer period of time compared to any other sports drink on the market.” Trish’s interpretation: It contains a lot of electrolyes and 60 calories per serving. There are 85 servings per container. Retail price: $24.99 per 3 pound container.


Rapid Recharge Recovery Drink. It contains Whey Protein Isolates, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals, and sugar. Each 2.65 pound container has 48 servings at 92 calories per serving. Retail price: $34.99 per container.


Testing: (Disclaimer: Orange and Vanilla are two of my favorite flavors of just about anything.) I started out using the GoGo Grape Rapidade on a few training rides. I found the taste a bit strong, even diluted. I then moved onto the Jittery Orange Rapidade, which I found to be best suited to my taste. I used it for several weeks leading up to 3 races on successive weekends. I drank one 20 oz. bottle of product per ride along with at least one bottle of plain water. Rapidade was easy on my stomach and did not cause any gastric upset. I did two races with it and did not cramp or have any digestive problems like I normally do with sports drinks. During the race, I drank only the Rapidade and moved onto plain water and my usual energy gel for the remaining laps. I’ve found that taking electrolyes the first lap rather than later in the race is critical for me. Rapidade functioned as intended, prevented cramping, and replenished electrolytes in even the hottest mountain bike races.


Chris tried the GoGo Grape and Glacier Mist. He found the Grape flavoring to be too strong and could not use it. He enjoyed the flavor of the Glacier Mist and did not experience any digestive upset with it.


Within two weeks of being in Chris’s car, the Glacier Mist caked in the container and had to be chiseled out to be used. A few days later, it had melted into a goo and had to be discarded. The Jittery Orange has solidified a little bit but is still useable 6 weeks after I opened it. I keep it in my car, too. I wonder if exposure to extreme heat in the sun melted the Glacier Mist Rapidade. This is a concern because many cyclists keep their sports drink mixes in their car in order to have them handy to mix before a ride. Dedicated Athlete did not provide a response to an email I sent on this problem.


I paired the Jittery Orange Rapidade with the Vanilla Rapid Recovery after a hard ride or race. The Rapid Recovery mixed easily with water and about 25-30 seconds of shaking. I highly recommend drinking the Rapid Recovery with only cold water. I did not find the taste as good with car temperature water. I kept a bottled water in my cooler to mix with the Rapid Recovery. The day after the races that I used the Vanilla Rapid Recovery, I was not as sore as I usually am. I really appreciated having it after one race that was in the middle of nowhere and an hour from a place to eat a healthy lunch. I feel that I replenished my glycogen stores and started the recovery process earlier because I had a recovery product.


Taste: Best: Orange Rapidade. It had a more subtle flavor that can be made stronger by added another half a scoop to a bottle. My preference is a slightly stronger orange taste. Vanilla Rapid Recharge. Smooth flavor. Good: Glacial Mist, some might find the mint taste strange. Berry Rush Rapid Recovery, may need to be diluted for some taste buds. Not so good: GoGo Grape


Consistency: All flavors of both products mixed easily after 30 seconds of shaking. Like most recovery drinks, the Rapid Recharge had a slightly chalky consistency that was not bad.


*A special thank you to Dedicated Athlete for providing the products for Southeastern Cycling to review. Dedicated Athlete is based in Woodstock, GA and support many local teams. Dedicated Athlete is also a long time supporter of Southeastern Cycling. Support our advertisers!

YOUR Products Tested Do you want YOUR products tested? Email me at sttarlite@hotmail.com.

DLV Festival of Speed From the Dick Lane Velodrome: ESTIVAL OF SPEED - July 12th
Saturday Festival of Speed
*Bonus Madison Race
Directions: http://www.dicklanevelodrome.com/directions.htm

Tickets only $5.00 or $10 per family for Saturday

Pro Racing action starts at 6:00pm on Saturday

Track cycling pushes the envelope of speed and danger in both hard charging sprint events and grueling endurance races. Experience the thrill of the two-man Madison, comparable to tag-team on bike, where teammates exchange positions into the action at 40 mph using the dangerous Madison hand sling. Catch the fast-paced Keirin, an Olympic event where riders are paced up to maximum speed with a motorcycle until the final lap and a half when they tear up the track to the finish. Enjoy a great night out with the family as you get up close and personal with cycling's top athletes! Or come before your big night out—A great place to meet your friends and hang out.

There is a full service concession stand on site for Saturday - all proceeds go back to support the DLV programs.

Menu for Saturday:
1.)Chicken Nachos w/ Black beans, cheese, pico de gallo and sour cream.
2.)Roasted Veggie Wraps w/ roasted red, yellow and orange bell peppers, portabello mushrooms, red onions, zucchini, yellow squash and baby spinach.
3.)Grilled Chicken Sandwiches w/ mango pineapple slaw.
4.)Hot Dogs w/ all the sides
5.)Chilled Fruit Kabobs
6.)Chocolate covered bananas
7.)Plain Jane Brownies
8.)Cupcakes
____________________________________

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
We need your help at the Festival of Speed

The Festival is a great event and we would love for all of you to be able to sit back, relax and watch the races-but.... we need your help. If you can help out for a few hours with registration or watching the gate or the numerous other small tasks throughout the weekend we would be very grateful. Please contact us (info@dicklanevelodrome.com) if you can help. Thanks!

Cobb County Commissioner Candidate Statements As many cyclists are aware, Cobb County District 2 Commissioner Joe Thompson is anti-cyclist and anti-cycling. His Republican challengers are both pro-homeowner and pro-cycling. I invited Mr. Ron Sifen and Mr. Bob Ott to provide a candidate statement for publication on Southeastern Cycling. Please consider one of these candidates on July 15th.

Mr. Sifen's Candidate Statement Ron Sifen Candidate – District 2  Cobb County Commission

The Homeowners’ Advocate
Stop overdevelopment.
Improve traffic flow.
Protect our water supply and environment.
Protect neighborhoods.
Protect taxpayers

I am not accepting contributions from developers.

