For some students, the first day of spring break will be a day of rest and relaxation.
For hundreds of local cyclists it will mean a morning of adrenaline-pumping racing.
The UA Cycling Club is sponsoring the UA Criterium tomorrow, a cycling race on campus conducted on an L-shaped track near North Cherry Avenue and East First Street.
The race is organized into different age groups and distance categories, and is open to anyone interested in participating who is willing to pay a $25 entrance fee.
“”I’m really excited about this,”” said Alex Luce, an engineering physics senior and a two-time entrant in the event. “”Last year was a lot of fun and this year looks like it will be even better.””
The 12 categories range from juniors (age 18 and under; free) to masters (age 50 and over). The earliest race starts at 7 a.m., and the last race is scheduled to finish at 3 p.m.
Organizers plan on having at least 200 competitors.
The collegiate category of the race, scheduled to begin at 12:55 p.m., is also the Southwest Conference Championships for UA cyclists trying to qualify for nationals. This is the second year running the Cycling Club has organized the race, a task organizers say is no small feat for a college organization.
“”Holding this event is really important for the UA Cycling Club to garner support from fellow cyclists and supporters,”” said Melanie Meyers, a geography graduate student.
The collegiate category is immediately followed by the cruiser category ($15). Whether sporting a beach cruiser, tricycle, unicycle or any other form of human-powered transportation on wheels, anyone is welcome to participate in the category.
“”The event is not very competitive,”” Meyers said. “”It’s meant to get people excited about showing off their bikes and gear and meeting like-minded people in the Tucson area.””
Participants in the race can also look forward to spontaneous prize announcements, known in cyclist lingo as “”primes.””
“”Primes are announced throughout a race to make things more interesting as riders sprint each other for (them),”” Meyers said.
Several local shops and businesses have donated primes to be given away, she said.
The Tumacacori Road Race will be held Sunday in Rio Rico, 58 miles south of Tucson. The race takes place on a 6-mile track, with entrants completing between two and 12 laps.
Together with the UA Criterium it forms an omnium, or a series of events in which cyclists are scored individually.
Racers entered in both events can win up to $300 in cash.
For more information, call Fair Wheel Bikes at 884-9018.
