"The 33"-Road Bike Racing - USA Crits Championship Series Race in Spartanburg - Pics

This was my first live criterium experience. Wow. Now I know what all the buzz is about. Great stuff. Terrific fun to watch. A very short course in downtown Spartanburg that started at 8:00 pm. Cool to watch them tear up the streets downtown under the lights... It had rained like crazy just before the start, but it stopped and the weather held up for the entire race...

Sorry for the lousy pics...

http://tonyt.com/spartcrit06/1.jpg

http://tonyt.com/spartcrit06/2.jpg

http://tonyt.com/spartcrit06/3.jpg

http://tonyt.com/spartcrit06/4.jpg

That's a new Thai restaurant back there - will have to try it someday...
http://tonyt.com/spartcrit06/5.jpg

You can't tell from the photo I guess, but these guys are FLYING here...
http://tonyt.com/spartcrit06/6.jpg

Waiting for JJ to start the awards presentation...
http://tonyt.com/spartcrit06/7.jpg

The winner - JJ Haeda - being interviewed. Right next to me were a bunch of little kids shouting 'Viva Argentina!' at the time...
http://tonyt.com/spartcrit06/8.jpg

Nice.

Work decided to detain me 2 hours later than expected, so I couldn't make it out to race. Did you get a chance to race?

Even if not, crits are a lot of fun to watch, especially with big, competitive fields.

My son and I were at the Walterboro, SC race on Wednesday night. I have pics, but I've been too lazy or busy to post them. Ivan Dominguiz won that one.
http://beaufortgazette.com/ips_rich_content/20060409_SPT_criterium1_05042006_tif-large.jpg
http://beaufortgazette.com/ips_rich_content/20060409_SPT_criterium2_05042006_tif-large.jpg

Photos from www.beaufortgazette.com

Me and the ex were host homes for some of the riders. Mine never showed up (Monex), but two guys from PriorityHealth stayed right around the corner at the lovely ex's house.

Here's their van:
http://tonyt.com/priteam/teamvan.jpg

Part of the stable:
http://tonyt.com/priteam/roofrack.jpg

Ben Oliver (L), the team mechanic, and Glen Mitchell, a rider from New Zealand. Extra nice guys...
http://tonyt.com/priteam/benandglenn.jpg

Bonus photo from this morning's newspaper:
http://tonyt.com/spartcrit06/shjphoto.jpg

... Did you get a chance to race? Even if not, crits are a lot of fun to watch, especially with big, competitive fields.
no, they did not have any kind of amateur event for old, slow guys! but you got that right: great fun to see. they really ripped around that short course, and all that happening under the street lights made for some really cool atmosphere..

Ha! I was standing (unbeknownst to me) right next to you at the last pictures you took! From the angle you were maybe 5 feet to the right of me. Oh well we'll meet one of these days.

It was my first time to see a "crit" and it was quite an experience. I rode the 1/2 mile course early this morning and couldn't believe how rough some sections were; cobblestones in one 15 ft wide section on Main, man hole covers, metal grates, etc etc. nice pictures!

Ha! I was standing (unbeknownst to me) right next to you at the last pictures you took! From the angle you were maybe 5 feet to the right of me. Oh well we'll meet one of these days.

It was my first time to see a "crit" and it was quite an experience. I rode the 1/2 mile course early this morning and couldn't believe how rough some sections were; cobblestones in one 15 ft wide section on Main, man hole covers, metal grates, etc etc. nice pictures!
that's too funny...

and we must be on the same wavelength: early this morning i nearly turned left instead of right to ride downtown to do that course! i might do it next sunday morning early....

For the few of use that were kind of following this series of crits, Ivan Dominguiz won the overall points championship after Saturday's Sunny King Crit in Annistion, AL.

i'm definitely a crit fan now... hope the series continues to come here every year.... really enjoyed the tdg experience too - another personal first - but have to admit the crit gives you more spectating bang for your (free) buck...

Rumor here is Beaufort, SC may get a crit after the new city manager was hired. He is a cyclist and attended the Walterboro Crit. The number of out of town spectators got his attention. The Walterboro Police Chief estimated half of the spectators were from out of town. I hope it is added, and not replace, the Walterboro crit. The problem we have in Beaufort is access, as there really isn't anywhere to close off streets without closing off residental streets or access to Lady's Island.