Minneapolis, MN -
Bike Throw has just learned from Kevin Schaeffer (Loon State), the newly elected president of the MCF, that the State Criterium Championship is moving its date to July 27th. This change means that the “championship weekend” experiment of the 2007 season was short lived after feedback from participants was to avoid having these two important dates on the same weekend.
The rescheduling of the State Criterium Championship, held at the Minnesota State Capital, also means that racers will be able to fine tune their skills at the traditional 4th of July Criterium in Northfield, as well as, the Hopkins Criterium. It is believed that this rescheduling will help increase rider turnout at the State Championships, and help other races in the area continue to draw larger fields as racers will have to extend their criterium season.
Comments 28
Same time as Super-weak….
Posted 27 Dec 2007 at 12:11 pm ¶super WEAK you are right.
Posted 27 Dec 2007 at 1:33 pm ¶Well that’s a good point, it is the last day of Superweek. Will that have an impact on the State Crit turnout? The difficulty is having an event on a day where it doesn’t conflict with something…
Posted 27 Dec 2007 at 1:39 pm ¶I don’t believe it will hurt turnout. If we look at the turnout for the St. Cloud Crit and the Tour of Granite Country which occur during SuperWeek there are large turnouts.
In my opinion we need to create our own Minnesota calendar that isn’t dependent on other states.
The fields will be there. Not everyone goes to superweek. In fact, judging by the results sheet from last year I only see 12 names on their from the region over the second weekend (a weekend that had no events here in Minnesota).
That leads me to believe that having it opposite SuperWeek will have minimal impact in the short-term, while the later date on a long-term scale is HUGE for Minnesota cycling.
Posted 27 Dec 2007 at 2:15 pm ¶I disagree with Rookie *to a point*. I think superweek can’t be ignored during the calendaring process. it is there and will be fore the foreseeable future. not only for MN riders, but also bringing in others from the region. I’m not saying we should bend over backwards to avoid it, just try and avoid pitting our premier events against theirs.
Posted 27 Dec 2007 at 2:21 pm ¶Dave Babcock is that weekend too.
Posted 27 Dec 2007 at 2:42 pm ¶So is the ‘Tour de France.
Posted 27 Dec 2007 at 2:54 pm ¶What is Dave Babcock?
At what point to do we just stop scheduling events because there is a race in Illinois or Wisconsin, or Iowa?
It seems to me that we need to become our own community and build what we have that will eventually bring in more. If we followed the flawed logic of Darrin Homme we wouldn’t have a Memorial Day Stage Race because of Quad Cities.
The last year of the TO10k there were hundreds of participants, a prime example of the need for races outside of the traditional events.
Posted 27 Dec 2007 at 3:26 pm ¶Guess I’ll only get to do the first 14 and the last two events of SW!
If it were a perfect world then everyone would have a category to ride in that only included others their same exact age and ability and there would never be a conflict with races you wish to compete in.
Things aren’t perfect and we have to race in the categories that are available and prioritize races that we want to compete in. I’ll be racing at the State Crit in whatever field that’s close enough. I’d take a State Championship medal over a 20th place payout any day.
Posted 27 Dec 2007 at 3:27 pm ¶I guess my two colleagues are only capable of thinking about an issue form their own perspective.
T10K was a perfect “alternative option” for those that didn’t want to do QC. Do you suppose people would be fine having the state champs during that mem weekend as an 2nd choice race?
Our goal should be to have the best racers in town for the event. With the recent addition of drug testing at SW, I bet some local 1/2’s will be even more drawn to do more racing over there.
Posted 27 Dec 2007 at 3:45 pm ¶Homme, are you suggesting that the improved testing at Superweek will bring more local riders to Superweek, or that more local riders will be skipping Superweek? I am confused.
Also, I don’t think comparing a State Championship race opposite To10k is fair. There is a difference between a local race and superweek. The fact of the matter is that Superweek is there, and won’t take to many riders away from our State Crit championships.
Plus, how would you suggest we solve this problem?
