Races > Derby City Cup
May 17, 2008

The Derby City Cup
The Papa John's Derby City Cup, presented by Toyota is the first stop on the 2007 US Gran Prix of Cyclocross. The local 'cross scene is booming, Louisville has thrown its arms open wide to the USGP and athletes from across the region are gearing up for this, the first UCI sanctioned 'cross race to ever take place in Louisville.  The weekend kicks off with the Friday afternoon Clif Bar Kids' Cross Clinic with World Championship Silver Medalist Danny Summerhill and his Clif Bar teammate Ben Turner offering tips to Kids ranging from 10-16.

Fans can get a headstart on the Weekend's fun by joining us for a Number Presentation Ceremony at the Kentucky Derby Museum at Churchill Downs where the top male and female athletes will be given their start numbers for the racing beginning on Saturday.  Come on down to Champions' Park on Saturday where spectators can watch the race action, shop the Expo for the latest in cycling gear, grab a slice (or two!) of Papa John's Pizza and a cold beer from Bluegrass Brewing Company. Racing begins at 8:30 and the Pros take to the course at 1:45pm!  See you there!
The River Road Country Club Park is a former private course that the city took over several years ago with plans to incorporate it into the city's waterfront development for sports facilities.  The local cycling clubs have been using the old golf course for three years now and the park has hosted the state CX championships the past two years.

The unique nature of the course, designed by USGP Executive Director Bruce Fina and local 'cross guru Bob Bobrow, it that the course is very smooth and fast in the old fairways but liberal use of the old sandtraps and rough areas that were intended to add a dimension of difficulty for golfers, ironically create the same for cyclocross.  Riders who think that this will be a smooth easy ride on golf course greens with knobby tires will be disappointed. Depending on the weather the course can be fast when it's dry, but the deep sand in the traps serves to quickly regulate your speed down several notches or if wet they can prove to almost halt the acceleration process as it becomes deep, wet sand.   
The wooded areas where many golf balls bounced among the trees, now serve to provide a twisty course with a few sand surprises thrown in to keep the rider alert.

The course has a little bit for everybody; fast straights, twisty turns, sand, several runups, a flyover and a flat, fast finish.  Those that do well will make good use of the "Trail of Tears", a fast washboard like section that leads to an interesting combination of sand, a runup, sand again, tight turns, pavement and back up the "Trail of Tears".

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