Last Saturday was the 24th edition of Ascent Cycles Ballard Criterium powered by Carter Vollkswagen, one of Seattle’s most iconic bike races.
Racers compete on a 1/2 mile course on the treacherous streets of Old Ballard, complete with a long brick section on Ballard Ave., and a diabolically-placed manhole cover on NW Dock Place.
A criterium (aka ‘crit’) is a bike race around a short closed loop of about 1 to 2 km. The racing is FAST. To put things in perspective, the average speed for this year’s top men racers was 31.7 mph, and for the top women 28.1 mph. The length of each race varies from 25 to 70 minutes depending on the category of each particular race.
The intimate venue of Ballard Ave. is perfect for a warm afternoon of bike racing. As the day progresses, the bars and bistros fill with racers and cheering spectators. Almost every year I encounter folks who are surprised about the event (last year it was a barroom regular, this year it was a couple guys in suits): “What the hell is going on here?”
Each race has its own story. Newer competitors are usually just trying to avoid crashing or getting lapped and pulled from the race. A few are trying to score points which help them upgrade to the next higher category and otherwise earn bragging rights.
Junior Adrian Magun competed in the men’s category 4 race, and his assignment was to go off the front early in the race. He did his job, which also meant that it would be quite difficult for him to finish the race after such an effort. Post-race his face showed disappointment, but his Apex Racing teammates were proud of him and glad to have him as a weapon in their arsenal.
For the winner of the men’s category 3 race, Sean McGraw, Saturday’s event was a major life milestone.
“Five years ago I was just an overweight and depressed cycling fan watching the Ballard Crit. I thought, ‘hey that’s pretty cool.’ If you would have told me I would win this race someday, I would have called you a liar.”
“Wanting something so big and actually obtaining it…and when that emotion drastically exceeds all expectations…it takes your breath away. To win a race is a special thing; but there’s something to be said for winning THE race.”
Sean’s accomplishment emphasizes the significance of the Ballard Criterium in Seattle’s bicycle racing community.
The final race is the fast men, which include top amateur riders and a few current or former pros.
This year, pro Thorsten Askervold animated the main event. As his former coach David Richter said back in 2014: “He’s the best of all of the local juniors right now…Thorsten possesses the drive that championship athletes have. His natural instinct is to win.”
According to race officials, this year’s finish was the most exciting and closest on record. Only 0.0046 separated the top two finishers, Thorsten and Kent Ross.
Images:
Men’s Pro, 1-2 album
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