BOISE, Idaho — This article originally appeared in the Idaho Press.
Boise’s Twilight Criterium has earned an esteemed reputation among professional cyclists. Saturday’s event will feature top professional teams from the U.S. and abroad as well as amateur riders.
The criterium, which attracts thousands of patrons each year, is ranked nationally as “one of the top 8 best criteriums” by USA Cycling. Its top-eight placement makes it a member race for the American Criterium Cup (ACC), which features a prize pool of $500,000.
The Twilight Criterium’s reputation as a premier circuit comes from its course design which allows for uniquely high speeds.
“Part of that is because we have two really long straightaways,” Mike Cooley, race director of the Twilight Criterium, said. “We have big, wide corners, so it’s super safe and the riders can just let it rip.”
The downtown Boise course is a loop that stretches from in front of the Capitol, around the corners of Sixth and Jefferson and Sixth and Bannock, up to Ninth Street and back to the Capitol.
According to a press release on the criterium, the speed and layout allow for minimal separation among riders, leaving potential for an exciting sprint finish. Though these features can be attractive for interested riders, there’s been questions as to how to get the most riders, both domestic and international, to want to fly into Boise.
Cooley, who was a founding member of the ACC, said that the creation of the cup, with the aforementioned prize pool, has been made in the hopes of doing just that.
“We need to give them more money to chase, we need to give them a reason to come here,” Cooley said.
Among the eight participating cities, Cooley said that Boise was both the farthest west and the smallest market.
“We’re by far the smallest city of the eight cities that participate by a long shot,” Cooley said. “Pretty proud of that.”
While the track’s potential for speed and last-minute excitement are unchanged, this year marks a calendar change for the renowned event, with race day being moved to the end of June, rather than the beginning of July.
The hope was for cooler temperatures, but with temperatures projected to be in the high 90s this weekend, it won’t be a big difference from last year.
“I don’t know that I was successful on my quest to get away from the heat,” Cooley said. “It’ll still be cooler than it was last year, which was into the triple digits.”
The date of the race isn’t the only thing to have changed. While the Twilight Criterium has historically had events throughout the day, this year will bring additional ways to get engaged, even before race day.
As part of the weekend of cycling, a Kids Bike Rodeo will be hosted in Nampa at the College of Western Idaho on Friday from 6-8 p.m. It will feature a clinic to teach children about bicycle safety as well as coaching from cycling teams and pros to provide tips on cycling.
A new ride open to the community will begin on the morning of race day and have one run around the race circuit. The cost of entry will be a donation, good or monetary, to the Idaho Food Bank.
The Girls on the Run Mile will also be new this year and provide an opportunity for 200 runners aged 16 and up to test their mile time. The run will take place from 5:40-6 p.m. and feature a prize purse of $450 to be spread among the top three runners.
The Kids’ Ride will be returning this year, with riders starting from the Idaho State Capitol.
The highest-profile races of the day, the women’s and men’s pro races, begin at 6:30 and 8:05 p.m., respectively.
The event is free to enter. Cecil D. Andrus Park, across from the Capitol, will host the ICCU EXPO park. It opens at 1 p.m. and will feature a selection of local and regional beverages, vendors, food trucks and activities.
Further details on these events, as well as a full event schedule and links to register, are all available on the Boise Twilight Criterium Website.
This article originally appeared in the Idaho Press, read more on IdahoPress.com.
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