Cycling Racers Hit Austin Streets This Weekend

Cycling fans can take in a pair of free events this weekend, as racers zip along local streets in a pair of criterium races.

Criteriums are the NASCAR event of cycling: short, speedy lap races with riders in close proximity to spectators and to each other.

On Saturday, the AT&T Downtown Criterium kicks off with amateur racing at 2 pm, and pro races starting at 7 pm. The one-kilometer course will be laid out around City Hall, including Guadalupe, 2nd Street, Colorado, and 4th Street.

Sunday's race is the eRacing Stigma Criterium, benefiting the Austin State Hospital Volunteer Services Council. That course encircles the Austin State Hospital with events running from 9 am to 6 pm.

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