Stop overdevelopment
We must stop the overdevelopment that is straining the capacity of our roads, water, and other infrastructure. As overdevelopment begins to cause traffic to exceed the capacity of our roads, traffic will get much worse, and the cost to taxpayers will be huge.

Improve traffic flow
Our transportation network must provide safe transportation for all users, including cyclists and pedestrians. We cannot solve our transportation problems if Cobb continues to approve overdevelopment that makes traffic worse. We need to prioritize our transportation projects, and focus on those that will provide the greatest benefit for reducing traffic congestion, and are the most affordable. Reducing curb cuts in some locations and incentivizing interparcel access will significantly improve traffic flow in some corridors. Traffic signal synchronization can significantly improve traffic flow. Intersection improvements and bike lanes are important needed safety improvements for everyone. We need more sidewalks, bike lanes and trails in many locations. There are numerous other beneficial improvements, but traffic flow and safety will continue to deteriorate, if we don’t stop overdevelopment.

Protect our water supply and environment
We have been told repeatedly that water is the Region’s biggest long-term challenge, even more than traffic. Innovative ideas make great talking points. Implementable ideas will help Cobb County meet its water needs. New technologies are making appliances like dishwashers and washing machines clean better with less water. I would support incentives for homeowners and homebuilders who switch to water-efficient appliances. We need to plan future development to support uses that are less water-intensive, and discourage uses that are more water-intensive. We also need to protect our water supply watersheds. On zoning cases Z-121 and Z-164 both of my opponents voted to ignore official environmental protection designations on these properties that called for limiting development to protect our water supply. I also support prioritizing the acquisition of greenspace. The current real estate market may provide a unique opportunity to acquire greenspace at more affordable prices. I would support a new bond or other funding mechanism to acquire more greenspace.

Protect neighborhoods
Urban planners tell us that “urban” is good, and “suburban” is bad. They claim that high-density mixed-use will solve all of our problems. There are 2 huge flaws in their thinking. First, people have chosen to live in suburban neighborhoods in Cobb County, because they want to live in low-density neighborhoods that are just “residential”, and are separated from commercial businesses. It is not fair to come along now, and change the character of YOUR neighborhood. And second, in order for urban high-density mixed-use to work, it requires an urban “grid” road network, which we don’t have. I oppose tearing new roads through existing cul-de-sac neighborhoods. I support accepting what we are, which is suburban. Let’s make the best improvements that we can while preserving and protecting the suburban character of our neighborhoods.

Protect taxpayers
Past overdevelopment has filled our roads to near capacity. Continued overdevelopment will increase traffic beyond the capacity of our roads. At that point, traffic congestion will become much worse, and taxpayers will get hit with huge tax increases to pay to increase the capacity of our roads and other infrastructure. Stopping overdevelopment will contain future taxes.

Ron Sifen, www.ronsifen.com

Mr. Ott's Candidate Statement Comments from Bob Ott Candidate for District 2 Post Cobb County Commission July 2008

I am Bob Ott, a candidate in the July 15th Republican Primary for the District 2 seat on the Cobb County Commission. Cobb County has been my family’s home for the past 17 years – the first three years in an apartment off of Columns Drive, and then in our current home at the end of the Chattahoochee National Park near Wildwood. My wife Judy and I have two children, a 10-year-old daughter and an 8-year-old son. I am employed as an airline pilot and flight instructor at Delta Air Lines.

During the three years that I lived near Columns Drive, I participated in numerous triathlons and running races. As part of my training regimen, I spent countless hours bicycling the five-mile Columns Drive loop. I also trained with a group of riders based at Roswell Bicycles in North Fulton County. Even then – 17 years ago – residential and commercial development in the area was beginning to affect our ability to train safely. Through this experience, I came to understand the difficulties involved in training in highly developed urban and suburban areas, and the need to include cycling in the overall community transportation and recreation plan.

There are four primary reasons I decided to run for Commissioner. First, it is time for uniform representation for the entire district. Second, the community needs to be brought back into the decision-making process. Third, we must create comprehensive plans for better managing growth and redevelopment. Fourth, we need new, innovative approaches to addressing issues around transportation, water conservation, and green space acquisition and conservation.

I want to discuss each of these reasons from a cycling perspective.

Uniform Representation:
The county made progress toward providing safe and widely accessible riding venues with the opening of the Silver Comet Trail in the Smyrna/Vinings area. However, this progress is not consistent throughout the district and, for that matter, throughout the county. There are few bike paths or trails in the East Cobb area. There is a 10-foot-wide multi-use trail along Roswell Road. However, it is not widely used because it does not connect to any other trail system. In addition, Columns Drive is not designed to support all of the current activity coming from the park and the community, and the need must be addressed.

Community Involvement:
I watched with interest as the cycling community and homeowners came to a workable solution to the issues along Columns Drive only to see the current Commissioner disregard the community’s efforts and its solution and force his own plan on them – a plan that did not have community support. The root of the problem on Columns Drive is that there are competing interests all trying to use the same space, often at the same time. Competitive cyclists use Columns Drive for sprint training. This often conflicts with the recreational cyclists who may be out riding with their children. In addition, residents of the area need unrestricted access to their homes. It is critical to take into consideration the needs of all of the parties involved and understand the issues and concerns of each. It is only by consulting with each and working together that a solution can be reached that accommodates the needs of all involved.

Comprehensive Plans:
By creating a comprehensive plan – much like the cities of Seattle and Copenhagen – that take the needs of cyclists (both competitive and recreational) into account, benefits to both cyclists and the community at-large can be realized by providing a safer environment in which competitive cyclists can train and recreational riders can enjoy their time riding. A well thought-out and managed plan can also create opportunities to establish alternative venues such as a velodrome, which could provide a safer and more suitable riding situation for many competitive cyclists.

