7th Annual Twilight Bicycle Race
Introducing the 7th Annual Cycle Works Twilight Bike Race. Our recently paved course is one of the smoothest criterium courses around with 3 corners on the .5 mile course on the Haskell Indian Nations University Campus. Races start at 7 pm and finish up around 9:30 pm under the street lights. All three race category’s race three times per night and race distance vary from 3 miles to 10 miles per race. Racers will experience races like the miss-n-out, win-n-out, scratch race, and points races. These races are modeled after track racing and put a premium on bike handling ability, aggressiveness, and of course sprint power. Not a sprinter? No worries, with a little creative thinking plenty of ways to get off the front as well. A slight incline on the course allows the non-sprinters plenty of opportunity to jump away.
Bring the kids and family and hang out on the hill as the action unfolds, many new racers have honed their criterium skills on the Twilight Course. An added bonus is that it has never rained during a race in seven years! The free kid’s race is for kids 1 year old up to 14 years old, just be sure to have a helmet and a bicycle or trike. Everyone is a winner and receives a first place award and recognition of their hard work.
We’d like to thank our title sponsor Cycle Works. Cycle Works carries Fuji, Giant, and Felt and offers professional mechanics to maximize your race machine. Visit Cycle Works behind Hy-Vee on Clinton Parkway (23rd st) in Lawrence, KS.
Our presenting sponsor Anderson Rental lets you enjoy life by renting, it’s smarter. Santa Fe Trail Bike & Coffee Shop growing the sport in NE Kansas and VeloTek Performance for your coaching and training needs. Pines Wheatgrass, Great Harvest Bread, Mass St. Music and volunteer support by Team GP VeloTek.
http://www.andersonrentals.com/
http://www.santafebikes.com/
http://wheatgrass.com/
http://www.greatharvest.com/
http://www.massstreetmusic.com/
www.velotek.com
Click Here for the PDF Flier
5th Annual VeloTek Grand Prix Stage Race
Back for a fifth year the VeloTek Grand Prix offers something special, a time based stage race. Where your results are based on the lowest accumulated time across 3 events, similar to playing golf, but way harder and more fun! The Tour De France is an example of a time based stage race where athlete’s complete one stage to advance to the next, your rankings in the race is called your “GC” or general classification. If you think racing once is fun try racing three times in a weekend, knowing when to go hard and when to conserve is critical.
Click here for the PDF flyer
Click here to register at Active.com
 Saturday, April 26th – Clinton Lake – Prologue Time Trial & Cycle Works Criterium
Saturday your high speed time trialing will be tested on a technical 2.5km prologue time trial course that uses part of the criterium course. Surpringly large time splits are possible for such a short time trial, riders are evenly split between using time trial bikes and road bikes with aero wheels. Later that day you’ll be challenged by the “Campground #1” loop criterium course with the twisty high speed chicanes, time bonuses during sprint laps and the finish means you need to be viligant to maintain your “GC”. Course conditions are flat, with smooth pavement and some wind exposed areas. Both courses are at Clinton Lake State Park just 5 minutes west of Lawrence, Kansas.
Sunday, April 27th – Wheat Grass Lake Perry Road Race
 The races deciding moment usually is the challenging Perry Lake Road race course with mutiple climbs and average wind speeds of 10 to 20 mph in late April. The hills are big for kansas with the Ferguson road “climb” a 6 - 7% grade for just under 1 km usually into a stiff south wind or a cross wind. The course finishs on top of a 700 meter climb after the wind exposed dam crossing. The combination of wind and several stiff climbs really allows the pack to spread out on the final sprint, if there is a pack left…
What is a stage race?
A stage race is where your results are based on the lowest accumulated time across 3 events, similar to playing golf, but way harder and more fun! The Tour De France is an example of a time based stage race where athletes complete one stage to advance to the next, your rankings in the event is called your “GC” or general classification. If you think racing once is fun try racing three times in a weekend, knowing when to go hard and when to conserve is critical. Just like playing golf you can’t skip stages, you must finish one stage to proceed to the next. So you can’t simply show up Sunday for the road race. The VeloTek Grand Prix is designed to produce an all around winner with superior cycling skills and the ability to recover day to day. And don’t forget tactical knowledge
and bike smarts because you need to pick and choose who’s a threat based on their “GC”. You’ll notice more experienced racers writing down those around them in GC on their handle bar stem.
Why is the VeloTek Grand Prix so special?
As you might have noticed there aren’t many true time based stage races in the Midwest, most are points based omniums. Keeping track of time for every single rider takes a high level of technical skill from the officials and organizer. Ominums allow riders to pick and choice their events over the weekend but what you gain in convenience you lose in the sporting sense.
The winner of a stage race usually has a keen understanding of when to go hard and when to recover, this is an important subtlie to improving your cycling. It is simplistic to think that cycling is about “hammering” or going hard, it’s about when and why to go hard that makes you successful. How many times did Lance Armstrong go hard in the Tour? Get my point.
The VeloTek Grand Prix is one of only a handful of races in America to offer Category 3 and 4 racers a team prize. Your 3 highest placed riders on “GC” will determine your Team General Classification. To limit collusion your team jersey and license must match prior to the weekend of racing or you must have a letter from USA Cycling showing your team affiliation. |
Team GP VeloTek powered by Spin!
Race volunteers are graciously provided by Team GP VeloTek powered by Spin! Our volunteers and staff are dedicated to putting on the best race possible to maximize your fun. Be sure to thank those corner marshals who help ensure your safe passage. Team GP VeloTek is dedicated to providing a fun, and competitive environment for men and women, and junior boys and girls of every age to learn and master competitive cycling. From 2004 USA Cycling junior team of the year to multiple national champions in seniors and junior categories, to a growing women’s cycling team. Team GP VeloTek is dedicated to going fast in a team focused environment. See www.velotek.com for more info.
Clinton Lake Handicap Access Fund
A portion of the proceeds of the 5th Annual VeloTek Grand Prix Stage will be contributed to the Clinton Lake Handicap Access Fund. In conjunction with the Wild Trust fund Revolution Races contributions over the last decade have enable Clinton Lake to build trails for handicap users and in 2008 a handicap accessible restroom will be built. Thanks for helping Revolution Racing make a difference!
LAJORS - Lance Armstrong Junior Olympic Race Series
For the fifth strait year the 2008 VeloTek Grand Prix Stage Race has been selected to participate in the Lance Armstrong Junior Olympic Race Series. Watch the excitement as junior racers compete for an opportunity to build their Olympic dreams.
USA Cycling
The 5th Annual VeloTek Grand Prix Stage Race are all held under permit through USA Cycling, which works to build the sport of bicycle racing, assists with athlete development, and sustains international competitive excellence.
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