Chris Thater Memorial Criterium happened Saturday and Sunday down in Binghamton, NY. This is one of the oldest races on the Calendar and one of the most prestigious. Top pro men and women come out and this year the event was even on TV.
My event was the Category 4/5 race which goes under the classic name of the Senior Men’s Category 4/5 event. The race was run at 8 am on Sunday, a brutally early start to racing in a Criterium. The Crit is followed by a 5K running race and then the Cat 3 men followed by the Pro Men and Women. It is a big weekend of racing. The early start for the Cat 4/5 field stinks since it gives zero time for warming up and makes you get out of bed at extremely early hours. I was up before the newspaper was even delivered. Ouch.
I scrambled to get to Binghamton which is not too far from Syracuse. Once I arrived I could see plenty of cyclist already on course warming up. After signing up and getting my number I was ready to race. There are some little hills around the course and did some sprints to get the blood flowing. The weather was good, it was cloudy annd temps were in the 60s to 70s which was a huge improvement from the previous day of 90 degrees and humid.
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Who needs Versus, when Time Warner Sports is getting into the game too. The WCSN-TV coverage of the Chris Thater Criterium will be shown on Time Warner Sports channel. Good news for the sport in getting coverage locally. Time Warner Sports covers lots of local sporting events such as High School Football, Basketball and Lacrosse. (Disclaimer: I used to work for the local Time Warner Cable Division)
I’ll be racing at Thater on Sunday morning, but probably won’t be on TV since my race is at 8am. Weather looks to be better than last year which was cold and rainy.
SYRACUSE, N.Y.—Time Warner Sports is partnering with WCSN-TV, an online sports programmer, to carry the 24th annual Chris Thater Memorial cycling competitions (men’s and women’s professionals) live on Sunday, August 26 from 12:00 noon to 4:00 p.m. Those races take place at Recreation Park in Binghamton.
Time Warner Sports will offer WCSN’s live feed of this event on its Syracuse station (channel 26) and its Binghamton station (channel 23).
The Chris Thater Memorial, a weekend-long event with numerous running and cycling competitions, is named in honor of a young man whose life was taken by a drunk driver. This world-class event attracts more than 1,500 participants from all over the U.S. and from around the world, who are cheered on by 12,000 spectators and visitors to the Binghamton area. Weekend activities include pro, novice and elite cycling, with a 5K run and a 3-on-3 basketball tournament. The Broome County Stop-DWI program promotes and benefits from this event, recognizing the need for continued awareness regarding this widespread issue.
Doug Logan, Director of Time Warner Sports, said, “We’re pleased to offer this coverage of a major cycling event happening right here in our own backyard, and we thank WCSN for allowing us to pick up their feed so we can let all of our customers in on the action.”
About WCSN
World Championship Sports Network (WCSN) is the popular destination for fans of Olympic and lifestyle sports, delivering an immersive experience via exclusive live and on demand coverage of world class competitions, interaction with top athletes and in-depth access to sports news and information year round. Its website is wcsn.com .
About Time Warner Sports
Time Warner Sports, a network found exclusively on Time Warner Cable, features a wide array of high school, college, amateur and professional sporting events – most of these, carried live — as well as coaches’ shows and other sports content.
(Brad (Turbo) Crosby Chasing, eventually finished second)
The Chris Thater Memorial Criterium is one of the oldest and most respected races in the Northeast. The race includes an NRC event that brings out some big names as you can see in an earlier report by Matt Howey. The event this year was spread over two days which included citizens races on Saturday and regular racing on Sunday with a 5k running race mixed in.
Conditions were cold and rainy. As I headed outof my house at 6am for an 8am start the rain started coming down. When I arrived in Binghamton conditions were still dry. After I went through registration and got my number the rain was getting steady. I went out and warmed up on the course which has several Cat 4/5 riders warming up already. I just upgraded to Cat 4 after doing the mandatory 10 races to move up. So If I placed well or won a prime, I could get cash 
My least favorite part of racing is the waiting before the start. No matter how good my warmup I always get cold and my pulse goes down to resting which means I am not ready for the quick start. The situation was worse today since it was raining and everyone lined up early meaning we were waiting around longer than I wowuld have liked. The chills started setting which is not good when you have to charge off in a Crit.
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In very wet conditions, competition is fierce on 6-corner Thater course
By Matt Howey
Hilton Clarke (Navigators) Salutes Victory at Chris Thater
Binghamton, NY (August 27, 2006) – In pouring rain and cooler temperatures, many of the United States’ brightest cycling stars stood at attention as the national anthem was played in anticipation for the start of the men’s professional race at the 2006 Chris Thater Memorial Criterium. The race, in its 23rd edition, is held on a tough and semi-technical 1.2 mile course around Binghamton’s Recreation Park. With a short climb, substantial prize money (to the tune of $20,000 for the pros alone), and a stop on the national racing calendar, the Chris Thater Criterium has become known as one of the toughest events of the year to win.
Brandon Chricton (Symmetrics) Took 25% of Available Primes
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The legendary Chris Thater Memorial happens on the weekend of August 26th and 27th. One of the biggest races in the Northeast features a heavy duty lineups of top domestic pros and top riders at all levels. I will be competing in the Men’s 4/5 race on Sunday morning at 8am.
Here is a preview from Matt Howey of Spokepost.com:
Race Preview: Chris Thater Memorial Criterium
Racing for prestige on the streets of Binghamton, NY
By Matt Howey
A Small Hill Helps Break Things
Up In the 2003 Professional Race
Binghamton, NY (August 17, 2006) — Ed Beamon, director of the Navigators Professional Cycling Team, answers a few questions below about the big upcoming Chris Thater Memorial Criterium in Binghamton, NY on August 26th and 27th. Of course, Ed’s Navigators team will be racing on Sunday in the marquee event, the men’s professional race. The pro race for 2006 is attracting some of the biggest domestic talent, all vying for their share of the prestige and monetary windfall that comes with a good performance at Thater.
The Teams
Here’s an overview of the teams slated to compete for the $20,000 purse in the Pro race:
- Health Net presented by MAXXIS
- Navigators Insurance
- T-Mobile
- Colavita Olive Oil/Sutter Home Wines Pro Cycling Team
- Toyota-United
- Rite-Aid Pro Cycling
- Nerac / Outdoorlights.com Professional Cycling
- MONEX
- Jittery Joe’s-Zero Gravity Pro Cycling Team
- TargetTraining
- Priority Health
- KodakGallery.com/Sierra Nevada
- Jelly Belly Cycling Team
- VMG Racing
It seems like there are potential contenders from any of these teams. This is a veritable who’s who of American domestic professional cycling. The 50 mile race is 40 laps of a six-corner technical course with a small hill in it.
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