Innovation:
Business as usual has not produced a network of bike trails or paths that allow for safe transit through our area. I have seen how cycling is successfully handled as a part of a greater traffic and transportation management plan in other places, both in the U.S. and overseas. Like many of the issues facing the district, we must come up with short, medium and long-term solutions. A short-term solution might be to see where trail connections can be made between neighborhoods to avoid congested areas. A possible medium-term solution would be to divide 10-foot multi-use trails into bicycle paths and jogging/walking paths to reduce spacial conflicts between the different types of users. Finally, a long-term solution would be the creation and implementation of a comprehensive plan similar to what has been developed in Seattle that considers all modes of transportation – motorized vehicles, bicycles and pedestrians.

I am convinced that reducing traffic congestion and better overall traffic management are critical to the future viability of Cobb County. I also feel that encouraging cycling as an alternate means of transportation and an enjoyable form of recreation could be part of a more comprehensive plan to address these issues.

As Commissioner, I will use my knowledge and familiarity with the needs of the cycling community to work toward making Cobb County a bike-friendly community that is both safe for the cyclists and responsive to the community.

If you believe, as I do – that things can be better – I ask for your support and vote in the July 15th Republican Primary.

Thank you. www.bob4cobb.com
 

7-8-2008 Chicopee Work Party From Sorella Sorella sponsored trail work party Saturday, July 12th, 9am-1pm
Chicopee Woods, Gainesville, GA Norma Rainwater is heading up a trail work party to be held on July 12th at 9am until 1pm. Gainesville SORBA will provide the tools and the expertise. Volunteers just provide the muscle. Everyone is welcome. Bring your bike for a post work-party ride. Everyone is welcome to help at the work party!

Georgians ROCK Fitchburg! Georgians John Murphy (Healthnet) and Tina Pic (Cola Vita) won the final crit at Fitchburg this week. Rock on!
 

7-9-2008 Dedicated Athlete Follow Up I spoke with John Gamble, the founder of Dedicated Athlete, tonight. He said that the Grape flavor taste has been "taken care of" since I received the products. He also said that if you leave any nutrition product with sugar in it in the sun, it can cake and melt.

New Start for Roswell Ride From Bike Roswell: Please email your friends that ride the Roswell Thursday night ride and inform them that the start has a new location and ending route. The Grimes Bridge is CLOSED! We will move our start to Riverside Park (575 Riverside Road, Roswell 30075) and join the C group start at 6:30! We will start by going right from the parking lot and do Martin's Landing first and continue the ride in the normal manner. At the end we will go to the end of Canton St and go right onto Magnolia then left onto Mimosa (road with all the churches) then right onto 120. You have your own lane on the decent and then left onto Willeo, left at the light to go back along the river to the park on the other side of HWY 9. It lengthens the ride to 26.34 miles.

Special WBL ALTO Ride The WBL and SFS have teamed up to announce a joint misadventure: THE LETS SEND SCOTT THOMAS BACK TO CALIFORNIA ALTO WORLD CUP EVENT

* When: Saturday 26 July 2008
* Where: Jittery Joes at 5 Points in Athens
* Time: 8 a.m. (the window is open)
* Length: 110 miles, 5 ½ hours
* Why: In his quest to take over the world, Briggs Carney is sending Scott Thomas to California to open a west coast branch of the WBL. Thomas will be in charge of soliciting charitable donations in the land of fruits and flakes. Carney selected Thomas as his emissary for this dangerous mission because he thought Thomas would “blend in way out yonder on the left coast.”
* Sag: Yes, a scooter sag will be provided.
* Single File or Double: Absolutely Single! No talking allowed!!
* Store Stops: 2 of em, regular places.
* Sprint: Hale yes. A final 3 mile sprint on Nowhere Road. Attack Zone will not open until the grupetto hits Nowhere Road.
* Prizes: You betcha. At this time $25 and a pony keg of Heineken are in the prize box. More prizes to be announced.
* Other Amenities: Double hale yes. Scott Thomas will be buying everyone double shots of expresso before the ride at JJ’s.
* Parking: Ain’t none. Ride yo bike. Anyone needing to park nearby may park at Crowe’s at 115 Chestnut Lane, Athens, 30606.

So come on out and wish Scott Thomas one of the following:
1) Godspeed.
2) Bon voyage.
3) Happy trails.
4) Good riddance

More announcements to come at www.winterbikeleague.com. Wee you there, Carney.

US Pro Volunteers Needed Greetings from about 52 days out from the start of the 2008 USA Professional Cycling Championships!!

Once again, I need around 400 volunteers to make the weekend a success! Most volunteers will be course marshals and can work either Sat. (9:00ish - noonish) or Sun. (11:00ish - 6:00), or BOTH! I will provide training (orientation), an official t-shirt, lunch, and plenty of water to keep you hydrated, plus, you will be guaranteed front row seats to the races!! So please check out the web site, sign up, and get your family and friends to sign up ASAP!!
Thanks in advance:) www.usacyclingchampionships.com  Kimberly Stokes Morgan, USA Professional Cycling Volunteer Director
 

Demo Day at Blanket's From Outspokin Bikes: On July 19 DEMO DAY by Outspokin' bikes, we will roll out the nastiest demo fleet around, just for ya. Bikes of the Ellsworth, Titus, Specialized, and Pivot variety. Might you even see the NEW pivot 429 there.......puuuuurhaps. Come get your ride on! 10a.m. until we get tired around 4:00p.m. See you there.

