TAMPA (March 22, 2011) – The Tampa Downtown Partnership announces the Third Annual Cigar City Brewing Twilight Criterium and Festival, presented by DEX Imaging, on Saturday, March 26, 10:30 a.m. – 8 p.m., based at Lykes Gaslight Square in downtown Tampa. The event is free and open to the public, and caps off the Tampa BayCyclec ampaign’s Florida Bike Month activities.
The Criterium will draw athletes from all over the southeast, from teen to professional racers. The bicyclists will be vying for position while racing through downtown Tampa streets at 35 mph – it is NASCAR on two wheels!
In addition to the Criterium, the family-friendly event also features a street festival, including demonstrations on bicycle maintenance, spinning, bike polo, an “exotic bike” display and more. Families will want to check out the Fit Kids Playground, decorate their own bicycles and join area mascots in the St. Petersburg Times Fun Ride. The *tbt Urban Roll is a casual ride that will give riders the chance to win raffle prizes, including Cigar City Brewing beer for a year! Free bike valet parking is available throughout the day.
Local restaurants will be on hand with their own fare, and Cigar City Brewing will offer Criterium Ale, blended exclusively for the event.
A Criterium, or crit, is a bike race held on a short course (usually less than 5 km), often run on closed-off city centre streets. Race length can be determined by a total time or a number of laps, in which case the number of remaining laps is calculated as the race progresses.
Generally the event’s duration (commonly one hour) is shorter than that of a traditional road race, however, the average speed and intensity are appreciably higher. The winner is the first rider to cross the finish line without having been lapped.
Success in a Criterium requires a mix of good technical skills — in particular, the ability to corner smoothly, while “holding your line” on the road, as well as rapidly and sharply — and riding safely with a large group on a short circuit and exceptional “sprint” ability to attack other riders and repeatedly accelerate hard from corners.
In addition to Cigar City Brewing and DEX Imaging, event sponsors include Carrollwood
Bicycle Emporium, City of Tampa, Lifestyle Family Fitness, Reeves Volkswagon and Subaru, Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Suncoast Electric Vehicles and US Tent.
For more information about the Third Annual Twilight Criterium and Festival, and to preregister for events, please visit www.tampacrit.com, or call (813) 221-3686.
Tampa BayCycle encourages commuters to cycle to work, school, to run errands or play. Tampa BayCycle was formed through efforts of the New North Transportation Alliance and the Tampa Downtown Partnership. For more information, visit www.TampaBayCycle.com.
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