The UA Cycling Club is hosting New Mexico, NAU and ASU this Saturday at the fourth annual UA Criterium, which is sponsored by Fair Wheel Bikes. It is the first cycling race of the season.

Last year, the UA Cycling Club won the Southwest Collegiate Cycling Conference and placed fourth overall at the Collegiate Road Nationals, finishing the cycling season ranked ninth in the nation for all cycling fields, which included road, mountain and cyclo-cross. This year’s team is looking to build upon last year’s success and to gain visibility.

“”We have one of the best collegiate teams in the country,”” said sophomore public health major Chloe Forsman, a three-time collegiate mountain bike national winner. “”We are the most competitive team in our conference and are one of the most competitive teams nationwide. A lot of the motivation for the (UA Criterium) is to give the club visibility and the sport visibility in Tucson.””

Over 200 participants, both collegiate and non-collegiate, are expected to race.   

“”There will be a lot of action,”” said sophomore engineering major Jack Andrews, who will be racing for the first time as a member of the UA Cycling Club. “”I want to do well. I’ve put in about 3,000 miles in the past four months.””

The collegiate racing begins at 2 p.m., but the non-collegiate racing starts at 9 a.m. The course, over a mile in length, includes a false flat and six turns. The start/finish line is located at the Warren Avenue and First Street intersection of the UA campus.

“”There is a great opportunity on the false flat,”” Forsman said. “”There is enough of a rise there to make a difference. That is probably where the attacks will happen.””

“”The race is pretty tactical,”” Forsman added. She mentioned that it UA Cycling Club can set up a lead out for one of them to sprint to the finish, they’llhave a good chance to win.

“”The race will come down to the finish,”” she said.    

Aside from the competition, the UA cycling club is looking to help those in need.

At 1 p.m., the UA Cycling Club will be hosting the Haiti Ride, which will benefit those suffering in Haiti. Both racers and spectators are invited to to cruise around the UA Criterium. Entry is only $10, and Partners in Health will receive all the proceeds.

“”We talked about putting a cruiser ride on for a while,”” Andrews said. “”Cycling can get intense with the training and wanting to win. When the disaster in Haiti happened, we (were driven) to make sure we got the cruiser ride going. We wanted it to go to a good cause.””