Two weeks ago (sorry for the late post), the first annual Mayors Cup Criterium was held in downtown Boston, around Government Center on Saturday evening the 26th of September 2009. The event was put on in conjunction with Bostons Hub On Wheels, sponsored in part by Mayor Tom Menino and promoted by former pro racer Nicole Freedman. 
It was by and large a successful event, with A) big fields in both the Men's and Women's Elite fields, and B) large crowds, despite the cooler weather. Neither race was plagued with nasty wrecks, which is surprising considering the sketchy corners from New Sudbury to Congress Street and from Congress to State Street.
The course was 7/10ths of a mile long and the men's field covered the 90 minute race with an average speed of 28 mph. Over 70 riders in the men's field finished the race which is a testament to the actual course design. Most city center crits are designed with extremely tight corners, which results in few finishers which needless to say,...sucks for the riders, AND of course,...the spectators.
New England professional Tim Johnson (Team Ouch/Maxxis) taking a break from racing to recover a separated shoulder paired up with Dave Townend to commentate and provide a rider's perspective into the race. Other famous New England racers such as the McCormack family (brothers Frank, Mark and Sean), came out of retirement to take part in what promises to be a big annual event moving forward.
The women's race was won by Tina Pic (Colavita Women's Team) who was racing her last professional race before retiring. Way to go Tina! The mens race was won by Kyle Wamsley (also Colavita), who won the other big New England race, The Fitchburg Longso Classic in 2008. Looks like Kyle likes the racing in New England. Also a fantastic way for Team Colavita to finish out the season. This is one of the best teams in the United States, which has given rise to many of the countries top pros. It is very easy to support this team and help grow American cycling by purchasing Colavita cooking products at your local super market.
New England professional Tim Johnson (Team Ouch/Maxxis) taking a break from racing to recover a separated shoulder paired up with Dave Townend to commentate and provide a rider's perspective into the race. Other famous New England racers such as the McCormack family (brothers Frank, Mark and Sean), came out of retirement to take part in what promises to be a big annual event moving forward.
The women's race was won by Tina Pic (Colavita Women's Team) who was racing her last professional race before retiring. Way to go Tina! The mens race was won by Kyle Wamsley (also Colavita), who won the other big New England race, The Fitchburg Longso Classic in 2008. Looks like Kyle likes the racing in New England. Also a fantastic way for Team Colavita to finish out the season. This is one of the best teams in the United States, which has given rise to many of the countries top pros. It is very easy to support this team and help grow American cycling by purchasing Colavita cooking products at your local super market.
From the shop's perspective, we had a number of local riders in both races, so it was good to be represented. On a special note, this was the first time this season, that both Jackie Simes IV and Eric Barlevav (Mountain Khakis Pro Cycling) raced in the Boston region. Both riders are supported by Cycle Loft in the Track racing careers and are managed by in-store coach Kurt Begemann. Both riders scooped up big money preemes and Eric won the bunch sprint beating Karl Menzies (Ouch/Maxxis) for 8th.
All in all a great event which promises to increase the popularity of cycling in the Boston region. Here's a hearty congratulations to Mayor Menino and Nicole Freedman and her team for putting together a first class event.
