Practice Criterium - Sunday, Jan. 16th at 1pm!

Chico Airport "Practice" Criterium - Sunday, Jan. 16th at 1:00pm & 2:00pm!

Hi Everyone! In addition to Saturday morning's Neal Road Uphill Time Trial at 9:00am, we will be holding a "Practice Criterium" on Sunday, January 16th at 1:00pm (for As & Bs) and 2:00pm(for Cs & Junior Races), held at our usual Tuesday/Friday Night Chico Airport Criterium course(see map link below). Rain or wet pavement will cancel. Right now, the weather report is calling for a slight chance of showers this weekend, so we'll play it by ear......but hoping for some sunshine and dry roads!

Sunday, January 16th - January Airport Practice Criterium - 1:00PM (As & Bs) & 2:00PM (Cs and Kids Races) - Registration opens at 12:40pm on Convair avenue at the Chico Airport - with the event starting promptly at 1:00pm. For the time being, we'll be using our standard Airport Criterium course starting/finishing on Convair Avenue. Category "A"(Advanced riders), "B"(Intermediate riders) and Women's Category riders will go for 40 Minutes PLUS 3 laps - Women's Category picked separately. We may combine fields if the turn-out is pretty low. Might offer 3 or 4 Point Primes......but NOTHING like we did during the summer time. The idea is just to get use to cornering again, having riders around you on a circuit, working on some skills, get use to Rodney yelling at you and ringing that cowbell, and maybe open the legs up a bit. Must sign in and wear a helmet in order to participate. RAIN OR WET PAVEMENT WILL CANCEL THIS EVENT. HELMETS ARE MANDATORY!
For a map of the course, please visit the following link:

http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/Tuesday-Night-Airport-Criteriums

Category "C" and Junior Criterium - January 16th - 2:00PM - The Category "C"(Novice riders) and Junior race(essentially, folks under 16.) will be 20 minutes + 3 laps. If you are intimidated by the Criterium and/or the speeds out there, this is the Category to get a feel for what's going on without the crazy speeds. No other Category races will be on the course - just Category "C" and the Juniors - so you can get used to the course, etc. The event MAY be mentored as well, depending upon whether ANY Category "A" or highly-skilled Category "B" riders are available to mentor. A mentor basically sits in with your group during the race, giving you basic pointers and helpful advice to keep you safe, skilled and sound during the event - and for future events. Mentors must meet with me prior to the event - so, if you would like to volunteer to be a Criterium Mentor, see me at the race or e-mail me prior to the Event. RAIN OR WET PAVEMENT WILL CANCEL THIS EVENT. HELMETS ARE MANDATORY!

This is a FREE practice Criterium - so come on out and give it a shot.
NOTES: Finally, remember - these Practice Criterium events are just to work on some skills and get some exercise - we have fun out there and get a great little workout in, and we get to work on some quality cycling techniques. But, overall, they're no big whoop....no World Championship/Olympic medals or million dollar contracts on the line. So, with that in mind, just treat 'em as such - a good training event to try some new things, gain some good fitness.....and maybe even get into a "real" sanctioned Criterium at some point in 2011. Or not. Just have fun with it. Hope to have a few more "practice" criteriums before the 2011 Criterium Series starts up in early March(will have details announced soon!).

Hope to see you out there!

Rodney............
R.A.C.E. - Rodney's Amateur Cycling Events
Chico, CA