Winfield Criterium joins Good Old Days activities

Pedaling as fast as 25 or 30 mph, hundreds of racing cyclists will spend the last day of the 2018 Winfield Good Old Days competing for titles in the 19th annual Winfield Criterium.

The races will go from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 9, with a brief hiatus from about 1 to 2 p.m. while the Good Old Days parade traverses part of the racecourse.

This year marks the first time the criterium will coincide with the annual four-day summer festival, celebrating its 51st year.

“We decided to solidify the two events,” race organizer Mike Farrell said. “We're experimenting a little bit to see if both events benefit a little bit more.

“A criterium falls under the category of a road race,” Farrell said. “It's held typically on a course and the course is a one-mile lap.”

Farrell said amateur and professional cyclists will complete as many as 60 laps or as few as five, depending on their competitive level. Presented by the Athletes By Design Cycling Club, Farrell said the race is expected to draw roughly 300 racers.

“The event itself is open to all competitive cyclists,” Farrell said. “They come from all parts of the Midwest.”

Preregistration fees range from $20 to $45; race day registration fees are $25 to $50, depending on the race.

The one-mile course, known as Summit Hill, goes down Winfield Road on the east, Washington Street on the south, Summit Drive on the west and Beecher Street on the north.

Riding road racing bicycles, the athletes compete in a variety of classes, separated by age, competitive level and gender. The youngest set, the juniors, are from 10 to 18 years old. The most senior rider is 80.

“In the higher categories, they're racing for money,” Farrell said. The top prize in each of two categories carries a $3,000 prize.

With a crowded field of riders, skill and strategy both count toward a successful outcome. For example, Farrell said, riders can take advantage of a phenomenon known as “drafting.”

“The rider in front is doing more work than the rider behind him. They're breaking the wind for you,” he said.

Riders occasionally take spills, he said, but those incidents are kept to a minimum by keeping athletes with closely matched abilities grouped in each race.

Farrell said the event brings the community out in force to witness the spectacle and catch the energy and enthusiasm.

“It's definitely a community event,” he said. “People set up chairs in their front yards. It's fun.”

19th annual Winfield Criterium

When: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 9

Where: Creekside Park, 0S211 Winfield Road, Winfield

Admission: Free for spectators

Info: <a href="http://www.winfieldcriterium.com">www.winfieldcriterium.com</a>