New formats for 2006 NRC Central Valley Classic

A new individual time trial and an Omnium Points series format has been added to the 2006 edition of the Central Valley Classic, the third event on the 2006 National Race Calendar. The time trial course is well known to central California riders and to participants of the annual Climb to Kaiser event.

The Tollhouse Time Trial is a 6.5 mile (10.4 km) climb with an elevation gain of over 2600 feet (807 m), starting in the small foothill town of Tollhouse northeast of Fresno. "We added a new course to give the climbers a challenging race and to help distinguish our event from other NRC events," said race director Mike Shuemake.

Also making a debut at the 2006 Central Valley Classic is an Omnium Points series for all race fields. Points will be awarded to the top finishers at the conclusion of each race, and the riders that accumulate the most points may win additional cash and/or prizes, and the overall winner in each field will receive a trophy. The total purse for all fields in the 2006 Central Valley Classic is $28,000.

This marks the second year that the Central Valley Classic has appeared on the National Race Calendar. The event in 2005 was a success for sponsors and elicited positive responses from racers and team managers. "We are hoping that the new time trial and Omnium format will help to attract even more riders to our event this year," Shuemake added. "All of us on the committee are bike riders and love bike racing, and we take pride in putting on a quality event for spectators, the racers, and most of all our sponsors."