Posted 27 Dec 2007 at 4:32 pm ¶I think my comment on drug testing is quite clear, less dopers at SW, non-dopers more motivated to race.
My only suggestion is to not put the State Champs opposite of a major race in the region that locals often travel to.
Posted 27 Dec 2007 at 4:57 pm ¶Homie and Rookie, take a look at the xls calendar I sent you and rookie yesterday and find a sunday for me where it’s the only local race on the weekend and the state capitol is available.
The only other 2 sundays that don’t have any competing MCF road events for the weekend are the 3rd of August or 17th of August. I believe the Firehouse 50 weekend is the 3rd of August and the Nat crit championships in downers grove is the weekend of the 16-17…
Posted 27 Dec 2007 at 6:13 pm ¶This is why I think it is an okay date for this event! July 27th gets Rookie’s approval.
Posted 27 Dec 2007 at 7:10 pm ¶2 hr crits and a hundred $$ a day isnt so bad, actually its like being on vacation.
Posted 27 Dec 2007 at 7:35 pm ¶Make it Aug 17, it would be nice to be crowned state champ on my b-day.
Posted 27 Dec 2007 at 8:53 pm ¶Thanks Skibby,
That was kind of my point but it was veiled with sarcasm and facetiousness. It’s a blessing and a curse to have such a jammed schedule.
Is the “Chase Food Folks & Spokes” Criterium really that important of an event that we’ll lose that many riders? Won’t we still have more riders bringing their A game to the State Championship Crit than if the State TT was the same weekend?
Bottom line - it’s better! Thanks to all who made it happen.
Posted 27 Dec 2007 at 9:41 pm ¶Homie, it would be a better birthday present if you won the state crit on the 27th, then went to downers grove and won the natz crit on your bd….
Posted 28 Dec 2007 at 12:09 am ¶are chuck and jay promoting it again? july 27th seems to fit in the sched super well.. no wisport conflict either. gas will be $7 a gallon so i suspect peeps will be stayin close to home. it may however conflict with silver cycling’s dawn to dusk ride.. doh!
Posted 28 Dec 2007 at 11:28 am ¶Yes,
Posted 28 Dec 2007 at 11:57 am ¶Jay is the promoter…
Ok, big problem here, stop the press!
Chisago Lakes Tri is that day. We need to move this thing, pronto!
Posted 28 Dec 2007 at 3:26 pm ¶Powder Monkey is that same day, In the beutiful convines of Spirit Mtn, Duluth
This race is part of the MN State Championship Searies.
Locally I think we should consider whats on “our” calandrs; thats Track, Dirt, and Road. Thats Mn Cycling.
Sorry ta break up the 3-way on yer site.
Posted 28 Dec 2007 at 4:16 pm ¶h-wood, i realize I should know this but I don’t, where is the dirt schedule posted at?
Posted 28 Dec 2007 at 5:17 pm ¶mnscs.com
that’s the series… i don’t know if that is “all” the racing… dirt? who needs it?
Posted 29 Dec 2007 at 12:05 pm ¶For what it’s worth, this year I ran down to Superweek for the last two Cat4 races. I even rented a car to do it. The reason I bothered is because there weren’t any races in town that weekend. If there would have been a race or races that weekend, I would have stayed home.
I haven’t looked at the SW schedule, but it seems to me that one could hit SW the weekends or weeks prior to State Crit and use that SW form to advantage at the championships.
Posted 31 Dec 2007 at 9:07 am ¶well if it matters at all i’d vote for a move. with this new date i know have a conflict with my schedule. i will be down at dave babcook supporting that stage race. i know that the state crit is a very important race to have neutral support (not just a wheels in/out pit) so it is a tough one for me. later is better…. did skib say something about aug 3rd?
Posted 01 Jan 2008 at 9:05 pm ¶Has it been said what the venue for the race is going to be or is it just the date that has been set?
Posted 04 Jan 2008 at 10:12 am ¶It would be at the State Capital again.
Posted 04 Jan 2008 at 5:14 pm ¶Post a Comment