(Update: adding video, comments from race director)<\/p>\n
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Downtown Bend streets closed to traffic Sunday as cyclists took over for the Cascade Cycling Classic Downtown Criterium<\/a>, drawing top racers and community members alike to the heart of the city.<\/p>\n The downtown event featured a fast-paced, one-mile course looping through Bend\u2019s core, with the start and finish line set on Wall Street near the Tower Theatre. Riders competed in timed races ranging from 45 to 80 minutes, depending on their category.<\/p>\n \u201cThey go super fast and they go as long as they can,\u201d said Molly Cogswell-Kelley, race director for the Cascade Cycling Classic and executive director for the Horner Cycling Foundation<\/a>. \u201cSome of the best cyclists in the country are here. And it\u2019s just a really fun time.\u201d<\/p>\n This year, organizers expanded the event with an \u201cAll-Bikes Ride,\u201d giving community members of all ages and skill levels a chance to take laps on the same course \u2014 no racing required.<\/p>\n \u201cWe don\u2019t want to be exclusive to just road biking,\u201d Cogswell-Kelley said. \u201cLet\u2019s celebrate downtown. Let\u2019s celebrate this race. And you don\u2019t have to race to be part of it.\u201d<\/p>\n The day\u2019s events also included the Kiddie Crit, the FootZone Mile Challenge, and races featuring the Horner Cycling Foundation junior team.<\/p>\n Organizers say the junior program is a key part of the event\u2019s mission, focused on growing the sport by making cycling accessible to young riders.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have now 26 kids that are going to race,\u201d Cogswell-Kelley said. \u201cWe\u2019re trying to revive the sport of road cycling and junior cycling. It\u2019s the most rewarding and exciting thing to see all these kids train eight months out of the year and then race on the big stage in front of their friends and family.\u201d<\/p>\n