The Classic City becomes fast and furious when cyclists come from all over to compete in the Twilight Criterium, one of the country’s most challenging bike races.
Athens Orthopedic Clinic hosts the weekend long event, which takes place in downtown Athens, Georgia.
According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the race was founded in 1980 by Gene Dixon and was the first nighttime race in the United States in over 60 years.
The Twilight Criterium benefits the Athens Area Habitat for Humanity.
According to the Athens tourism website, the competition has evolved from 40 competitors to 150.
The starting line is on Clayton Street at College Avenue and the race goes clockwise and continues on Lumpkin, Washington and Thomas streets.
The large crowds and strong competitive spirits drive the race to be one of the most fast paced, dangerous courses. According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, cyclists average speeds of 33 miles per hour during the 60-kilometer race. “If you’ve ever ridden your bike at night, you know that it feels a lot faster to ride in the dark,” Dixon told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution in 2001. “The racers feel that, too.”
Cyclists can become very aggressive trying to compete for first place, which sometimes can lead to injuries. Some cyclists have resulted with concussions and other minor injuries due to the sharp turns and close corners of the race.
Cyclists can range from Olympic gold medalists to local storeowners.
The crowd’s anticipation of the event and the late night atmosphere stirs up competition among cyclists.
Crowd participants get so excited, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, police had to reinforce safety measures to keep people from getting through barricades and causing hazard to cyclists.
Besides the anticipated women and men’s races, the Twilight Criterium has weekend long events, which lead up to the big race at night. Events included are festivals, amateur and children’s bike races as well as a historic bike tour.
Visit the event’s main website here
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twilight criterium (@ Downtown Athens in Athens, GA) https://t.co/lQO3M92LLT pic.twitter.com/5glAea45OC