2008 Carolina State Velodrome Championships Carolina Track Cycling Association, Inc. in conjunction with
“Asheville Parks & Recreation” Present: 2008 CAROLINA STATE VELODROME CHAMPIONSHIPS
Carrier Park, Asheville, NC August 16th / 17th
Categories/ Events (Note elite category mass start events limited to USAC cat. 1-3 licensees;
minimum 5 riders per category; promoter reserves right to combine fields):
Men’s Elite: 10Km Scratch Race/ 20Km Points Race/ Match Sprint/Keirin /Team Sprint/ Team Pursuit/ 20Km Madison/ 1Km I.P./ 4000M I.P.
Women: 7Km Scratch/ 12 Km Points Race/ Match Sprint/ Keirin/500M I.P./ 3000M I.P./ Team Sprint/ Team Pursuit.
Men’s Masters 40+: 7Km Scratch Race/ 12 Km Points Race/ Match Sprint/1Km I.P./ 3000M I.P.
Men’s Masters 50+: 5 Km Scratch Race/ 10 Km Points Race/ Match Sprint /500M I.P. /2000M I.P.
Juniors(10-14 & 15-1Cool: 500M I.P./ 2000M I.P. /4 Km Scratch Race / Team Sprint.

State Championship medals for all categories/events (must be NC/SC resident).
Category B.A.R. awards.
(This is a qualifying event for elite Track nationals. Top 3 riders in men’s elite individual events and top 3 in the team events qualify. Top 3 riders in the woman’s individual events and the 1st team in team events qualify. You do NOT have to be a NC/SC resident to be eligible for this elite track qualifier.
New for 2008: If a previously qualified rider finishes in the top 5, results will not be adjusted to move lower finishing riders into qualifying positions.)

Entry Fee: $20 for one event; $35 for two; $50 for three or more. Registration on site-8am
Schedule of Events: August 16th
Session 1: 9:00 AM: flying 200m (Seeding for match sprint and Keirin)/ Team Pursuit/Scratch races/ Team Sprint. AWARDS
BREAK
Session 2: 3:00 PM: match sprint up to quarterfinals/Keirin Finals/ Madison. AWARDS

Schedule of Events: August 17th
Session 1: 9:00 AM: Individual Pursuit (Short)/Individual Pursuit (Long). AWARDS
BREAK
Session 2: 3:00 PM: Points race/ Match Sprint semi-finals and Finals. AWARDS

USA Cycling sanctioned event held under USA Cycling permit pending; USA Cycling track racing rules apply; USA Cycling license and event release form required for all participants; Rescheduling of events and cancellation of certain events in event of rain. No rain date.
Fixed gears only, no brakes, no quick releases.
Contact: Chris Kamm at PH: 828-681-0043
Don Lux at PH: 828-452-0341
www.ridectca.com

7-11-2008 NC News If you have the legs and lungs, North Carolina has the races. Over the next four weeks, there will be three major race events providing a total of 15 days of racing. Piedmont Triad Omnium - http://www.thepiedmonttriadomnium.com/
French Broad Cycling Classic - www.abrc.net
Crossroads Classic - www.crossroadscyclingclassic.com

July 11 - 13
Piedmont Triad Omnium Crit, Road Race and a Time Trial http://www.thepiedmonttriadomnium.com/

Wednesday, July 16
The third round of the Charlotte Mountain Bike Series will hit North Meck Park next Wednesday. Should be a fast and an exciting place to race for the Summer Series. For more info on the Charlotte Summer Mountain Bike Series, visit www.charlottemtnbike.com.

July 18 - 20
The Asheville Bicycle Racing Club presents the Liberty Bicycles French Broad Cycling Classic is a Three-race Omnium scheduled for July 18th, 19th, & 20th. $8,000 Purse plus cash primes. Marshall, Brevard, and Asheville, North Carolina. Online registration for the 2008 FBCC is available through Online registration at www.pre-reg.com will close July 15 at 7:00pm. See www.frenchbroadcyclingclassic.com or http://www.abrc.net/french_broad/fbccflyer2008.pdf 

July 25 - August 3, 2008
Giordana Crossroads Classic
9 DAYS OF FAST RACING IN 9 DIFFERENT NC CITIES
$55,000+ purse of the 9 days of racing
REGISTRATION IS OPEN
Taylorsville-Lenior-Morganton-Mocksville-Concord-Salisbury-Statesville-Harrisburg-Winston-Salem

Check out www.crossroadscyclingclassic.com
Note from the promoters: In the past, several of the categories have filled up for this event, particularly the evening races. We highly recommend pre-registering for the event. We sent out an event mailing to race participants in sixteen different States.
Interested in sponsoring the event, contact Neal at nealboyd@charlottesportscycling.com

Saturday, August 23
Cackalacky Cup
Lake Norman State Park - Troutman, NC
The 2008 Cackalacky Cup will be highlighted by two very different mountain bike time trials and a afternoon of fun and games. The first time trial will be a technical time trial held on the four mile Itusi loop. There will be four different obstacles on the course. The second time trial will be an all out speed time trial. The winners will be determined by the combined times of both time trials. Check out www.charlottemtnbike.com for more info.

Sunday, September 7
Rivers Edge Mountain Bike Marathon
Presented by US National Whitewater Park and SouthPark Cycles
The Rivers Edge Mountain Bike Marathon is the Southeast Mountain Bike Marathon Championships. The 50 mile race will test you both physically and mentally. We will crown 12 southeast champions at the event. We will also have duo categories at the event. Info can be found at www.charlottemtnbike.com
 

Hogpen Townie Style! I've posted this before but ran across it again. It's the Boston Scientific team riding Hogpen Townie Style! Hilarious!

Don't Throw Things at Police Officers It happened it Athens. You might be charged with something.
 

7-14-2008 Bicycle Survey Results The Atlanta Bicycle Campaign Survey results are here
http://projects.ajc.com/maps/metro/atlanta/bike-survey-map/.

AJC Article The AJC has another article on cycling up.


Raffle for Trails! From 55Nine Performance: In support of local trail maintenance and keeping great singletrack available to all of us, Vassago Cycles is offering an OptimusTi titanium frame for raffle at the Fool's Gold Race and Festival put on by 55nine performance.

