It goes without saying that most road bikers are crazy. Whether it’s from the extreme exertion, the tremendous willpower, or overall intensity, they’re a different breed. Going one step further, let’s examine the even more insane Criterium racers. These guys typically race on closed city streets, with short sprint courses that are usually fast and complex, and include plenty of cornering, sprinting, passing, and strategy. In a word, this sport is gnarly.

To see it happening right in downtown Chico was a real treat, and all sorts of classes/divisions afforded racing for kids, adults, push-cart teams, and even Elite class professionals. Chico Corsa Cycling Club (http://www.chicocorsa.com/ ) , along with fantastic sponsors Sierra Nevada Brewery (http://www.sierranevada.com/), Tri Counties Bank (http://www.tcbk.com/) and many, many more all combine efforts to put on a fantastic event, and Team Grid was there to provide media coverage! Every face was amazed at the caliber of the racers, and besides a few crashes (which is apparently common for Criterium) the event went off without a hitch. Team Grid was fortunate enough to catch Chico local Mike Ricks, winner of two of the day’s races, who shed some more light on the sport. “It can get really intense, especially with the majority of racers (sometimes as many as 60) all heading into a corner at once. You really have to pick a line and stick with it as to avoid crashing.” Mike continued to say that this was the last race of the season for most California Criterium racers, and Chico Corsa and the sponsors did a fantastic job of setting up and running the event.

Other highlights of the day included the yearly PushCart Grand Prix, and information from a number of vendors all showing off goods and sharing tips in the square. If you didn’t get a chance to check out the race, definitely make sure to check out another one as soon as possible! It’ll either make you want to become a racer or never ride a bike again! Just joking, but it is extremely exciting and we absolutely recommend supporting all racers and sponsors. Thanks again to Chico Corsa and everyone that made it out! Make sure to check out the video coverage above provided by Team Grid!

Check back on ChicoGrid soon for more coverage with Chico Corsa and the Sierra Nevada Cycling team!