May 3, 2011 (Maple Ridge, BC) The Ninth Annual Race the Ridge Cycling Stage Race presented by Local Ride Bike Shop is set to take Maple Ridge by storm this weekend, May 7-8, with top local, provincial, and national cyclists expected to put on a show for the community in what is the City’s premier cycling event and includes free entertainment for the whole family.

“I’m especially excited about the Town Core Criterium that takes place at prime time on Saturday evening, said race organizer and Local Ride Bike Shop owner, Barry Lyster.” This event is a must-see, especially for people who have never experienced elite competitive cycling action up close before. These skilled men and women hit the corners so fast, it’s incredible.

The Town Core Criterium is Race the Ridge‚s feature event set in downtown Maple Ridge on an 800m course that contains five corners, including two 90-degree turns, a chicane, and the hallmark Haney Place Hairpin. The downtown core will be enveloped in a festival atmosphere with music, live DJ and race commentator, local vendors, and in addition to the elite and amateur races a free kids‚ race.

“The kids‚ race will be held right after the elite women’s and before the elite men’s races, which means our champions of the future will get to share the spotlight with some of the country’s top cyclists. These kids will get to race on the same road as their Canadian cycling heroes. How cool is that?” said Lyster.

The town core will be bike and pedestrian friendly when the races take place from 3:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Saturday, so spectators are asked to walk or roll their way to the best viewing points on course.

“Fans should also remember to bring cowbells, noisemakers and a strong set of lungs to encourage the athletes. The louder you cheer, the faster they tend to go” added Lyster. Another way for spectators to make racers pedal harder and directly impact the action is by contributing to the crowd cash prime, which will be split evenly between the elite men and women. There will also be primes or sprint prizes with time bonuses and other swag up for grabs.

Lots of local talent will be on hand in every category, with the Maple Ridge-based Local Ride/Dr. Vie Elite Women’s Cycling Team headlining the elite women’s race. Team stars Laura Brown and Steph Roorda, both National Track Cycling Team members and World Cup medalists, will be on the start line, while local development rider Maggie Coles-Lyster hopes to defend her U17 women’s title.

“Race the Ridge will mark the debut of the Local Ride/Dr. Vie Superfoods+ women’s team and we’re really excited to have Laura [Brown] and Steph [Roorda] back from World Cups. They are looking forward to racing in a very competitive elite women’s field” said Lyster, who manages the squad.

In the elite men’s race, Local Ride Racing’s Richard Machhein and Zach Young will take on the top guys, which will be no small feat, with top provincial teams like Trek/Red Truck Racing, H&R Block, and Garneau Evolution set to attend.

“Registration is going very well and the Category 3/4 men’s field is almost sold out” said Lyster. “Race the Ridge is also a BC Team qualifying event for the Western Canada Summer Games, so we’ll have lots of up-and-coming stars out there.”

Race the Ridge is not just limited to the spectacular Town Core Criterium, however. In fact, it’s a three-event cycling stage race, which runs all weekend and includes an individual time trial on Saturday morning in Golden Ears Provincial Park, the hallmark criterium in the evening, and the challenging Thorn Hill Road Race on Sunday morning. In the end, the big winner is determined by who has the shortest combined time over all three stages.

Race the Ridge 2011 Spectators‚ Guide

Don’t know anything about bike racing? That’s okay. Here are some tips and hints to make watching Race the Ridge a more exciting and interesting experience.

Saturday, May 7 Golden Ears Individual Time Trial 22km Golden Ears Provincial Park
A time trial is a race against the clock where each rider receives an individual start time, usually separated by 30s or one minute. Spectators of Race the Ridge’s Golden Ears time trial can multitask by cheering on speedy riders and going for a spectacular hike in the cedar forests of Golden Ears Provincial Park. Also an attraction (in a carnival act sort of way) is the time trial riders‚ getups, which often includes a pointy aerodynamic helmet, skin-tight lycra suit, aerobars, full TT bike, and disc wheels. The racers will head north on the road from the park entrance and turn around at the 11km mark, attacking the challenging rolling terrain in an attempt to log the fastest time. The start/finish area and race hub is located near the park entrance.

Saturday, May 7 Town Core Criterium Multiple Laps of an 800m course Downtown Maple Ridge
A criterium is arguably the most exciting race for spectators. Criteriums are fast and aggressive with short (less than 1km) laps that usually contain little to no change in elevation. With race times maxing out at one hour, riders whipping around dozens of times at speeds reaching 55kph, and animated by primes (sprints for cash or prizes), even those who are easily bored will find themselves on the edges of their seats. The town core course features five corners, including two 90-degree turns, a chicane, and the hallmark Haney Place Hairpin. A criterium is a team event, so look for team tactics in play. Racing starts at 3:30 pm and runs until 8:30 pm.

Sunday, May 8 Thorn Hill Road Race Multiple Laps of a 10km course Thorn Hill, Maple Ridge
Road racing is a true test of endurance and strength for riders, and the Thorn Hill Road Race is no exception. This 10km course is hilly and grueling, especially on the morning after a tough time trial and challenging criterium. Depending on the riders‚ categories, competitors will face from one to 10 laps with racing starting at 8:00 am at Thorn Hill Elementary School. The first rider to cross the finish line is declared the winner, but it is the rider with the shortest cumulative time over all three stages that wins the 2011 Race the Ridge title. With its series of leg-searing rolling climbs and unforgiving uphill finish, the Thorn Hill race is designed for climbers and generally hard riders. A road race is also a team event, so tactics will be in motion, but with the course being so selective, it will be the strongest rider that takes the victory.

Some Basic Road Racing Tactics
If a rider’s team mate is up the road on a breakaway, his/her team mate may not chase him/her down. If a breakaway is reeled back in, then expect another team rider to counterattack. Each team‚s highest placed rider in the overall classification will be “protected” by his/her team mates in order to save him/her for the final sprint or the decisive stage on the last day. Riders will be using drafting techniques to safe energy and a well-organized team will set up a lead-out train on the final lap in attempt to catapult their key rider to the finish line. Cycling is a numbers game, and riders are always trying to pare down the field in order to make their odds of winning better. Some team riders have the role of workers or “domestiques.” These riders are not expected to go for the win and have the assigned task of wearing out other competitors in order to make the chances better for their team leader. In the overall scheme of things, the results of the domestiques don’t matter to the team.

Riders to Watch

Elite Men
BC is home to many of Canada’s top elite cyclists and some very strong provincial teams, like Team Trek/Red Truck Racing, Team H&R Block, and Garneau Evolution. Local elite racers include Rich Machhein and Zach Young of Local Ride Racing and Mike Rothengatter (Garneau Evolution).

Elite Women
The women’s race will be stacked with talent, including the Local Ride/Dr. Vie Superfoods+ Elite Women’s Team, which has its HQ in Maple Ridge. The all-star roster includes World Cup track cycling medalists Laura Brown and Steph Roorda as well as local youth racer Maggie Coles-Lyster.

Cannondale/Westwood p/b Vision Sports is another Lower Mainland team with some clout in the form of Nik Vogler, Kristine Brynjolfsen, and Jennifer Gerth.

Interested in racing? The event is open to pre-registration only, which closes Thursday at 6:00 p.m. Visit here.

Visit here for more info.