2010 Capital Criterium

Jackie Simes (Jamis-Sutter Homes p/b Colavita) wins the 2010 Capital Criterium. Photos by Paul Morse

ALL ROADS LEAD TO DALLAS

New Events Bolster USA CRITS Schedule

Swagger LLC, the management company for the USA CRITS Championship Series, announces the 2010 Series race calendar. Adding two new events and bringing back a race that was on the Series two years ago, bolsters this year’s calendar and broadens the Series to nine races reaching across all regions of the US.

Now in its fourth year, the USA CRITS Championship Series is comprised of the best professional bicycle races in America, organized under one umbrella with one mission – to crown the best male and female professional criterium cyclist in the country.

In 2010 the 27th Annual Chris Thater Memorial Race will host the Women’s Finals, and, now in its 3^rd year, the TX TOUGH GRAND PRIX III will serve as the Men’s Finals.

…MORE

Preliminary 2010 Schedule Posted

Check out the final list of events that will comprise the 2010 USA CRITS Calendar.  Returning events, new events to USA CRITS, and rumors of a 16 race series of one hour TV shows are a part of the developments this year.  Also new for 2010 is the creation of USA CRITS Division 1 team status.  Email us for more information on how your PRO or Elite amateur team can become a USA CRITS Division 1 Team.

The tentative schedule can be seen at  http://usacrits.com/site/usa-crits-2010/

Congratulations!

Congratulations to our winners and all the racers of the 2009 USA Crits Series & Finals.

Overall Male Winner: Mark Hekman (Mountain Khakis presented by EP-NO)
Overall Female Winner: Laura Van Gilder (Mellow Mushroom)
U25 Male Winner: Jake Keough
U25 Female Winner: Erica Allar (BMW/Bianchi)
Lap Leader Male: Russell Langley (Battley Harley – Davidson/Sonoma)
Lap Leader Female: Cath Cheatley (Colavita Sutter Home presented by Cooking Light)
Overall Team Male: Mountain Khakis presented by EP-NO
Overall Team Female: Vanderkitten Racing

You can view all the results here: 2009 Results + USA Crits Finals Results.

We’ll see you next year!

Keough and Van Gilder Lead Series after 4 events

Jake Keough (Kelly Benefit Strategies) and Laura Van Gilder (Mellow Mushroom) lead the USA CRITS Series after 4 events. Keough is also leading the Champion System’s Best Young Rider (U25) Competition, while BMW-Bianchi’s Erica Allar is in the lead on the women’s side. Battley Harley Davidson’s Russ Langley and Colavita Sutter Home’s Cath Cheatley still holds the Storck Most Laps Led jersey.

In the Team Competition, Mountain Khakis holds a narrow lead of Colavita Sutter Home presented by Cooking Light, while the women’s Team Competition is led by Team TIBCO, more than 300 points ahead of Vanderkitten.

Next up on the schedule for the men’s Series is the TX TOUGH GRAND PRIX on September 17 in Dallas, TX. The women’s last race before the USA CRITS Finals in Las Vegas at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino was the Chris Thater Memorial on August 30.

MEN’S OVERALL

1. Jake Keough (Kelly Benefit Strategies), 778 pts; 2. Mark Hekman, Mountain Khakis, 775 pts; 3. Adam Myerson (Mountain Khakis), 741 pts; 4. Yosvany Falcon (Champion Porsche p/b Racer’s Edge), 734 pts; 5. Alejandro Borrajo (Colavita Sutter Home p/b Cooking Light), 660 pts.

WOMEN’S OVERALL

1. Laura Van Gilder (Mellow Mushroom), 921 pts; 2. Brooke Miller (Team TIBCO), 759 pts; 3. Kristen Lasasso (Mellow Mushroom), 716 pts; 4. Tina Pic (Colavita/Sutter Home), 714 pts; 5. Theresa Cliff-Ryan (Verducci/Breakaway), 704 pts

MEN’S BEST YOUNG RIDER (Under 25)

1. Jake Keough (Kelly Benefit Strategies); 2. Amaury Perez (GS Mengoni); 3. Gavi Epstein (Champion System)

WOMEN’S BEST YOUNG RIDER (Under 25)

1. Erica Allar (Colavita/Sutter Home); 2. Jesse Maclean (Verducci/Breakaway); 3. Sam Schneider (Team Type 1)

MEN’S LAP LEADERS

1. Russ Langley (Battley Harley Davidson), 37 laps; 2. Kyle Wamsley (Colavita/Sutter Home), 24 laps; 3. John Murphy (OUCH presented by MAXXIS), 16 laps

