Race Face

The Gateway Cup is a killer criterium, and this year, the four-day bike-race series (from September 1 through 4) finds speedsters and fans in the friendly confines of Lafayette Square, Washington Avenue, the Hill and the University City Loop — four great places to sip a drink and watch for attacks and breakaways as cyclists do laps at 30-plus miles per hour. At that speed you actually feel the peloton cruise by like an electric train. The racing weekend begins Friday near Park and Mississippi avenues in Lafayette Square, and starts happen from 5 to 9:30 p.m.; the fun continues on Saturday, with starts from 2:30 to 7 p.m. at Washington Avenue and 16th Street. Then, on Sunday the Giro della Montagna portion of the Cup takes over the Hill from 12:15 p.m. until the final race of the day, which begins at 4:50 p.m. at Bischoff and Marconi avenues. The Gateway Cup finishes up Monday near Delmar Boulevard and Kingsland Avenue in U. City, and these last races have start times from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Tons of information can be found at www.stlbiking.com; the weekend is free for spectators.
Sept. 1-4