Nebraska Cycling News

Des Moines, IA - It’s great to have bike racing back in downtown Des Moines! The East Village Criterium, on Sunday, Aug. 22 offers a full day of USA Cycling Category racing, from beginners to experts and professionals. A tough climb from the East Village to the base of the state capitol and plenty of mid-race prime prizes will make this an exciting race to watch. Opening the weekend of racing will be the Big Creek Road Race, on Saturday, Aug. 21 at Big Creek State Park. A six-mile rolling road race course is beginner friendly, yet strong Iowa winds can make it challenging for the most experienced racer. The combined prize list for the weekend totals more than $8,000. Click on www.eastvillagecrit.com and www.velorosacycling.com for details.

Hard to believe, but the 2010 Nebraska road racing season is over. Beginning in April with the Le Tour de Husker and wrapping up with the Omaha Cycling Weekend, riders competed in 11 events inlcuding time trial, criterium and road race disciplines to determine the division winners.

Elkhorn, NE - After the pristine weather that graced the Omaha Cycling Weekend's Time Trial on Saturday, Sunday dawned far more onerously for the start of the Babcook Memorial and State Championship Road Race. Rain was coming down in buckets at 7 AM and didn't stop until shortly before the scheduled race start time. Following the formation of a new river across the Deer Ridge Road downhill before the big hill that was supposed to put the hurt into everyone's legs, the standing water, debris and mud forced a course substitution that created a much flatter 3.4 mile circuit race with double the laps needed to complete the scheduled miles before the finish at Mt. Michael Abbey.