The Clarion
www.brevard.edu/clarion
Volume 77, Issue 27 Web Edition SERVING BREVARD COLLEGE SINCE 1935
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April 20, 2012
BC hosts SECCC cycling championship
By Caleb Welborn
StaffVVritei^^^^_
Road bicycle racing will hit the
streets of Brevard this weekend for the
Southeastern Collegiate Cycling Conference
championship.
The weekend’s events will include a team
time trial and road race starting from Rosman
High School on Saturday and a criterium
(crit) just outside of downtown Brevard on
Sunday.
Students are encouraged to come support
BC athletics at the crit race on Sunday, which
will take place only half a mile away from
campus on a loop that includes Caldwell
Street, Probart Street, Railroad Avenue, and
King Street. The start/finish will be located
in front of Area 22 Guitars, which is across
from El Ranchero Mexican Restaurant.
What is a criterium?
Fast, furious, and spectator friendly, a crit
is a type of bike race that follows a loop of
about one mile. Racers contest the loop for
a set period of time, usually around one hour,
plus two laps. Lapped riders are disqualified
from the race. Because the loop is so short,
spectators are able to watch most of the
race, with riders coming around every two
minutes or so.
What do A, B, and C mean?
The different categories allow riders to
race those of similar ability to them. A is
the fastest category, B is for intermediate
riders, and C is for beginning riders. The ‘A’
category is the only category that counts for
conference points, and those riders are the
only riders who can qualify for nationals.
In order to progress through the categories,
riders must get good results at numerous races
and go through an upgrade process with USA
Cycling.
Team Time Trial
In the team time trial on Saturday morning,
teams will enter four riders each who will
contest the 15.5 mile course, working together
to try for the fastest time. The clock stops
when the third rider crosses the line. Teams
are separated by two-minute gaps.
Road Race
In the Men’s A road race, riders will contest
four laps of the course for a total of 62.7 miles.
The course includes a short but steep 1.1 mile
climb on Walnut Hollow Rd. The climb,
which starts at a 5% gradient but steepens
towards the end to 16% will likely prove to
be a decisive part of the race. The race starts
and finishes in downtown Rosman.
Erica Zaveta
Brandon Milet, Caleb Welborn, and Lewis Gaffney on a training ride in Brevard, North Carolina.
Saturday road race schedule:
12:00p.m. - Men’s A, 4 laps
12:10p.m. - Men’s B, 3 laps
12:15p.m.-Women’s A, 3 laps
3:00p.m. - Men’s C, 2 laps
3:05p.m. - Women’s B, 2 laps
Sunday crit schedule:
9:00a.m. - Men’s C
(BC Rider: Park Baker)
9:50a.m. - Women’s B
10:35a.m. - Men’s B
(BC Rider: Keith Marek)
11:30a.m. - Women’s A
12:35p.m. - Men’s A (BC Riders: Wyatt
Briggs, Lewis Gaffney, Brandon Milet,
Jimmy Schurman, Caleb Welborn)