Downtown San Luis Obispo Criterium 2009

San Luis Obispo Criterium Risky High Speed Corners

San Luis Obispo Criterium Tight Corners

Downtown San Luis Obispo Criterium Racing has been going strong since the mid 1970s. The idea of a city closing its main streets and arranging bales of hay on the corners is a rare sight to see. When the race starts the truly unique character of what you are witness to begins to set in. Some of the best riders in the World are flying by you at breakneck speed while having the grace that only being an eye witness can truly explain.

Riders stream around a corner inches from each other.

Any professional sport has that special aura around its athletes that spend years of their life perfecting that special something that separates them from those of us that only dream to be as good.

Rock Racing Team Leading the Pack

Most of us have ridden a bicycle but few of us will ever ride at a speed that we would be ticketed for if we were on the same street in a car. The duration of the race makes the speed even more awe inspiring as they race at a near sprint for eighty minutes straight.

Pro cycling is a team sport and that means many things to each member. The point system that governs who gets to do what in a complicated World of Professional Cycling means sacrifice for some team members and can mean a path to stardom for others. As a team racers create a draft for their fellow teammates. Pushing the air out of the way becomes part of the overall strategy for any race. Unlike a horse race, just because someone is out in front with a big lead does not mean that is the person that is going to win. Today was no exception.

The cyclists were called to the front of the pack who had earned their place in the front row. Quietly paused in the second row was Rahsaan Bahati of Rock Racing, Bib number 85, shown here second from the left in the red, white and blue jersey.