Vassago, 55nine Performance and Ergon have teamed up at the Fool's Gold event to raise funds to be donated to IMBA/SORBA. Your donation for this raffle will specifically go to support existing trails systems as well as support development new trails in the Bull & Jake Mountain area trail fund.

To enter the raffle or donate to the cause (however you prefer to look at it) use the PayPal link below. Your name will be added to the "pot" every time you enter. Online donations will be taken up to August 9th – allowing us time to gather all entries to take to Fool’s Gold. We will continue the raffle at the Vassago booth during the entire festival. So yes, if you enter 10 thousand times, you have a pretty good chance of winning an OptimusTi that you paid 200 grand for. Sweet!

GA Cup Looking for Venue From the Georgia Cup. Please contact James Lowe at the spincyclellc@yahoo.comif you can help. "We need 2 crit courses for the Atlanta Crit Series during Labor day weekend. The US 100k is on Monday and I'd like to keep the Crits on the Marietta side of town. Basically, Cobb County and above if possible. Here's what we are looking for:

Friday night crit - one location----easier to go into town than out of town due to traffic..... Maybe somewhere around 285 and 75.
Saturday - ALL DAY - one crit in the AM going one way on the course and in the PM going the other.
Sunday- Atlantic Station - 10am - 4pm = then a party at HOTEL 12

We'd need permits and www.mapmyride.com maps. The races do NOT have to be in a downtown setting. Parks, office parks, ANYTHING! First find the course you think would be good then figure out how hard it will be to permit. The MORE traffic the less chance to get permitted. BEST idea would be a business park or something like that. We have locations we can use on the WEST side of town but would like to try racing on the Marietta side. Can you reach out and help us? James C. Lowe, III'"

Georgia Games Photos I have some photos of the Masters race and the Women's 1/2/3 race up.

Jackie Soladay (Team Medplan) checks to make sure her Georgia Games medal is real. Jackie placed 2nd in the Women's 1/2/3 crit behind Kim Sawyer (Reality Bikes)

9-16-2008 Blanket's Creek Work Party From SORBA Woodstock We will be having a Work Party this weekend at Blankets Creek. We will be finishing the final reroute on the Van Michael Trail. We also will be working on several new log crossings on VMT and South Loop. Work Party starts at 8am and runs until noon. Lunch will be provided afterwards. Please bring gloves, water, sturdy boots and long pants (for poison ivy). We'll provide the tools. See you this Saturday!

Tour of Jamaica The Myogenesis Team is at the Tour of Jamaica. Their race reports are on their blog.

7-17-2008  Raisin Hope Foundation Ride & Tour the Town -Criterium and 5K Run/Walk Heritage Point Park will be the host venue for Saul's second annual Raisin Hope Foundation Ride on Saturday, October 4th and on Sunday, October 5th we move to downtown Dalton
for the Tour the Town Crtiterium Race and 5K Run/Walk. DON'T MISS - the Silent Auction/Foundation Reception on Saturday 10.4 with Saul and special guests! And make sure to be there on Sunday when Nathan O'Neill and Chad Andrews announce all of the criterium action!

A portion of the proceeds from all of the weekend's events will go to benefit the Raisin Hope Foundation. www.saulraisin.com

Please mark your calendars - registration will be opening soon as Sportsbase Online!
For more information please visit: www.ascentproductions.net

Sara Babb Trail Project From SORBA Paulding: Hello everyone,

It is with great excitement and jubilation that we, Paulding SORBA, are announcing the signing of the MOU for Sara Babb Beginners Mountain Bike Park. At the close of business today, Mayor Boyd Austin received the MOU from the City Attorney and made the decision to sign it. We’ll be hosting the largest SORBA work party Paulding County has ever seen with over 100 volunteers already registered from over 9 area churches. The project has been dubbed “The Sara Babb Project”.

The park is located at 216 Recreation Dr., Dallas, GA. And will initially house (2) 1-1.5 mile loops which will be beginner specific. We are openly inviting anyone willing to assist in this process. The dates for this work party are July 25th, 26th, and 27th. On the 25th we will be hosting an informal introduction to trail building for the volunteers from the outreach program. We will meet at 7:00 p.m. in the field behind the tennis courts to review the scope of the project. On the 26th and 27th we will begin registration at 7:00 a.m. and begin work at about 8 a.m. until approximately 1-1:30 p.m. We will be offering two lunch options on Saturday and one on Sunday. We will release more details throughout the week and post these items on both the SORBA and atlbike forums.

Typically,we at Charlotte Sports Cycling only use the database for events but this exciting and urgent news from Spencer Leuders needs immediate attention.

Per Spencer:
I am co-founder of the Carolina Velodrome Association (CVA), and we have successfully engaged the City of Rock Hill regarding a 250m, concrete velodrome project as part of Rock Hill's sports tourism strategic plan. For almost six years, we have pursued various avenues, while meeting with City Council and members of the Rock Hill sports tourism group. Earlier this year, we were presented with an opportunity to place the velodrome in the center of a 100 acre, mixed use development (think Birkdale, but twice as big). The developer has already donated the land and presented his support to the City Council. We have raised $500,000 and have the full support from USA Cycling. All the economic impact studies have been done, everything is set.

We are asking the City of Rock Hill to pay for construction costs, and the CVA would jointly operate the velodrome with the city. This proposal has support from the City, although the Council members expressed a strong need to hear from the various constituencies that would use the velodrome. That is where the CVA needs your help.

The CVA needs you and people in your sphere of influence to email (or call or write) the Rock Hill City Council members and express your support for the velodrome. We have provided a sample letter at the link below and full contact info for the City Council and Mayor. Here is the kicker: our voices need to be heard by the end of July. This means we need your support right now. Please take a moment and help us secure the only world class velodrome in the southeast and a true asset for the Carolinas cycling community.


