LOUISVILLE, KY ( WAVE) - For the first time in its 63-year existence, the
UCI Cyclo-Cross Championship is being held outside Europe, in America, and in
Louisville, KY.
Karl Schmitt with the Louisville Sports Commission said Cyclo-Cross is very
big in Europe. "It's a winter time sport for cycling enthusiasts." He
said the sport has caught on in the United States over the past couple of
years.
Three-hundred bikers from 25 countries will take part in the championship on
February 2 and 3. It's a championship that's so grueling, many dedicated
athletes won't try it.
"They go on pavement; they go through grass, through sand, mud,"
said Schmitt. "They're forced off their bikes to pick them up and go
through manmade and natural barriers. It's referred to from the participants as
an hour of pain."
The bikers could have ice on the course. They'll bike up ramps, run down
stairs with cycles in hand and have pit stops in tents to replace tires or
bikes if needed.
"You're allowed to have two bikes and two people on your pit crew, and
that's an area just behind us where they have high pressure water hoses,"
said Schmitt.
The course is about 1.2 miles long and took 3 1/2 years to build. The
two-day event will feature four championships, divided by age. All four will
last one hour.
The championship will bring an estimated $5 million to Louisville.
To accommodate the race, River Road will close west of Edith Avenue and east
of Frankfort Avenue beginning Monday morning at 5.
The following alternative routes are recommended for drivers:
- Westbound traffic into downtown area: Zorn
Avenue to I-71 or Mellwood Avenue; Edith Avenue to Mellwood Avenue; Brownsboro
Road and Frankfort Avenue; and I-64.
- Eastbound traffic out of downtown areas: River
Road to Frankfort Avenue, Adams Street, Market Street, I-71 and I-64.
All businesses along River Road will be open at all times. River Road will
be open from the east side for local access to Nugent Sand, River Metals and
American Commercial Barge Line.
About 5,000 tickets to the UCI Cyclo-Cross Championship already have been
sold to spectators. To purchase tickets, visit www.louisville2013.com.
Copyright 2013 WAVE News. All rights reserved.
Workers put the finishing touches on the course.
Participants will bike up ramps and run down stairs with cycles in hand.
The course is about 1.2 miles long and took 3 1/2 years to build.
Karl Schmitt
This map shows the closed stretch of River Road and available parking.
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