04/08/09 Northwest cyclists come to Ellensburg to compete this weekend

 

Cyclists will be "hammering" their way to Ellensburg as the CWU cycling club hosts the official northwest collegiate cycling event this weekend, April 11 and 12. Over 250 cyclists from 15 institutions from Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana will be competing in a variety of races testing teamwork, endurance and speed. Admission for all the events is free.

Individual races kick off at the Kittitas Elementary School Saturday morning at 9 a.m. with the "Road Race," which includes courses ranging from 32 to 62 miles that navigate throughout Kittitas County. Teams of riders will embark from the same location at 6 p.m. for the "Team Time Trial," a 13-mile race against the clock. Event-goers are encouraged to come early to watch the cyclists warm up. Maps of the courses will also be available.

"Cycling is not that big of a mainstream sport in the United States," said Gus Labayen, CWU cycling club president. "It is a fun spectator sport because you can go anywhere on the course and move with the athletes, as opposed to being in an arena or stadium."

Spectators are encouraged to attend the "Criterium Course" Sunday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Ellensburg airport, located at the intersection of Bowers Road and North Airport Road. The "Criterium Course" is a multi-lap event on a course usually a mile or less in length with races lasting from 20 minutes to one hour. The race is against the clock with racers jockeying for position. Cyclists earn points in sprints and run down the clock in a short-track style of racing full of corners.

"The ‘Criterium' is the easiest to see because you can watch the whole course at once," said Jeffrey Rhodes, CWU alumnus and past cycling club president. "At the races in larger cities you have to deal with the regular city traffic on top of parking, detours and masses of people everywhere. In Ellensburg, people can go anywhere on the course and hardly ever have to fight for a good spot. You can see the whole sport not just the race, such as the cyclists putting their bikes together and warming up."

Volunteers for the race are still needed to help with registration, road traffic and other important duties. Please call Jeffery Rhodes at 509-312-9846 to volunteer.

For more information, or to make arrangements for disability accommodations, please call University Recreation at 509-963-3512 or (for hearing impaired) TDD 509-963-2143.

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