Spring Break
50 road bikers race for Rams Cycling
Ashley Robinson
Issue date: 3/2/09 Section: News
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Small groups of men biked slowly through the posted route around the Oval to warm up for the 23rd Annual CSU Oval Criterium.
After pumping himself up, Everly stayed in the main group for most of the race, but for the last lap he "let the adrenaline take over," which gained him the win for his section of the race, which is one of the most respected in northern Colorado.
The Criterium is the first road bike race of the year. Collegiate teams from all over the state come to CSU to race, as well as several members from surrounding states such as New Mexico and Utah.
The first Criterium took place in 1986 making it one of the oldest bike races in Colorado. An entrance fee is required for each competitor and the money goes to the Rams Cycling team.
Team member Chris Hall said the race comes during what he called road biking's "preseason."
The race is open to both collegiate and professional racers. The morning consists of six collegiate races, which are broken down into the categories of men's and women's and then further broken down by level.
"There are three levels of race," said Rams Cycling team President Erick Carlson. "The 'C' races are in the morning, and they're for beginners who have never really raced before, then there are the 'B' races for people who have some experience, and the 'A' races are advanced. They get longer and faster throughout the day."
The tension in the air was palpable as the men began their 45-minute race. It was the fourth race of the day, and so far CSU had won each of them.
The race began with little mishap. In the first several laps a small group raced ahead of the pack. Everly remained in the main group of riders.
By the middle of the race the gap had grown between the two packs until the small group was more than 15 seconds ahead.
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