Although we’ve had downright dismal weather this spring, Saturday teased us with a bit of summer and perfect conditions for the 2011 edition of the Second Ascent Twilight Criterium (aka the “Ballard Crit”). The dense combination of bars, taverns, and cobblestones along Ballard Ave. make it feel like nothing less than an out-and-out street fight on wheels with aggressive racing cheered by enthusiastic spectators. This account of the 2009 edition authored by my brother (who is not a cyclist) gives you an idea about what it’s like if you’ve never seen this kind of race.
Bicycle races are organized into categories based on ability, age, and gender. The racing categories roughly work like this: New racers start at the bottom of the heap (usually category 4 or 5, or “cat 5″) and advance up the ranks (up to cat 2 or 1) depending on how many races they complete and how well they finish in each. A lower category number indicates a more proficient racer.
More men’s category 3 race pics.
Road racing is a team sport. Each team employs tactics to position one of their riders to win. The nature of the tactics depends on the course, and the strengths and weaknesses of the other racers.
Criterium races such as the Ballard Crit are short closed loop courses that last a certain time period or a certain number of laps. We made it to the event in time to see the final two races, the men’s category 3 race and the main event, the men’s pro-1-2 race. The category 3 race was 50 minutes long and the pro-1-2 race was 70 minutes long. To help motivate the racers, “primes” (pronounced “preems”) or mid-race prizes are periodically announced for the winners of intermediate laps. In criterium races, the competitors vie for these mid-race prizes (which can sometimes be cash $$) as well as winning the entire race.
At the finish area, hosts emceed the festivities and did their best to describe what was going on in the race from their vantage point. They also did a wonderful job plugging the sponsors and we lost count of how many times they mentioned The Loft. Hopefully The Loft was staffed well enough to handle the post-race influx of patrons.
More men’s pro-1-2 race pics.
