Photo taken by Steven Smith

Fastest Man on Wheels set for Friday

TREXLERTOWN, Pa. – Coming off an exciting display on the track and in the air with fireworks a week ago to start off the 2016 World Series of Bicycling season, the Valley Preferred Cycling Center hosts the UCI Fastest Man on Wheels this Friday, for its second event of the WSB season.

For the second straight week UCI points are on the line. This week they will be for the main events, the keirin tournament for both the men and women, as well as a points race for both the men and women.

“Keirin is always an exciting style of racing,” VPCC Executive Director Marty Nothstein said. “It is physical event and one that the fans love to watch.”

Fifteen different nations flooded T-Town last week for the start of the WSB season. This week’s field is expected to have the same amount of international flavor with potentially even more nations competing under the bright lights on Friday night as many of those riders are getting in their last preparations for the Olympic games later this summer.

Last week’s sprint tournament winners were from beyond the borders of the United States. Monique Sullivan of Canada set a new flying 200m track record on her way to claiming the victory while Suriname’s Jair Tjon En Fa won it for the men.

“Last week the riders put on a great show,” Nothstein said. “We had a lot of fast times in the morning time trials and that carried right into the night.”

Sullivan looks to continue her success this week as she won the women’s keirin battle in the UCI Fastest Man on Wheels event a year ago. On the men’s side, a new victor will be crowned as Eddie Dawkins of New Zealand persevered in 2015, but is not in T-Town this year.

Off the track, the Lehigh Valley Corvette Club is presenting some of its shiniest cars in the plaza to mesh well with the Fastest Man on Wheels theme. Also, pedal car races will hit the track during an intermission for prizes.

Fans can see all the action from the best seat in the house, the VeloDeck, perched up on turn four as VPCC is selling upgraded single tickets for its newly-furnished area. For $12 per ticket, fans get a seat in the hospitality area as well as a free beverage coupon to be redeemed at VPCC’s Beer and Wine Stand.

The first keirin heats begin at 4 p.m. on Friday during a session that is free for fans. After clearing the facility, the gates will re-open at 6 p.m. for the main event which will begin at 7:30 p.m.

#ttown

 
Tyler Trumbauer
PR/Communications Assistant
Valley Preferred Cycling Center
 

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