Rad Racing Northwest and the Washington State Bicycle Association have announced the 2007 Washington Juniors Tour, a junior road racing series is designed to provide more opportunities for junior racing in the state of Washington, as well as determining the best riders.
"The Washington Juniors Tour is a UCI Pro Tour type concept aimed at providing juniors consistent competition racing in criteriums, road races, stage races and time trials", said Juniors Tour director Dave Schilling, "And we've taken the basic parameters of the Seattle-Lance Armstrong Junior Olympics Race Series and expanded it to encompass all disciplines of road racing".
"The Juniors Tour is the largest of its kind in the US that I know of," said Schilling, "I hope other States will pick this concept up and expand the racing opportunities for juniors".
The Juniors Tour provides consistent age and gender-based juniors categories. "It is very important to offer categories that match the strength progression of kids." says Schilling, "This gives them the opportunity to race competitively from 10 years old on up." The categories are: A (17-18), B (15-16), C (13-14) and D (10-12).
All Juniors Tour races are part of established races, including all five Seattle-LAJORS Series races, one stage race and four state championship races. A season-long points system will run for male and female racers separately in each age group. Final series category winners will be awarded "2007 Washington Juniors Tour Champion" jerseys, trophies and prizes.
2007 Washington Juniors Tour Calendar
April 8 Recycled Cycles Brad Lewis Memorial Crit, Seattle
April 15 First Rate Mortgage Seward Park Crit 1 *, Seattle
April 21/22 Tour of Walla Walla Stage Race, Walla Walla
June 10 Junior State Road Race Championships, Elma
June 17 First Rate Mortgage Seward Park Crit 2, * Seattle
July 1 Des Moines Criterium, Des Moines
July 4 Junior State Criterium Championships, Burien
July 7 Derby Days Criterium, * Redmond
July 22 State Time Trial Championships, Tenino
August 5 Volunteer Park Criterium, Seattle
August 11 Nooksak Criterium, Bellingham
August 25 State Hillclimb TT Championships, Crystal Mtn.
August 26 First Rate Mortgage Seward Park Crit 3, * Seattle
September 2 Blackberry Criterium, Bremerton
* also Seattle-LAJORS Series Race
For more information go to www.radracingnw.org or contact Dave Schilling at drvid@comcast.net
