FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
RUTGERS LAUNCHES EASTERN COLLEGIATE CYCLING SEASON INTO ORBIT, NINE WEEK SERIES BEGINS WITH RACE OF TRUTH
Piscataway, NJ (March 4-5, 2006) – The colleges and universities of the northeast are to emerge from winter hibernation this weekend to begin the hunt for intercollegiate cycling glory. The Rutgers University Cycling Team presents the first event in the Eastern Collegiate Cycling Conference (ECCC) 2006 Spring Road Series. This premier event kicks off the nine week countdown to the Eastern Championships with a three-event feast in the relatively mild “southern” climate of New Jersey. Rutgers has assembled a fantastic package for a record number of new teams and riders coming out from across the northeast.
The first test of the weekend is the “no aero” individual time trial, held in beautiful Johnson Park on Saturday, March 4th, 2006. This six kilometer race of truth against the clock is an ideal way to see how well everyone’s winter preparation has progressed and will establish the early pecking order among riders. “Rutgers’ visionary decision to mandate mass-start-legal road bikes for the event, free of aerodynamic time trial equipment, will level the playing field and match rider against rider,” predicted ECCC Conference Director, Mark Abramson. He continued, “Riders such as Eddy Merckx would be proud of this exceptional event.”
An on-campus criterium follows Saturday afternoon at the Busch campus of Rutgers, adjacent to the famous Rutgers stadium. The fast, flat, four-corner criterium event features riders completing many laps of the short one kilometer course with several intermediate sprints for team and individual points. With the new ECCC sprint competition leader, the elite “A” women and men will be sprinting ever harder for these “prime” intermediate sprints.
Sunday, March 5th features the second running of the Livingston Campus Circuit Race held on a windy five kilometer loop. This longer event, held on the gently rolling hills of the Rutgers campus, will be the initial test of endurance for Eastern collegiate cyclists. At the conclusion of this first event, the initial team rankings will be set in the Division 1, Division 2, and Ivy League ECCC overall standings. As if school pride and honor were not enough to lure students to the frozen tundra of North Jersey, the promoter has lined up a whole host of amenities for race participants including professional massage and high-quality gourmet cuisine available from the local vegan cooperative.
The Rutgers Season Opener is promoted by The Rutgers University Cycling Team and sponsored by Accelerade, The All Brunswick Cyclery, Cycle-Smart, Jamis Bicycles, Verge Sport and the local vegan cooperative.
The Eastern Collegiate Cycling Conference (ECCC) includes colleges in Delaware, New England, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. As they compete from early March through April, ECCC teams vie for the top of the season-long team point standings, Collegiate Road Nationals qualification team spots, and the Ivy League trophy. The inexpensive races feature team-oriented bicycle racing for all abilities with team pride, glory, and honor as the only prize list.
The full 2006 ECCC schedule and results can be found at www.eccc-info.com.
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