2006 News and Events

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

JR Engineering to sponsor the 2006 Parker Mainstreet Criterium

Colorado Springs-based USA Cycling unveiled the new National Racing Calendar (NRC) for 2006 today.

For the past 10 years, the NRC has showcased the most prestigious bicycle races in the country. USA Cycling recently informed the Town of Parker that the three-year-old Parker Mainstreet Omnium (PMO) is among the 44 elite races showcased in the national calendar.

The PMO will race Sept. 15-17, 2006 in and around Parker. The PMO is the only NRC race in Colorado for 2006. Tom Vinson, USA Cycling Regional Coordinator for the mountain states says of the new designation for Parker's race, “I am extremely pleased to see the NRC return to Colorado with an event that will be another in the long history of great racing in this state.” Top professional cycling teams from around the United States attend NRC events because of high caliber racing and prize money opportunities. Racers that place at each NRC event earn points to determine a National Series Champion. 2005's NRC Individual Title winner, Scott Moninger (HealthNet-Maxxis), won the Mens' Pro 1-2 race at the 2005 Parker Mainstreet Criterium.

“We are proud to announce that the 2006 Parker Mainstreet Omnium (PMO) is one of those high-status races that made the National Racing Calendar,” said Rick Garrick, Assistant Recreation Director for the Town of Parker . “Making it on to the NRC certainly fits in nicely with the goals of this event. Our goals have always been to make a great and organized race for all the participants, boost downtown businesses by bringing large numbers of spectators to the area, and to make it a fun and exciting event for spectators. All three of those areas will be enhanced by this NRC designation and it is a real tribute to the team work and support that our sponsors, volunteers, Town Council and community have put forth to help make this event a reality.”

The NRC designation will take the Parker race from a large-scale regional event to a national level of competition in the pro/elite categories for men and women. The top teams and riders from around the country will be racing in and around Parker. The event will continue to run beginner to expert level categories so that riders of all experience levels can compete. In 2005, the Parker Mainstreet Criterium had the largest kids' race in the state and organizers plan on making that element of the race even more prominent in 2006.

One big change for the 2006 event is the transition from a criterium race to an omnium race. Simply put, the race goes from a one-day event to a three-day event. The prize money goes from $10,000 to $30,000. Participants grow from 400 to 1,500! The PMO begins with a Friday Time Trial, which pits the racers versus the clock in an all out 11-mile sprint. Saturday's Road Race tests the endurance of the racers over a 60 to 100 mile course, depending on the race category. Sunday's finale is the spectator-friendly showcase of the event, the JR Engineering Parker Mainstreet Criterium.

The criterium is a fast-paced lap race that circles downtown Parker at speeds over 30 miles per hour.

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