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Road Bike Races

Oregon Bicycle Racing Association (OBRA) will host the 2nd annual bicycle race through the streets of downtown Harrisburg.  The race, called a criterium, is a type of bike race held on a short course (usually less than 5 km), often run on closed-off city center streets. The length of the race can be determined by a number of laps or a total time, 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 [many hours, sometimes over the course of days or even weeks, as in a Grand Tour], though the average speed and intensity are appreciably higher.

The winner is the first rider to cross the finish line [without having been "lapped"], and events often have prizes for winning specific intermediate laps (for instance, every 10th lap).

Success in criteriums requires a mix of good technical skills - in particular, the ability to corner rapidly and sharply — and riding safely with a large group on a short circuit and exceptional fitness to attack other riders and repeatedly accelerate hard from corners. They are the most common type of racing in the continental United States. 

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Road Bike Race Information