Start of the Downtown Statesville Crit. Photo: Charlotte Sport Cycling
South African cyclist Chris Wolhuter tells us about his love-hate relationship with criterium racing.
Criteriums, or rather crits, can be funny things. One week you’re flying around a course effortlessly and the next you’re hanging on for dear life.
As most of my regular readers would know by now, a crit is a bicycle race held for typically 60 to 90 minutes on a one to two-kilometre circuit. In the USA, it’s usually in the downtown area of a city where you race laps around a circuit.
These races make up the bulk of the American Cycling Calendar and if you want to succeed in the States on a bicycle, best you learn how to ride a crit.
A few weeks ago, after the French Broad Classic Criterium, I was in love with crits all over again. A fifth place on the night along with a second in the mid-race prime had earned me the Pez Cycling Sprinters Jersey in the SRS series.
Fast forward a few days and we are at the Crossroads Classic – a six-day omnium, with five crits and a road race. I really suffered through the first crit and managed to finish in the front group but down in 24th place.
On to the next race and I was eager to make amends. However the race had other ideas for me and, along with three quarters of the rest of the field, I was out of the race less than 30 minutes in. The circuit (650m in length) was perhaps too small for an 80-strong field. I have no room to complain though; it was the same for everyone.
The third evening of Crossroads took us to the Salisbury Downtown Crit. Again after the previous evening’s disappointment, I was keen to make amends. I had a better race but was not where I wanted to be yet and finished towards the back end of the front group.
The fourth crit took us to downtown Statesville for an ‘L’ shaped six-corner, 1km circuit. It was a fast and flowing course, which saw us average over 45km per hour! I was riding and positioning better and took 16th on the night, a step in the right direction, not quite a step onto the podium though.
I have learnt over the past few months there are so many factors that affect bike racing and especially crit racing. Your start, your positioning, your legs (duh), your mental state, your preparation going into the race etc. I could go on and on. Ultimately at the end of the day, control what you can, and don’t worry about what you can’t.
Although I titled this blog “My love-hate relationship with crit racing”, on reflection I wouldn’t say it actually ever gets to hate. Some races go so well I think, “Ah I’m going to become a crit dog*!” And some go not so well; it’s not so much hate but rather disappointment.
I have one more crit left to race in the States and I am looking forward to it. I have got to end things on the right note! Here’s to floating around that course effortlessly.
*crit dog – American slang for a bike racer who just races crits. – Chris Wolhuter
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