Criterium Takes Bicycle Racing to New Level

WINTER HAVEN, Fla.—People who think bicycle racing means a long line of tired men struggling up some remote mountain, need to see a Criterium.

Instead of thinking of men climbing a mountain, imagine a pack of 35 riders whizzing by 35 inches away from you, traveling at 35 mph on the streets of your local downtown.

Now imagine them coming by like that once every minute, pedaling, passing, sometimes crashing, lap after lap. This is bicycle racing in your face, almost literally. This is a Criterium.

Criterium racing takes place on short courses laid out on city streets. The races generally last an hour or two, and the courses are compact enough that a spectator can easily walk to several different corners during the race, and still stroll up to the finish line for the final sprint.

This is fan-friendly bicycle racing. Forget standing on some remote mountain roadside for seven hours waiting for your favorite rider to pass by in seven seconds.

This is bicycle racing for the TV generation—nonstop action, up close and personal. This is bicycle racing that rewards the rider and the fan.

Cycling Classics Criterium

The second annual Chain of Lakes Cycling Classic Criterium ran last Sunday in Winter Haven, Fla., part of a bicycle-racing weekend that included a time trial and a road race. But the peak of the event was undoubtedly the Criterium.

The Chain of Lakes event, presented by Cycling Classics, Inc. is a special event for a lot of reasons. Though it is a first-class event, attracting professional riders from around the country, it is not held to make money. All the proceeds are donated to the local humane society.

The theme of the event is Cycling—Community—Charity. Besides offering racing in nine different classes, Cycling Classic has children’s races for toddlers to 9-year-olds, and children’s activities like games and face-painting, free bicycle helmets for children, and a demonstration by a stunt-riding team.

The Criterium is a day in the park for the whole family, with two stands selling barbeque and beverages, a friendly crowd, and of course, the high-adrenaline spectacle of bicycle racing.

Top-Rank Riders

The Cycling Classic event received the prestigious “Florida Cup Series” designation in only its second year, which is an enormous honor. Because of this it attracts top-rank pro riders.

This year’s winner in the Professional class was Ben Renkema, two-time Michigan state champion in the pro class, who now races with the Globalbike team.

Renkema played a waiting game early in the race. “There were a lot of attacks. Nothing really got away until that big group of guys went up the road. I picked out what guys were in it and thought ‘That’s probably the winning move,’ so I got across to it,” said Renkema.

“This is the type of course where you can’t wait to the last minute. You’ve got to stay right there because it is so tight.”

Twenty-two years old, Renkema has been racing pro for four years. “At this point there’s no bigger races I can do,” he said. “I am racing the fastest people there are.”

“This is the type of course I prefer. The more turns in it the more I like it. It’s really tight, the roads aren’t that wide. There’s a lot of places to recover, but when you do go you’ve got to go hard and quick, so it really zaps the energy out of your legs.”

Besides sponsoring a top-flight racing team, Globalbike donates bicycles to third-world health care workers to help them reach more patients.

In 2009, Globalbike received the “Best Project by a Professional Sports Team" award from Doug Ulman, Chairman of the Lance Armstrong Foundation.