GALION — Speeding through the streets in and around downtown Galion will be encouraged Saturday.
Dozens of bicycle racers will visit the city to take part in the first Galion Critfest, with races slated from noon until nightfall.
“A criterium involves high-speed racing on a small course, with lots of laps,” said Troy Chipka, one of the owners of Cycling Sports Center, 130 Harding Way East, which was integral in bringing the races to Galion. “They have races like this all over Ohio.”
The Galion event will feature races sanctioned by USA Cycling.
A fun-filled day kicks off early with some running events. Bicycle racing starts at noon. The pro races begin at 6:45 and 8 p.m.
Galion’s Critfest is modeled after the Hyde Park Blast in Cincinnati, which drew more than 400 racers last year and raised money for The Cure Starts Now Foundation.
“It’s hard to say how many racers we are going to have,” Chipka said. “We had 50 signed up as of June 6.”
Registration for the Critfest is ongoing at www.galioncritfest.com, or you can register at the event Saturday. For information, call Cycling Sports Center at 419-462-2543 or email cyclingsportscenter@gmail.com.
The bicycle racing you will see in Galion more closely resembles NASCAR than the Tour de France. It is very technical and involves a lot of strategy. Riders may team up with one another as part of their strategy.
But if you know nothing about this type of racing? No worries, Chipka said: “Come and watch some of the racing on the square. We’ll have an announcer who will describe and explain things that are going on during the race. It’s very spectator-friendly.”
And a bit on the edge. Chipka said racers in the professional heats can reach 30 mph.
“You’ll be amazed how fast they go around some of the corners,” he said.
Some parts of the racing will seem familiar, for example pace lines, that can be half as long as the course.
“The racers follow one another, in single file. And if you end up losing your place and getting out of line, it’s hard to catch back up with the leaders,” Chipka said.
The Galion Historical Society, Kiwanis and GNC in Mansfield, have made contributions to assure the event’s success. Culligan and Hempy Water have donated water and other groups and organizations made donations.
“It’s going to take a lot of effort to make sure it operates smoothly,” Chipka said. “We want to convince them to come back again.”
Additional volunteers are welcome. If you want to help, call 419-462-2543 or email cyclingsportscenter@gmail.com.
The bicycle racing begins at 12:15 p.m. There will be several races through 6 p.m. The Women’s professional/semi-professional race is 6:30-7:45 p.m.; and the professional/semi-professional race caps off the day, starting at 8 p.m.
Some of the races offer prize money, and professional racers can have up to $10,000 invested in their rides.
Before the bike races, there are other racing events. A 5K run/walk begins at 8 a.m., followed by a 10K run that begins at 8:15 a.m.
From 11-11:30 a.m., kids ages 6-14 can compete in free bicycle races.
Throughout the day, portions of streets in and adjacent to the downtown area will be closed. Drivers should pay attention to barricades and volunteers.
Races will begin and end to the east of the Public Square.
The registration area will be in the Time Warner parking lot.
Many local merchants will be open Saturday.
