Front Range Cycling Classic comes to Academy Published July 14, 2009 By Jim Weinstein Cycling Club Officer in Charge U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. -- This Front Range Cycling Classic (weather permitting) will offer many thrills for participants and spectators alike when it takes place at the Academy April 18-19. The following general information is provided for those who plan to check the event out: APRIL 18 The time trial will run from 7:15 to 10:30 a.m. The best viewing location is at the finish line on West Monument Creek. If you drive to the finish, please park off the road as riders will be travelling at high rates of speed. From 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. the criterium (a small closed course where packs of riders do multiple laps) will be held at the football stadium. Southbound Stadium Blvd. traffic will be rerouted onto the western side of the northbound lane (similar to the reroute during football games) for the short distance in front of the stadium only. This is a spectator friendly race. The Best place to watch from is right in front of the football stadium. APRIL 19 The Road Race will go from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and will use the outside loop of the Academy going clockwise. Racers will climb Pine Drive in packs being led and followed by race vehicles. There will be several categories on the course at the same time. The start line is in the upper cadet fields and the riders will begin racing once on the perimeter road. The finish line will be at the top of the overlook hill and this is the best place for viewing. There are other great locations for viewing along Pine Drive. HELPFUL DEFINITIONS Time trial: A race against the clock. Riders proceed individually (usually at one-minute gaps) and go from the start to finish. The person with the fastest time wins. A team time trial is where four to six riders on the same team, riding at very high rates of speed, draft off each other to get from the start to the finish. The U.S Air Force Academy Team placed 5th in the nation last year in the event and they are one of the best teams in the country this year! Criterium: A spectator-friendly event on a closed short course, usually about one kilometer in length. Riders travel around the course in packs. The winner is the person across the finish line first. Prizes are often given along the way for riders who cross the finish line first on given laps. These are called "primes" and make the race exciting to watch. Road race: A road race is a longer course and the racers travel over a distance (sometimes more than 100 miles) in a peloton (or pack). Riders try to break away from the pack to cross the finish line first. These "breakaway" riders might ride away from the peloton early in a road race but because of the distance, riders must pace their efforts cautiously. Often, the smartest, not the strongest, rider wins a road race. A fun place to watch a road race is in the feed zone. Riders will grab water bottles while riding their bikes, the feed zone is always hectic and scary but more often than not, riders emerge unscathed with new water bottles in hand. SAFETY GUIDELINES Vehicle etiquette during a bicycle race: Cyclists are acutely aware of the dangers of a bike race on roads shared with vehicles. Thousands of races happen every year throughout the United States and serious accidents are very rare. To ensure the safety of riders in this race, corner martials will be placed throughout the course directing traffic, medical personal will be on hand, and riders will be briefed on safety and specifics about the Academy. For example, they'll be told about the animals that frequently jump into or across the road. Vehicle operators must realize these bicycle racers travel much faster than the average cyclists on the Academy. In fact, for most of the course, riders will be travelling near the speed limits. Vehicle drivers should only pass cyclists when it's safe; they should never pass a pack of cyclists nor should they pass race vehicles. Because of the high rates of speed, delays are usually minimal. Anyone caught behind a pack of cyclists is encouraged to cheer on Academy Cadets riding in the red, white, and blue, uniforms. For more information, call 719-333-5305.