LAKEPORT, Calif. – Main Street Elite Cycling Team, a local nonprofit road race cycling team, is hosting the inaugural USA Cycling sanctioned, RPPHobby.com Lakeport Downtown Criterium, presented by Conser Land Surveying, on Saturday, July 15.
Criterium racing – commonly referred to as a "crit" – has long history in the US and Europe, but is the first of its kind in Lake County.
A criterium is road cycling race held on closed city streets on a course of generally less than one mile. Athletes, separated by skill and experience level, race the course for a predetermined period of time with the ultimate goal of being first across the finish line at the end of the race.
In order to keep the action and intensity high, crits include several "prime" – pronounced "preem" – laps that are called at random times during the race by race officials.
A prime lap means that the first rider back across the start/finish line on that lap wins a prize that could be anything from a bottle of Lake County wine to a large cash prize.
Due to the teamwork nature of bike racing, these prime laps serve to continually keep the competition as high and aggressive as possible, by encouraging riders to "attack" the field in effort to win the prize, thus chasing down any other riders or teams attempting to "breakaway" and win the overall race.
Downtown crits are extremely spectator friendly, and in fact the spectators help make the event, by cheering, ringing cowbells and making noise to encourage the athletes to give their all.
Due to the course being short, spectators can expect the pack of cyclist to pass by about every minute and half, making for nonstop action all day long. These elite cyclist exceed 40 miles per hour while sprinting in effort to win primes or overall classes.
The event will include a festival-like atmosphere with a DJ playing music while professional cyclists and Lakeport’s own Martin Scheel will be announcing the play-by-play during each race to help the public understand and appreciate what they are seeing.
Additionally Lakeport Rotary and O'Meara Brothers Brewery will be hosting a trackside Beer Garden at Third and Main streets, and Hillside Power Sports and Marine will be displaying the newest in power sports fun also in the center of town, along with several other vendors and displays.
Local residents are encouraged to come downtown to watch and participate in the free kids race that will be help during the noon break. Children and their parents should be at Third and Main streets to sign up noon. Awards for the children will be provided!.
The RPPhobbby.com Lakeport Downtown Criterium will draw top athletes from all over Northern California and the US, including teams from major manufacturers as well many cycling industry athletes and local amateur, Elite and Pro teams, including former national champions.
Four local Lake County athletes and members of Main Street Elite Cycling Team will be stepping away from their event duties during the day to participate in the race.
Lakeport teacher Zane Jensen and Lakeport business owner Andy Garzoli will be competing in the highly competitive "Elite 3" race at 4:45 p.m.
Local business owner Eric Schlange will be racing at 11:45 a.m. and again at 1:45 p.m. in the Elite 4 category.
Local high school mountain bike team captain, turned road racer Kia Kohler of Kelseyville will be contesting the Women's Elite 5 race at 10:35 a.m.
Come out and support these local cyclist who have worked so hard to bring the event to Lake County and cheer them on to victory.
The Lakeport Downtown Criterium course is approximately seven-tenths of a mile. It starts and finishes on Main Street in Lakeport at the center of Museum park, traveling south on Main Street, turning right on Martin Street, right again on Forbes Street where the course continues on Forbes where it turns right on Fourth Street and right again back onto Main Street.
This rectangular course with the steep pitch on Forbes Street at Second, will be exceptionally fast, and provide the racers with many opportunities to attack and breakaway from the field, making for a very exciting day of racing.
Earlier this year, the Lakeport City Council gave the event its support, and the Main Street Elite Cycling Team offered its deep gratitude to the city of Lakeport, Mayor Stacey Mattina, the Lakeport City Council, City Attorney David Ruderman, Public Works Director Doug Grider, City Manager Margaret Silveira and Police Chief Brad Rasmussen for their assistance in setting up the event.
“These elected officials genuinely have the city’s best interest in mind and their support of this event exemplifies their commitment to bring business and tourism back to Lakeport and Lake County,” the team said in a written statement.
Traffic advisory
Main, Forbes, Martin and Fourth streets will be closed for this event beginning at 5 a.m. Saturday and will reopen following the conclusion of the pro race at approximately 8 p.m., with detours around the course on surface streets.
Access to the boat ramps and city park will be limited to Fifth Street for the day, so motorists are advised to take the 11th Street exit off of Highway 29 to access the park area and premier viewing areas for the race.
Main, Forbes, Martin and Fourth streets will have posted with the parking restrictions beginning Thursday, July 13. Vehicles left standing on the course at 5 a.m. on July 15 may be towed at the owners’ expense if the owners cannot be reached to move them.
Local cycling team hosts inaugural RPP Hobby Lakeport Downtown Criterium
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