It’s Twilight time in Georgia
- By VeloNews.com
- Published Apr. 25, 2009
- Updated Apr. 26, 2009 at 7:05 AM UTC
Big time criterium racing returns to the southeastern United States as it does every year at this time with two major events scheduled back to back in the Peach state of Georgia – Saturday’s Athens Twilight Criterium and the Historic Roswell Criterium the following day.
The 30th running of the Athens Twilight Criterium will once again take place beneath the streetlights of one of the South’s biggest college towns. Because of its proximity to the University of Georgia, the crowds around the 1km course can on occasion reach the 40,000 mark.
That, combined with an ideal weather forecast and the fact that the event won’t be sharing the calendar with the now dormant Tour De Georgia, means that Twilight will be restored to it’s position as the biggest cycling event in the state.
On paper, Twilight might seem like a commonplace 80km crit, but a number of factors make it anything but. The high-speed turns through the shadowy corners of downtown Athens and the fat prize purse always puts the field on edge as they do their best to avoid the dramatic crashes that race has been known to produce.
The roads have their fair share of cracks and divots, and once the riders get around turn two they face a not inconsiderable incline that wears steadily on their legs over the course of 90 minutes of racing.
This year approximately 200 riders will roll to the start in the pro men’s race, the front row of which is determined by a series of CompuTrainer races on the Friday. Last year’s winner Rahsaan Bahati will not be returning to defend his Twilight crown and instead will take part in the younger Dana Point Grand Prix in California.
With Bahati absent and a number of other heavy hitters of the U.S. peloton occupied at the Tour of the Gila, this may turn out to be one of the most open fields in recent Twilight history.
In with a serious shot will be 2007 winner Mark Hekman now racing for Team Mountain Khakis (composed of many former members of the North Carolina-based TIME squad). But Hekman will be staring down considerable opposition in the shape of a four-man hit squad from OUCH Pro Cycling Karl Menzies, Andrew Pinfold, Bobby Lea, and Twilight veteran John Murphy. Also on hand will be Kyle Wamsley and his equally well-fortified Colavita-Sutter Home team.
The race suits Wamsley’s aggressive style and his stage victory and sprint jersey win at Redlands are a sign that he’ll be arriving in good shape. Colavita will also have Argentine sprinter Alejandro Borrajo onboard as another option. Team Type 1 will be sending one of the largest teams to the event under the direction of two-time Twilight winner Vassili Davidenko. Look for their Slovenian dark horse Aldo Ino Ilesic to vie for a podium spot or better given the opportunity. The same could be said for Kelly Benifts and their 22 year-old speedster Jake Keough.
Other strong sprinters with a reasonably good chance of beating back the favorites include Frank Travieso (Champion Porsche presented by Racer’s Edge), Curtis Gunn (Fly V Australia), and Hekman’s Mountain Khakis Adam Myerson, who has a number of Twilight’s under his belt.
If the men’s event proves out to be as scrappy and unpredictable that it appears to be on paper, then the pro women’s race that precedes it is likely to be quite the opposite. Former Twilight champion Tina Pic returns to Athens with such a strong crit squad (including Kelly Benjamin, Shontelle Gauthier, and Catherine Cheatley) the smart money will be on her or one of her teammates to stand atop the podium when all is said and done. Their principal competition very likely come in the form of specific individuals, although a good number of Vanderkitten riders will be backing Jennifer Wilson’s play throughout the evening.
2008 Twilight champion Rebecca Larson returns for Jittery Joe’s, and two-time winner (1997 and 2006) Jen McRae will also take the start in the year’s event. And then there’s U.S. National Road and Criterium Champion Brooke Miller who will be turning up in Athens with some other firepower from Team Tibco including Jo Kiesanowski.
Because of the Historic Roswell Criterium’s proximity to Athens, those riders who go easy on the post-Twilight revelry are likely to turn up the following day. Roswell has maintained its NRC status for 2009 and, like Twilight, is part of the this year’s USA CRITS Speedweek Series, which is set to run through May 3rd and delivers a combined prize purse of $120,000 ($15,000 of which is doled out in Roswell alone).
Last year another strong break successfully negotiated itself away from the field over the one mile five turn course in what has become something of a tradition at this event.