Sorry, I’m a sucker for 70’s music lyrics and Billy Preston rocked the house. Anyway, speaking of going around in circles, Last night I decided to head over to Burns Park in North Little Rock and see what all this criterium stuff was about. Seems it’s a bunch of sweet looking road bikes with riders in full kit going around a short “track” very fast. The cycling equivalent to NASCAR.
Normally, when watching a bike race you wait for hours along the side of the road and eventually a bunch of riders go by you really fast and then you walk a few miles back to your car talking about that exciting 30 seconds. Or you watch it on ESPN 8 (the Ocho) from the vantage of a helicopter. But a criterium is different. You get to stand next to the “track” and watch for an hour, more if you watch each category ride by. Round and round they go, fast.
The Dr. Feelgood Burns Park Criterium Series happens every Wednesday night in June for 5 weeks. Last night was week 2. I suggest you go to Burns Park next week and check it out. You don’t have to ride to enjoy it. The first race of 3 starts at 5 pm and the races go until almost 8 over near the soccer fields. I recommend some bug spray a camp chair, some water (or beverage of choice) and a camera. Or you could just go for a ride on the Arkansas River Trail and stop by. Here are a few photos I took last night:
