Cycling
With the release of professional cyclist Justin Williams' documentary, "Dear 39th Street," we take a closer look at what exactly crit racing is.
Tell someone that you race bicycles for a living and, most likely, the response will be “You mean like, ‘Tour de France’?” It’s a very natural response for the casual sports fan. Let’s take it a step further and tell the same person that you race crits, née criteriums, and you’ll be sure to see their brows wrinkle.
Describing the format differences between road racing, stage racing and then criterium is simple. A road race is a large course, on open roads, that could be a full loop or a point-to-point race. A stage race takes that concept several steps further by linking multiple days of racing, taking an aggregate of each stage and quite often incorporates a time trial to the event for added excitement. Crit racing, for the casual fan, is most easily understood when compared to sports like Formula 1 and MotoGP.
Founder of L39ION of Los Angeles, Justin Williams, describes it as, “A .6-1 mile circuit race around a downtown city. Where 100-150 riders line and race around it as fast they can. During a criterium race you’re trying to find the right position to be in. Your heart rate is at 180-190bpm so you’re not thinking straight. And you’re trying to navigate this course, while navigating the peloton, while focusing on the goals you have, while trying to win, while fighting 10 people for a corner that only one of you can fit through.” Pretty straight forward, right? And the energy between these starkly different cycling disciplines is the energy of these events. If you’re one for metaphors road racing is Bach and Beethoven while crit racing is Metallica and The Migos.
Crit racing in the United States has seen a handful of revivals and is no stranger to going under the proverbial knife for a facelift. In this recent iteration of elite American bike racing Justin and L39ION have not only pushed the boundaries on how the race can be won on the course but also how activating the community has made a significant impact.
In the documentary, "Dear 39th Street," it shows the impact Justin is making in the sport and his inaugural event, Into the Lions Den, highlights the strength and support of the cycling community.
“They mean everything to me. They are the reason we are able to live the life that we live. They’re the reason that we are able to do the sport that we love and they’re breathing life into Criteriums…” The aforementioned iterations that have occurred over the decades upon decades of bike racing in this country has always held a significant correlation to the community. From the day of 7/11 to U.S. Postal and Radio Shack, we have entered the era of L39ION. And it’s fitting that, for the previous eras of American cycling, their success directly invigorated Americans’ interest in road racing. Now, we’ve been directed to turn our attention towards crit racing.
Williams remarks on support from the cycling community and supporters, “My perspective is that we can’t do anything without the people that support us. And that’s why we work so hard to do these things that we do throughout the year that make the fans feel like they’re involved and a part of it because they are.”
Every lap something is happening. Someone else is on the front. Someone else is in the back. Someone’s flatting. You can watch it all happen rather than watch it pass by you.
There is a potency in this discipline that, when the right ingredients are present, in this case the racers and the crowds, make it truly one of the most exciting 90 minutes for any sports fanatic. “I come from basketball where you’re battling every play. I fell in love with more of that kind of experience. That’s what it is. I admire road racing and what it takes to be a top level road racer. I just think criterium are more fun. I think they are more exciting. I think they’re more dynamic. I think it’s better for the crowd because they get to watch the race happening. Every lap something is happening. Someone else is on the front. Someone else is in the back. Someone’s flatting. You can watch it all happen rather than watch it pass by you.”
In respect to all of the sports that have been adopted by American culture it only makes sense for criterium racing to reach new levels of popularity and interest. It has all the trimmings that make it ripe for newcomers and able to deepen the passions of the aficionados.
Watch "Dear 39th Street" now on Red Bull Bike YouTube channel and Red Bull TV.
