Mais Oui monsieur,
that is a beret I am wearing.
By Staff
Burlington, home of the Canadian National Road Cycling Championships – sort of a mini Tour de France – we could call it Tour de Burlington and we’d all wear berets. Ok, so the name needs some work but there is a very good chance that Burlington will become the home of this event for at least two years during which time thousands of cyclists will get to peddle around our back roads and street, stay in our hotels and dine in our restaurants. This is all good for Burlington.
Well just what is a National Cycling Championship?
This kind of competitive racing has very distinct categories and classifications. If this can be made to happen here Time Trials, Road Racing, Para and Criterium racing.
We will see two levels of talent. The Elites – theses are people who are superb riders and in 2011 they will compete in the following: Men and women in Road Racing in a Rattle Snake Point/Burlington/Milton route
The Para, Junior and Masters class will do Time Trials on Walkers Line on June 30th. The Junior Master class will do Criterium on July 1st in downtown Burlington and the Junior, Master class will do a Road Race on a Rattle Snake point/Waterdown/Aldershot route.
Road Races – These are mass-start events held on open roads. Racers ride in groups or ‘pelotons’, corner at high speeds, take turns ‘pulling’ at the front of pace lines, and pick tactical spots to try to break away. The first rider across the finish line is the winner. The course may be from point to point, from town to town, or on a circuit (the start and finish are in the same place.) Usually the course is closed to traffic in the area of the race. Road races can be up to a couple hundred kilometers long (over 100 miles.)
Criterium – A criterium is a short road race on a circuit – usually city streets – closed to traffic. The distance per lap may vary from 1/2km to 3km (1/3 mile to 2 miles). Races are of varying numbers of laps. The mass start, high-speed cornering and sprinting make criterium exciting for participants and spectators alike. Because criterium pass the same point each lap they are better spectator events than road races.
Time Trail – A time trial is an individual or team race over a fixed distance against the clock. Rider start individually at timed intervals and the rider with the fastest time wins. Distances raced vary from 1km to 100km. The course may be from point to point, from town to town, or on a circuit (the start and finish are in the same place.) The course is closed to traffic in the area of the race.
It’s exciting stuff, it’s good business and it will certainly be different for Burlington. You might see clothing like this at Tumblewood or Joelle’s on Brant Street. Let’s just hope it doesn’t take one of those sharp left turns and get us on the same road the Pan Am Games took.
