Results tagged “ingdirectcapitalcriterium”

Late last September, local cycling enthusiasts were treated to a first for the District -- a professional bike race in downtown Washington. The ING Direct Capital Criterium saw domestic and international pros line up to tackle a technical eight-turn course with a dramatic finish on Pennsylvania Avenue, an event so successful that it was added to the 34-race National Racing Calender for 2009. In late July, though, local promoter D.C. Velo announced that due to the recession, main sponsor ING was forced to pull their support for the race, leaving organizers without the financial backing to run the race until 2010. (Philadelphia almost lost their marquee pro cycling event earlier this summer, too, but last-minute appeals to sponsors and fans allowed the event to happen.) As a local competitive cyclist and huge fan of the sport, consider me officially bummed out. It was a treat to see local racers line up against guys just coming off of the Tour de France, and the District's backdrop served as a fitting place for such a dramatic showing of cycling talent. Here's to hoping for 2010.

              

With the U.S. Capitol in the background and Pennsylvania Avenue freshly repaved, some of the country's best cyclists battled it out in yesterday's ING Direct Capital Criterium. But while the main attraction was the presence of a number of professional racers -- including Garmin-Chipotle rider Christian Vande Velde, who placed fifth in the Tour de France -- the event capped off what has been a strong year in local racing for area riders and teams.

With the weather cooling down, gas prices remaining high and the District still reveling in having been named the most improved bicycling city in the country, there's plenty of two-wheel action going on through the month of September.