Please forward to others that can help us make the desired impact with City Council.

The email and address list is available for download at
http://tinyurl.com/5ltq8p

The sample letter is available for download at
http://tinyurl.com/5u85ek
 

7-21-2008 Carolinas Velodrome From Charlotte Sports Cycling: Per Spencer: I am co-founder of the Carolina Velodrome Association (CVA), and we have successfully engaged the City of Rock Hill regarding a 250m, concrete velodrome project as part of Rock Hill's sports tourism strategic plan. For almost six years, we have pursued various avenues, while meeting with City Council and members of the Rock Hill sports tourism group. Earlier this year, we were presented with an opportunity to place the velodrome in the center of a 100 acre, mixed use development (think Birkdale, but twice as big). The developer has already donated the land and presented his support to the City Council. We have raised $500,000 and have the full support from USA Cycling. All the economic impact studies have been done, everything is set.

We are asking the City of Rock Hill to pay for construction costs, and the CVA would jointly operate the velodrome with the city. This proposal has support from the City, although the Council members expressed a strong need to hear from the various constituencies that would use the velodrome. That is where the CVA needs your help.

The CVA needs you and people in your sphere of influence to email (or call or write) the Rock Hill City Council members and express your support for the velodrome. We have provided a sample letter at the link below and full contact info for the City Council and Mayor. Here is the kicker: our voices need to be heard by the end of July. This means we need your support right now. Please take a moment and help us secure the only world class velodrome in the southeast and a true asset for the Carolinas cycling community.  Please forward to others that can help us make the desired impact with City Council.
The email and address list is available for download at http://tinyurl.com/5ltq8p.  The sample letter is available for download at http://tinyurl.com/5u85ek.

Cobb District 2 Commissioner Race  There will be a run off in the Republican primary between incumbent and anti-cyclist Joe Thompson and opponent Bobb Ott. Joe Thompson was the Cobb County Commissioner  that passed the anti-cycling ordinance on Columns Dr. a few years ago. The primary election was VERY close. If you are in District 2, PLEASE vote for Bobb Ott. He is a former tri-geek and cyclist. You can vote in the Republican runoff if you voted in the Republican primary or did not vote in the primary at all. You cannot vote in the Republican runoff if you voted in the Democratic primary. Bob's website is www.bob4cobb.com.  Joe2Go! Bob4Cobb!

The Chattahoochee Plantation Community Association and the Hampton Farms Homeowners Association invite you to a Cobb County Commissioner Candidate Debate. The candidate debate will take place at the Atlanta Country Club, Wednesday, July 23, 2008. The doors will open at 6:30 p.m. with the debate starting at 7:00 p.m. The format of this debate is designed to give both candidates the opportunity to share their backgrounds, views on areas of specific interest to the community, and answer questions from the community. Both candidates have been invited: Bob Ott and Joe Thompson
Everyone is welcomed. Get to Know the Two Candidates.

MTB Nationals Congratulations to the following Georgians on their placings at the Mountain Bike National Championships:

Seth Kemp Cycleyouth JRX 15-16 XC National Champ
Jansen Lindner Cycleyouth Junior 13-14 XC Podium 3rd place
Andy J Cycleyouth XC Master National Champ
Ethan Quehl KHS/Kenda JRX 17-18 Downhill National Champ
Thomas Turner 11th Pro XC
Krista Park 13th Pro XC

CX Schedule Preview I got a CX Schedule preview today from a very reliable source. It looks great and will be coming out soon!

A Match Made On The Bike S and J--Congratulations on your marriage this weekend! We are all so happy for you! It's a marriage made on a bike! Love, The Gang

7-22-2008 Women's Ride Sat. Trish's note: This is a fun route, and I'll probably be there. From The ATLBike crew: Judy Galvin will be leading a women's option on this weekend's *!* route in Hiram.  The route will the Sky Loop or a slight variation. It will be a good opportunity for the ladies to try some road rides or bring some road shy friends out to ride in the company of other ladies. Some of us guys will ride off the back to assist as required, keep an eye on any stragglers and help with any mechanicals.

Info on the regular Sky Loop route:
===============================================

the Route
We'll be riding the new Sky Loop, No drop, the route is FULLY marked. ~38 miles. There will be one store stop . We usually have a faster group, but there is no pressure to ride beyond your limits and everyone is encouraged to ride at an enjoyable pace.

Difficulty and Pace
Intermediate difficulty: The terrain is rolling with a few steeper sections to help riders prepare for more difficult rides. This ride is not appropriate for novice riders and you should be able to maintain a 14-15mph average on the road. Moderate pace: 14-16mph for the base group. There is usually a faster group riding in the 17-20mph range.

Start Time & Location
9am starting from the Hiram Starbucks (*$).


Here's the details: READY TO RIDE AT 9am. This is an INTERMEDIATE LEVEL RIDE!! Nobody will be dropped. Period. Please bring as many folks as you wish to the ride. However, they should be able to ride at 14-15MPH pace over rolling terrain (not the Silver Comet Trail).

The Pace: This is a medium distance training ride, not a race ... just moderately paced with a bit more fun and socializing. Let me repeat... this ride is intermediate pace, not for the total-newbies nor the hammer heads. However, the hammerheads are welcome to do extra loops on the climb sections, don't sit there twiddling your thumbs or whining. This training will benefit you, it's like hill intervals, get it?? For those with the insatiable desire to take-off, there will usually be a faster group (see cautions below, group separation).

What to bring:
* Appropriate clothing for the weather. The forecast for is for warm temps. Remember your sunscreen and sunglasses. Obviously, don't forget your helmet.
* Repair Kit/Tool Bag. You shouldn't be a goof-ball and show up to the ride without stuff to be self-sufficient. Even if you don't know how to fix it, you should still have it.
* Food and Drink. Bring enough gels, bars, etc., for a 2-3 hour ride.
* Cash for Store Stop. We'll make ones tore stop. If you want a Coke or a snack or something, bring some cash.
* MORE RIDERS!!! Invite your friends, that can handle this route. The more the merrier, the more the safer as long as you ride with reasonable consideration for the vehicles we share the road with.

