Old Capitol Criterium Celebrates 30th Anniversary

Thu March 29 2007
Posted Mar 29, 2007
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OLD CAPITOL CRITERIUM CELEBRATES 30TH ANNIVERSARY WITH $10,000 RACE WEEKEND APRIL 28-29, 2007 IOWA CITY, Iowa – March 29, 2007. The Iowa City Cycling Club today announced the upcoming Old Capitol Criterium and Iowa City Road Race weekend, set for April 28-29, 2007 in Iowa City, Iowa. This year's event will mark the 30th anniversary of the Old Capitol Criterium and features a combined prize list of $10,000, making it one of the Midwest's largest race weekends on the bicycle racing calendar. “To celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Old Capitol Criterium speaks volumes for the event,” says James Hopson, President of the Iowa City Cycling Club. “There are not many bike races that can claim that level of longevity, and the exciting part is the race continues to grow each and every year.” The weekend's festivities kick-off on Saturday, April 28th with the Iowa City Road Race. Located southwest of Iowa City at the Iowa Mennonite Church, the road race offers a total prize list of $2500 – an increase of $1000 spread across multiple categories. The action begins at 9:00 am with the Women Open racing 39 miles, and culminates in the men's feature race – the Senior Men Pro/1/2 catgory – racing 65 miles starting at 2:30 pm. The Old Capitol Criterium takes the main stage on Sunday, April 29th. Offering a total prize list of $7500, the criterium features a challenging 1-kilometer loop around the Pentacrest in downtown Iowa City, including repeated climbs up the Jefferson Street hill. Racing begins at 9:30 am with Junior riders aged 10-18 years of age and continues to the day's feature race – the Chris Lillig Memorial Cup – at 3:30 pm. Sponsored by River Products Company, Inc. of Iowa City, the Chris Lillig Memorial Cup honors the 11th anniversary of the death of Chris Lillig – a local bicycle racer and former River Products employee who was struck and killed by drunk driver while on a training ride. “We are excited to continue our support of the Old Capitol Criterium and find it to be a fitting way to respect and honor Chris Lillig,” says Tom Scott, President of River Products Company, Inc. “We also truly admire what the event has become over the years and what it brings to the community.” This year's Old Capitol Criterium also features an expanded set of free Kids races. Starting at 1:00 pm, youth under 10 years of age will have the opportunity to race the entire upper loop of the criterium course – including a finish across the same finish line as the senior racers. In addition to support from members of the Iowa City Cycling Club, the weekend's event receives tremendous support from local businesses and organizations, including River Products Company, Inc., G4 Sports Marketing, Alberhasky Eye Clinic, Bank of the West, Geoff's Bike & Ski, Carlos O'Kelly's, Time of Your Life Fitness, Metro Plumbing, Iowa State Bank & Trust, Mickey's Irish Pub, Active Endeavors, the Bicyclists of Iowa City, and many more. For more race details, including online registration, please visit http://www.oldcapcrit.com. ABOUT THE IOWA CITY CYCLING CLUB The Iowa City Cycling Club is a registered USA Cycling club with over 50 members throughout Iowa and the Midwest, including 12 members of the elite Mercy-Specialized team. The Iowa City Cycling Club sponsors numerous events throughout the year to promote bicycle safety, awareness, and rider development. For more information, please visit http://www.ic-cycling.org.