CHAPEL HILL -- The Miki family didn't have far to go to watch the second annual Meadowmont Classic Criterium, a series of bicycle races that loop through the steep hills of Meadowmont.
They walked out on their front porch and had a front row seat. Although it was a lazy Sunday morning, their daughters took their role as spectators seriously.
Akari, 7, and Sakura, 5, found a couple of old blue and white pompons and stood on the porch and shook them and cheered each time the racers rushed past their house. With the races starting early, and the bicyclists racing by every two or three minutes, it wasn't long before their arms got weary.
"They are tired, but they used these for a long time," their father, Kiyoshi Miki said with a laugh.
Miki massaged Akari's arms and legs hoping she would revive, but the cheering wore her out. "She kept trying, but she's tired," he said.
As the bicyclists continued to race by, Akari and Sakura decided they wanted to color with crayons for a while, but their parents stood on the porch watching.
A criterium is a series of timed races for different categories of riders. They ride a short course, round and round for a prescribed amount of time, race director Amy Hannon said. "It's kind of like a NASCAR race with bicycles," she said.
Between 300 and 400 people were expected to race Sunday, ranging in age from 5 up to 60 and older.
The course at Meadowmont was 0.9 miles long with six corners and a couple of steep hills. Depending on the race category, the racers could run from eight to 20 laps, Hannon said.
The course started near the UNC Wellness Center and ran downhill at the start. But in bicycle racing, what goes down must come up.
The hill up Little Branch Trail on the back side of the course was a killer. As the cyclists chugged their way up to the top, the strain showed on their faces. A few let out little gasps of relief.
"It's a tough one," Hannon said of the course. "You either love it, or you hate it."
David LeDuc said he loved it. He won the Masters 40+ race.
LeDuc, 53, from Raleigh, is the current national master's champion in criterium and is a past 15-time champion in his age group in various categories, including criteriums, road races, points races, pursuit and time trials.
At Meadowmont, he skipped the Masters 50+ race and ran in the Masters 40+ instead. LeDuc started out strong and continued to increase his lead with each lap. By the end of the race, he had lapped several riders and was ahead of the rest of the pack by half a lap.
"It's not too often we get a criterium with hills of this caliber," LeDuc said. "They are very steep for criterium standards."
Usually criteriums are held on city streets, and they're mostly flat, he said. "This is a really hard course," he said. "It's without a doubt the toughest criterium course I've ever done."
On Saturday, LeDuc cycled in a 100-mile race in Southern Pines called the Tour de Moore and took third place in a race won by a 24-year-old, so he decided to skip a race later in the afternoon Sunday for professionals. "Ordinarily I would think about doubling up, but this is extra hard," he said.
The Orange County Sheriff's Office kept the course clear of cars and provided security for the event. Capt. Charles Blackwood appeared to be one of the biggest fans at the race. "It's really a good community event," he said. "I'm sorry more people don't come out to see it."
As the cyclists in their brightly colored jersey rushed by, Blackwood hollered out encouragement. "If the community, especially the kids could see this, especially at an early age, they might have more of them getting involved in it," he said. "These guys are awesome."
Justin Laatz, 7, and Ryan Laatz, 5, of Cary, were inspired early to race in criteriums. Their uncle, Matt Lorenz, is a member of the U.S. Armed Forces Cycling Team and he races with the team all over the world.
Justin wore an official bicycle-racing outfit that his uncle gave him. "I was in three races," said Justin, who won his division last year. "This is my fourth."
Race organizers showed little mercy for the youngsters in the race. Although they only had to race 400 to 500 yards, it was all uphill.
It was hard to get started, Justin said.
His younger brother, Ryan, and the kids in his age category got so carried away in their race, they just kept on riding up the hill way past the finish line. An adult had to run after them and tell them to stop. "I was laughing so hard, I was crying," said their mother, Christine Laatz.
The criterium is a fun event for the family, she said. "We look forward to coming here, and the pro races are very fun to watch. We came last year to the first one, and we want to make sure we come again."
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