What is a criterium?
Q: What is a criterium?
A: A criterium, or crit, is a type of bicycle race held on a short course, often on closed-off city centre streets.
Q: How long is a typical criterium?
A: A typical criterium lasts about one hour, which is shorter than that of a traditional road race.
Q: How does the length of a criterium compare to that of a Grand Tour?
A: The length of a criterium is much shorter than that of a Grand Tour, which can last many hours, sometimes of several days or even weeks.
Q: What is the winner criterion in a criterium?
A: The winner in a criterium is the first rider to cross the finish line without having been "lapped" (overtaken).
Q: Are there prizes in criteriums?
A: Yes, events often have prizes (called primes, usually cash) for winning specific intermediate laps.
Q: What skills are necessary to win criteriums?
A: Winning criteriums needs a mix of good technical skills, especially 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.
Q: Where are criteriums the most common type of bicycle racing?
A: Criteriums are the most common type of bicycle racing in the continental United States.