Rules for the Ride:
* Car back. When someone announces "car back", make a reasonable effort to single up and allow the vehicle to pass in a safe manner.
* No elitist attitudes. I don't want people showing up to this ride and being stuck-up and making other riders feel uncomfortable.
* group separation. The route is fully marked, we'll be sweeping along to pickup any stragglers. So stay on the course marked with light-blue chevrons and we'll find you. As stated above, there is usually a faster group, the faster group often does the challenge loop. If you go off with the lead group and get dropped you may very well be off the standard route, so know where you are going... just ask. If you follow the blue chevrons you will end up back at the Silver Comet Trail.
* If you are uncertain about a situation, just ask. Maybe we need to add it to the ride rules? If you have suggestions, I'll make additions for the next ride posting.

See you all on Saturday!

POST RIDE: There are many restaurants in the Hiram area, so we often get lunch after the ride. With the nice spring weather, it's usually the Mexican restaurant where we can eat outside. Good food and beverages.

No ride if raining .

AJC Article Another interesting AJC article on cycling. This time on accidents.

Mother of All Work Parties The Mother of All Work Parties will be at Chicopee this Saturday. More details here.

7-24-2008 Georgia Cross Series Schedule Oh yeah!!!!!!! Ya'll know I love this! The Georgia Cross Announces a seven race series plus one make-up race.

Oct 5 GAX1 - Dahlonega
Oct 19 GAX2 - Savannah
Nov 2 GAX3 - Conyers 1, GIHP
Nov 9 GAX4 - Rome
Nov 16 GAX5 - TBA
Nov 23 GAX6 - Winder, State Championships
Nov 30 - Conyers 2, Elks Aidmore Childrens Center 'Make Up Race'
Dec 7 GAX7 - Dallas Finale

The make up race will replace the lowest point score from one of the seven GA series races.
Note: state championships and series finale will have double points.
Make up race points are determined from the standard points schedule.

AJC Article There is an article in the AJC about the Gwinnett Bike Fest this weekend.

More AJC-MTB The AJC has a nice article on mountain biking in Atlanta. Good to see some positive press!

Pizza Ride Info. Soon to be new location for Thursday Pizza ride… read on…

Avondale Pizza Café and several blocks around that area- will be torn down for new development. There will be a Publix, other stores, condos, etc, being built very soon. Avondale Pizza Café is moving to the Twin Oaks shopping plaza in the Old Enterprise Car Rental Spot. This shopping center contains Our Way Café and the Salvation Army and is East of the current Pizza café (towards city of Decatur/Sam’s Crossing (road). The parking lot is *much* bigger than the current Pizza Parking Lot. The ride will leave from the new location- AFTER we can no longer access the current location / demolition starts / etc.

Please fwd this to any other Pizza rider….

Current pizza location:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=70+North+Avondale+Road,+avondale,+ga&sll=33.603136,-84.551278&sspn=0.01033,0.017252&ie=UTF8&ll=33.775919,-84.272389&spn=0.010309,0.017252&z=16
 
*EVENTUAL* New pizza location:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=2831+E+College+Ave,+Decatur,+GA+30030&sll=33.603136,-84.551278&sspn=0.01033,0.017252&ie=UTF8&ll=33.775794,-84.27417&spn=0.010309,0.017252&z=16

AJC Article on development:

http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/dekalb/stories/2008/07/07/avondale_publix.html

7-25-2008 More Gwinnett Bike Fest Articles Clicky here for article one and then clicky here for article number two.

7-29-2008 Bishop to Compete in Fool's Gold 100
July 25, 2008 - Newly crowned USA Marathon and Short Track Mountain Bike National Champion Jeremiah Bishop (Trek/Volkswagen) is set to compete in the Fool's Gold 100-mile mountain bike race, August 16, 2008 in Dahlonega, Georgia.

The race is the sixth event of the National Ultra Endurance series and is part of the three-day Fool's Gold Mountain Bike Races & Festival. The event, presented by 55nine Performance in conjunction with the Southern Off-Road Bicycle Association (SORBA) and the International Mountain Bike Association (IMBA), will benefit the Land Access Fund in support of the Bull Mountain trails - the site of the first IMBA Epic.

"[IMBA-] SORBA is an amazing group," Bishop says. "I've seen their work at other races in the southeast - they're one of the most active groups in the country. It's great to see the work they perform, and I'm excited to see the trails they've prepared for the race."

With some race proceeds to benefit the local trail efforts, Bishop says he is "encouraged by the 100-mile races and how they're such good stewards of the land areas which they use."

Race Director Eddie O'Dea says, "the Fool's Gold races and festival rides will travel a historic trail system and showcase some of Georgia's most epic riding. 55nine Performance, along with the United States Forest Service and IMBA-SORBA, recognize the opportunity for improvements to the current trails and the need for opening additional trails in this area. We are creating an event that brings together a national caliber race, recreational riding and trail advocacy in a way that will generate revenue to build and maintain trails. It's a perfect circle."

To race the Fool's Gold 100, Bishop says he is excited for two reasons. "It will be my first opportunity to rock the Stars and Stripes jersey at an epic long-distance mountain bike race, and it's a great reason to explore the legendary trails of north Georgia."

"It's going to be an awesome competition; the most competitive endurance race in the southeast. I look forward to it, and I'm really excited to see all the trails," he says. "A race like this is a really cool way to see a region's best trails. One hundred miles really highlights an area. Without even having to use a map, you get a great tour of the best riding in the region."

The Fool's Gold Festival will have organized rides, games, bands, on-site food & lodging, and more for the entire weekend of August 15-17, 2008.