WOMEN’S LAP LEADERS

1. Cath Cheatley (Colavita/Sutter Home), 21 laps; 2. Katherine Carroll (Team TIBCO), 15 laps; 3. Lauran Tamayo (Team TIBCO), 12 laps

MEN’S TEAMS

1. Mountain Khakis, 2678 pts; 2. Colavita/Sutter Home, 2664 pts; 3. Kelly Benefits Strategies, 2185 pts

WOMEN’S TEAMS

1. Team TIBCO, 2459 pts; 2. Vanderkitten, 2142 pts; 3. Colavita Sutter Home, 2089 pts

USA CRITS Leaders after 3 Events

With three events in the USA CRITS Series, Mark Hekman (Mountain Khakis) and Laura Van Gilder (Mellow Mushroom) are leading the Overall competitions, while Jake Keough (Kelly Benefit Strategies) and Erica Allar (Colavita/Sutter Home) are leading the Best Young Rider Competition.  Russ Langley (Battley Harley Davidson) and Cath Cheatley (Colavita/Sutter Home) lead the Laps Led Competition, with 37 laps and 19 laps respectively.  Mountain Khakis has a 241 point lead over Colavita-Sutter Home in the Team Competition, while Team Vanderkitten (2008 USA CRITS Team Champions) lead by a mere 23 points.

The next race up for the teams is the Chris Thater Memorial in Binghamton, NY on August 29 and 30, 2009.

Here are all of the leaders in the USA CRITS Series:

MEN’S OVERALL

1. Mark Hekman (Mountain Khakis), 604 pts;  2. Jake Keough (Kelly Benefit Strategies), 563 pts; 3. Tom Soladay, Mountain Khakis, 552 pts; 4. Adam Myerson (Mountain Khakis), 518 pts; 5. Yosvany Falcon (Champion Porsche p/b Racer’s Edge), 495 pts

WOMEN’S OVERALL

1. Laura Van Gilder (Mellow Mushroom), 709 pts; 2. Kristen Lasasso (Mellow Mushroom), 547 pts; 3. Brooke Miller (Team TIBCO), 506 pts; 4. Tina Pic (Colavita/Sutter Home), 481 pts; 5. Jennifer Wilson (Team Vanderkitten), 476 pts

MEN’S BEST YOUNG RIDER (Under 25)

1. Jake Keough (Kelly Benefit Strategies); 2. Euris Paulino (Champion System Racing); 3. Will Hoffarth (Mountain Khakis)

WOMEN’S BEST YOUNG RIDER (Under 25)

1. Erica Allar (Colavita/Sutter Home); 2. Sam Schneider (Team Type 1); 3. Jacquelyn Crowell (Team Type 1)

MEN’S LAP LEADERS

1. Russ Langley (Battley Harley Davidson), 37 laps; 2. Kyle Wamsley (Colavita/Sutter Home), 24 laps; 3. John Murphy (OUCH presented by MAXXIS), 16 laps

WOMEN’S LAP LEADERS

1. Cath Cheatley (Colavita/Sutter Home), 19 laps; 2.  Lauren Tamayo (Team TIBCO), 10 laps; 3. Jacquelyn Crowell (Team Type 1), 9 laps

MEN’S TEAMS

1.  Mountain Khakis, 2164 pts; 2.  Colavita/Sutter Home, 1923 pts; 3. Kelly Benefits Strategies, 1692 pts

WOMEN’S TEAMS

1.  Team Vanderkitten, 1756 pts; 2. Team Kenda, 1733 pts; 3.  Team TIBCO, 1709 pts

2009 USA Crits & USA Crits Speedweek

America has a rich history of criterium racing, a unique form of cycling that stresses high-speed races contested amidst a thriving urban atmosphere. Criterium racing’s has been the consistent backbone of American cycling since the 20’s when cycling was king. Although an unrecognized discipline by the world governing body of cycling, criterium racing brings a unique set of skills to the sport and as such needs its own ranking and points system.

USA CRITS has been developed to feature these riders and to offer venues, teams and riders the ability to excel in a unique discipline of cycling. Because criteriums are historically run on short laps through city streets, they offer spectators the opportunity to watch Olympians, world and national champions up-close as they ride at top speed for up to two hours. This has made the criterium format the most spectator-friendly form of cycling. When staged according to time-honored traditions, these races often draw more than 30,000 fans per event.

The races that form the USA CRITS series have the ideals that have made criterium racing an American legacy: Challenging courses that showcase arts and entertainment districts; a large and growing base of spectators; broad community support; and strong marketing opportunities for sponsors