Fall Cycling Series to create excitement for Little 500

The overwhelming excitement for Little 500 only comes to IU once a year, right?

Not exactly.

The IU Student Foundation will present the Fall Cycling Series today through Saturday to set the mood for April’s festivities.

“The Fall Cycling Series garners a lot of excitement because of the fact that Little 500 isn’t just a single-day event,” said Jordan Bailey, IUSF assistant president, in an email. “Teams and riders train year-round in order to be successful in the race, so having competitions in the fall helps to showcase that. Also, the fall series is a great opportunity for students new to riding to be able to have a taste of what the Little 500 is all about prior to April.”

The series will be comprised of three events throughout the weekend: Cyclo-Cross, Dualathon and Street Sprints. 

In previous years, the events were dispersed during three separate weekends. This year’s concentrated events are intended to attract greater enthusiasm.

Sarah Schopmeyer, a member of the IUSF Steering Committee, said in the press release, “We are hoping to increase interest in the fall events, which are very popular among riders who train year-round for Little 500, and we hope that other students and cycling fans also will be excited by all the action.”

The series will begin at 7 p.m. today with the Cyclo-Cross. Teams of two riders will compete in a timed obstacle course consisting of hay bales, stairs and cinders at Bill Armstrong Stadium.

On Friday, the IUSF will introduce the Dualathon, a new event this year. Participants will run a mile, bike two miles and run another mile. The event will begin at 4 p.m. at Armstrong Stadium where competitors will ride. They will run on a road course.

April marked the 60th running of the Little 500.

“I think that this is a nice way to celebrate that accomplishment, while also bringing together two different communities for a single event,” Bailey said.

To conclude the series, riders will compete in 200-meter bike sprints on North Jordan Avenue beginning at 1 p.m. in a double-elimination bracket. 

The winners of each contest will accumulate points, which will collectively determine the overall winners of the series.

Instead of partaking in the normal lottery drawing, the top three men and women’s teams at the end of the weekend will have the advantage of choosing what time of the day the team will qualify for the 2012 Little 500.

For each event individual participants compete in, he or she will be entered to win a 2011 Little 500 bike. 

Participation is not just limited to teams and riders. IUSF encourages all undergraduates to compete in the Fall Series, and the foundation will provide bikes to anyone in need of one.

“There are a lot of things to take into consideration when putting on a bicycle race, especially when you are putting on three,” Bailey said. “We are confident the series is going to be successful because the Fall Cycling Committee has paid attention to all of the small details.”