Greg Moody will be guest announcer at next CSU Oval race

Latest news on the Oval races in Fort Collins this weekend

Special Guest News 4 Critic at Large Greg Moody
Will Announce Fort Collins Velodrome Association’s
Races at the CSU Oval Sunday
Co-host will be Ainslie MacEachran, CSU grad,
CSU Rams Cycling Coach and GM of Orchard’s Athletic Club

Fort Collins, Colorado – Greg Moody, News 4 Critic at Large and devoted cyclist, will be joined by Ainslie MacEachran as special guest announcers Sunday, June 1 at the Fort Collins Velodrome Association’s Associates in Family Medicine 6-Day Races at the CSU Oval. Racing starts at 5:00 p.m. and goes until 7:30 p.m. Spectators are encouraged to bring a picnic dinner and enjoy the free, family-friendly entertainment.

After a 13-year hiatus, Moody has been training on the velodrome in Colorado Springs in recent weeks, and will also participate in Ride the Rockies this summer. With some help from local pros, he built the bike he will ride in the week-long event. He’s documenting his training and preparation in his blog and on the air in occasional broadcast segments on News 4 that can be viewed at www.cbs4denver.com. He has also authored five cycling-oriented mystery novels, published by VeloPress.

“We’re excited to have Greg come out and support our efforts. Interest from racers and spectators has grown significantly over the first three Sundays of racing,” notes Tim Anderson, director of the Fort Collins Velodrome Association. “We’re having a lot of fun and seeing some great racing.”

Racing will be held on Sundays through June 15. In addition to free, family-friendly fun and fast-paced excitement for spectators, there will be a wide variety of race categories for all ages and abilities, from kids to novice racers to experienced cyclists, on everything from big wheels and tricycles to custom fixed-gear and freewheeling bicycles. Those interested in racing should arrive early – between 3:30 and 4:45 – for registration, safety instruction and pointers, a skills clinic for new riders, bike inspection and warm-up. Free pre-race bike inspections can be done at Lee’s Cyclery North, call 970-482-2006.

The event is free for spectators. Race fees are free for kids and teens, and just $10 per category for racers 18 and older. A one-time $5 individual or $10 family membership to the Fort Collins Velodrome Association is suggested. Lee’s Cyclery & Fitness will provide on-site mechanical support for participants. Volunteers to help with the event, especially those with cycling experience, are welcome; and volunteers can bring along a friend or sweetheart who can race for free.

A drawing for a bike and gift cards from Lee’s will be done at the final race on June 15. Each time a rider enters, they receive one ticket for the drawing. Race prizes for the adult categories are weekly cash, plus 6-Day (overall) Champion cash and trophies. Prizes for kids include weekly medals, 6-Day (overall) Champion trophies and other goodies. (note: 6-Day Champions will be determined by each rider’s cumulative results total from each Sunday. Overall champions will receive their prizes on the final Sunday (June 15).

What is Track Racing?
Bicycle track racing is typically done on a velodrome, a banked, oval track where racers pit their strength, speed, endurance and tactics to the test in multi-lap races. Six-day races were originally just that – single riders, or teams of two, would ride as many laps of the track as they could in a six-day period. From 1890 until 1935, the Jazz Age, six-day bicycle racing was America’s most popular sport, run in front of packed houses at Madison Square Garden and other major venues around the country, with riders earning a handsome living. Events will be shorter in time and duration for the Associates in Family Medicine 6 Day Races at the CSU Oval, but racing will be held for six consecutive Sundays.

Who did that great poster?
The retro-style poster for the series, drawing from vintage bicycle event posters and ads from a bygone era, depicts two cyclists making their way around the CSU Oval (see www.fcvelodrome.org for an image). It was created by local artist Jeff Nye, a friend and supporter of the Fort Collins Velodrome Association who has had a keen interest in bicycles and cycling since he was a child.

Sponsors, supporters and friends
Supporters of the 6 Day Races at the CSU Oval include title sponsor Associates in Family Medicine, media sponsor Fort Collins NOW, along with Lee’s Cyclery and Fitness, Bike Fort Collins, FC Bikes, Shannon Marketing Communications, Choice Towing, Flood & Peterson Insurance, Inc., PVH EMT Reserves and PVHS EMS, Shaped Music, UniverCity Connections, CSU Rams Cycling, Eliot’s Mess and Chipotle.

For more information on the non-profit Fort Collins Velodrome Association or the race series, visit www.fcvelodrome.org.