Surely stiff and with a light rim is the order of the day for criteriums? Unless you really like the way Zipp 404's steer through corners (which I admit is quite nice) and can actually afford a pair of course. You want tubs either way- saves rim weight and corners much nicer.
I'd go with handbuilts- 330g alloy rims, spoke count appropriate to your weight. Radial lace the front, 2x 3x rear with a heavier gauge spoke on the drive side. DT revolution spokes are really light, use them and then DT Competition on the other side. Use alu nips. That should make a super stiff wheelset that gets up to speed really fast. Also if you crash and wreck a wheel, the cost of a new rim is not so great.