For more information about the festival and mountain bike races, visit http://www.55nineperformance.com/100.html.

More Gwinnett Bike Fest Articles Article Number 1, Article Number 2, Great publicity for the sport!

Great Tour De France Photos I'm sure many of you have seen these, but they are work a repost: Part 1, Part 2

Help the Arrowhead Trails! Do you want to help the Arrowhead trails in Macon that were decimated in this spring's tornados? Go here for more information on sponsoring the Middle Georgia MTB Festival Nov. 15-16.

Dog Days Race Weekend Team Cycleworks p/b HDR and Aaron's Cycling Team have combined their efforts in an effort to produce a terrific race weekend 08/09-08/10 and have amassed a tremendous prize list now at $13,000 in cash and prizes!!!! In addition to lots and lots of cash, product primes and prizes from tremndous sponsors like Myogenesis, VCRC Ceramics, Maxxis, Tifosi, Patagonia and Raging Burrito. There will be gift card up for grabs from restaurants like Stella, Doc Chey's, Nancy G's, Osteria, Foxgloves & Ivy and Agave. Jeanne's Body Tech, Park Pet and Barkinghound have also donated complimentary services as prizes. All the details are here.

7-30-2008 Covington Century Register here for the Covington Century Aug. 2nd. Stay with the big boys and do a sub 4 hour century!

Gwinnett Bike Fest Photos On the AJC website.

7-31-2008 Covington Century News SCHOOL SUPPLY DRIVE
Project Adventure Kids is a foster home & school - August is a tough month with school starting and they need our help. We'll have a SCHOOL SUPPLY DRIVE at registration. These teenagers need the basics - pens, pencils, scientific calculators, backpacks, notebooks, markers, graph paper, folders, protractor, compass, rulers, etc... Help if you can!

8am Group Start & SLOW START LEAD OUT
Slow start lead out for 1.5 miles by the kids' cycling team, teamAdventure, escorted by The Covington Police, Dangerous Curves Motorcycle Club and an escort vehicle. This is a strict no-passing-the-kids lead out for 1.5 miles which gives all cyclists a chance to begin the ride safely. Please help make this lead out safe by being patient and enjoying your chance to be in the largest peloton most of us will ever see!
STARTING BEFORE 8am IS HIGHLY DISCOURAGED

PARKING
On-campus parking is limited to Preferred Parking pass holders (those who've donated $50 or more to Project Adventure Kids). It's not too late to get your pass by emailing lisa@covingtoncentury.org. For everyone else, our volunteer parking staff will get you parked on the PA property along Elks Club Road, not far from campus. Please carpool!

ON CAMPUS
Registration opens at 7am
RIDE MAPS WILL BE AVAILABLE AT REGISTRATION
Team Pavilion, a gathering of cycling teams & clubs
Cafe:ine Coffee Cafe - Airstream mobile coffee trailer selling fresh coffee

If YOU Plan to Ride A SUB 4-HOUR Century
This year we have a lead vehicle for the entire 100mi. route. Lead vehicle will NOT STOP at rest stops. Please ride safely!


Huge Crowd, Great Prize Money, Intense Rivalries Attract Champion Racers to Charlotte Criterium

Atlanta, Ga. (July 30, 2008)—Many of the best criterium specialists in the country are set to race August 2 in the 5th annual, Presbyterian Hospital Invitational Criterium in Charlotte, North Carolina—bringing their own brand of excitement to the heart of American auto racing. The Charlotte Criterium, which is part of the USA CRITS Series, offers pro cyclists a chance to win some serious prize money in front of an estimated 35,000 enthusiastic race fans. The men’s purse totals $50,000 and the women will compete for $25,000, so the smell of burning rubber will likely add to the atmosphere in scenic uptown Charlotte as the cyclists race for rich “premes” and dominant positions.

“We have both the men’s and women’s 2006 and 2007 Champions returning this year,” says event director Thad Fischer. “Shawn Milne (USA Navigators Insurance) and Tina Pic (Colavita-Sutter Home) won two years ago, and Tina won again last year along with Frank Pipp (HealthNet-Maxxis). She’s always a threat in any criterium,” Fischer adds.

USA CRITS’ co-founder Gene Dixon says, “The other threats in the women’s field are currently atop the USA CRITS Series’ overall leader board. Jennifer Wilson (Vanderkitten) holds first place with 1023 points, followed by Kelly Benjamin (Cheerwine Cycling), Taitt Sato (ValueAct Capital Cycling), Erica Allar (Aaron’s), and Leigh Valetti (Vanderkitten).” As Cheerwine is the hometown favorite, the chances are that boisterous fans will propel Benjamin and teammates farther up the rankings.

The overall leaders in the men’s lineup are Adam Myerson (Time), Yosvany Falcon (TOSHIBA-Santo), Frank Travieso (TOSHIBA-Santo), Seth Hansley (Locos Grill & Pub), and Hilton Clarke (Toyota-United)—all racers who benefit from being part of exceptionally strong squads. And on race day, everything depends on individual and team strength, tactics and execution.

“This year’s 1.3-mile course could be considered more technical than in the past, and the heat in Charlotte is always a factor,” says Fischer. “The course is shaped like a bar bell with fencing down the center, giving spectators a chance to see the racers and their teamwork twice per lap.” HealthNet, Rock Racing, TOSHIBA-Santo presented by Herbalife, Colavita, Jittery Joe’s, and Team Type 1, Time Pro Cycling and Texas Roadhouse are among the notable squads whose skills will be on display in Charlotte.

The Presbyterian Hospital Invitational Criterium is a newsmaker not only for fielding formidable male and female professional cycling teams, but for the way the event helping North Carolinians. “We have strong community support from city and business leaders as well as from the people of Charlotte,” says Fischer. “We’ve raised $2.4 million for cancer research through this and other events.”