The seventh annual BikeJam presented by Lateral Stress Velo and featuring The Kelly Cup will take place on Saturday, May 28 at Patterson Park in Baltimore, MD, USA. The event, billed as the "Mid-Atlantic's largest cycling festival" begins at 8:00am and admission is free.
BikeJam 2005 consists of 12 road races for riders from beginner to professional. The one-mile road course is in Patterson Park near Baltimore's Inner Harbor. It's flat and fast but contains slight elevation changes and a few turns to add to the excitement. The day starts with a variety of Rec Rides through the park for casual riders to bike enthusiasts. Afterwards, there will be various races for all ages and categories with the participants vying for cash and prizes.
The Women's Pro Race will be run at 1:15pm, with the T-Mobile, Quark, Victory Brewing, Velo Bella and CRCA/Team Lipton Cycling Teams all down to start. Ina-Yoko Teutenberg and Laura Van Gilder, who currently sit in the top eight of the NRC standings, are both registered to race as well.
Following the women's race, the Kelly Cup Men's Pro Race will kick off at 2:15 pm to begin its 40-lap ride around the park. Olympic Gold Medalist and the winner of 35 US national cycling titles, Marty Nothstein is already signed up, as are Patrick Betz, Jan Bratkowski, Christian Lademann and Stefan Steinweg, members of the German National Team. Last year's individual champion Stephen Alexander will look to defend his title, while the 1999 winner, Joshua Frick, looks to be the first two-time winner of the event. Juan Jose Haedo, Ben Brooks and Alex Candelario are all scheduled to appear, and the teams Jelly Belly/Pool Gel Cycling Team, Colavita Olive Oil/Sutter Home Pro Cycling and Jittery Joes, Kalahari Pro Cycling Team will all be competing.
Aside from the races, there are also plenty of activities planned throughout the day. Kids can play in fun activities at the CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield Kids' Pavilion, where the first 500 youngsters will receive a free bike helmet. Adults can enjoy food, beer and live music at the GMC Family Fun Festival. One of the booths at the expo will be courtesy of the Lance Armstrong Foundation, where people can purchase the popular Livestrong bracelets. People of all ages will enjoy the TREK Bike Trials Stunt Show featuring Mike Stedley taking place at 12:45 and 2:45 p.m.
For more information, visit www.bikejam.org
