The most dominant athlete in the history of competitive cycling – and possibly the most extraordinary physical specimen in all of sport – is coming to town today.
Fresh off an astonishing fourth consecutive Tour de France victory last week, Lance Armstrong will compete in today’s New York City Cycling Championship, which begins at 1:30 p.m.
Since the Tour de France, Armstrong has already competed in several exhibitions, including one yesterday. That, coupled with a long flight back from Europe, means the American icon is not an early favorite to win today.
“He’s probably not going to be a favorite here,” said J. P. Partman, an amateur cycler who has been covering and following the sport for almost 20 years. “Not with the exhibition races Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday.”
Armstrong, a cancer survivor who has beaten all imaginable odds to get to the top, has become a master of the treacherous Tour de France, famous for its grueling mountainside sprints. But in today’s run, the speedster may have his hands full. The race, which spans 62.5 miles across downtown asphalt and cobblestone, is geared more to the strengths of a thinker.
“The winner will have to be a master of positioning,” Partman said. “There will be a lot of bumping in the corners and the winner will need a blend of bike-handling and speed.”
Team Mercury’s Henk Vogels, Chris Wherry and Gord Fraser should be able to thrive on the 50-lap criterium, which snakes through lower Manhattan, starting and finishing at the intersection of Wall and Water streets.
Partman, who rode the course earlier this week, said the most challenging areas of the race will be on the old cobblestone near Fraunces Tavern, although the eight corners per lap between there and John Street could leave many riders tumbling to the pavement.
“People watching should walk against the direction of the traffic,” Partman said. “In the corners, on the cobblestone and by the finish line are also good spots to view the race.”
The real action, as racing enthusiasts know, will be in the corners. On the inside, spectators feel like the riders are coming right at them, while on the outside of the turns, they can watch the technical intricacies of the race and see how riders regain top speed as they emerge.
There’s always a chance for a crash in the corners, as the riders jockey for position in the crowded field. But the most challenging portion of this race will be on the ancient urban streets – made of thick, bumpy stone.
“It’s tight, uneven pavement,” Partman said. “It’s perfectly straight, but very uneven. You’re going to see a lot of water bottles pop out and a lot of flat tires.”
The cobblestone presents a terrain that, while flat, has the feel of a hill. Being jostled around, especially in such a tight pack, makes an unpleasant ride for some cyclists.
The NYC Championship, one of 10 events on the Pro Cycling Tour, also features a women’s race and is run as a fundraiser for the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.
