Tampa Bay Area Presents The Second Annual Tampa Twilight Criterium and Festival

TAMPA, FL (March 25, 2010) – The Tampa Downtown Partnership is building on the successful first annual Twilight Criterium and Festival last year with an bigger and better event to be held this  Saturday, March 27, 11 a.m. – 9 p.m., in downtown Tampa. The event is free and open to the public and part of the Tampa BayCycle campaign’s bike month activities.

A Criterium, or crit, is a bike race held on a short course (usually less than 5 km), often run on closed-off city centre streets. Race length can be determined by a total time or a number of laps, in which case the number of remaining laps is calculated as the race progresses. Generally the event’s duration (commonly one hour) is shorter than that of a traditional road race, however, the average speed and intensity are appreciably higher. The winner is the first rider to cross the finish line without having been lapped.

Success in a Criterium requires a mix of good technical skills — in particular, the ability to corner smoothly, while “holding your line” on the road, as well as rapidly and sharply — and riding safely with a large group on a short circuit and exceptional “sprint” ability to attack other riders and repeatedly accelerate hard from corners. 

The community festival, part of the Eco.lution series, is a family-friendly event. Activities in Lykes Gaslight Square center around cycling and wellness such as spin demonstrations, guided history tours via bike, basic bike maintenance seminars, bike safety, bike polo demonstrations and more. A Kid’s District will include a bicycle rodeo, bike decorating station, bounce house, crafts, etc.   A VIP-led bicycling parade at 1:20pm is open to the public, so be sure to come decorate your bike and join the ride. A free secure bike valet area is available for those cycling to the event.

The Eco.lution festival adjacent to the race will showcase fantastic local music, a food, beer and wine area, and will feature local businesses and organizations all driven to contribute to your vibrant living experience in the city.

For more information about the Tampa Twilight Criterium and Festival, and to register for the bike race, please visit www.tampacrit.com.

About Tampa BayCycle:
Tampa BayCycle encourages commuters to cycle to work, school, to run errands or play. Tampa BayCycle was formed through efforts of the New North Transportation Alliance and the Tampa Downtown Partnership. For more information, visit www.TampaBayCycle.com.

About the Tampa Downtown Partnership:
The Tampa Downtown Partnership is a private, not-for-profit 501(c)6 organization.  It is a membership organization comprised of companies, organizations and individuals with a common goal of advancing downtown Tampa.  Through an annual contract with the City of Tampa, the Tampa Downtown Partnership administers the Special Services District.  In addition to Tampa's Downtown Guides and Clean Team, the Tampa Downtown Partnership works to promote downtown through a multitude of initiatives including marketing, business development, transportation, planning and beautification.  For additional information about the Tampa Downtown Partnership visit www.tampasdowntown.com.

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