Spectator Information

The 24th Annual Redlands Bicycle Classic offers wide range of viewing opportunities for spectators April 3-6, 2008.  Male and female professional riders will compete in a series of races over the four day period. Public Races are offered for riders ages 3 and up on Saturday April 5th.  Also on Saturday the Rotary Rides will send hundreds of riders on scenic journeys around the city and surrounding areas.  Sunday, will be the busiest day of event with licensed riders competing on a course in downtown Redlands while the professional riders are racing on the Sunset Loop. 

Thursday - April 3rd

The professional riders kick-off the event with a 5 km Individual Time Trial that will test their hill climbing ability.  This event will begin on Highland Avenue just east of Redlands Blvd. and finish on Sunset Drive near Panorama Point.  Riders will begin at 30 second intervals.  The course will be closed to traffic from Start to Finish.  Recommended viewing locations include the Start on Highland Ave, the corner of Highland Ave and Ford Street, the corner of Ford Street and Reservoir Road, the hill on Wabash Ave from the freeway to Sunset Drive, and the Finish Line on Sunset Drive.

Parking will not be permitted on the race course; however, spectator parking will be available on side streets.  Wear you walking shoes and take the opportunity to view riders from various locations along the course during the 4 hour period that riders will be competing. 

Friday – April 4th

Spectator information will be provided as soon as it is available.

Saturday – April 5th

For the early risers, The Rotary Rides begin at 7:30, 7:45, and 8:00, depending on the distance chosen (6, 12, 33 or 60 miles) by participants. 

Public Races begin at 9 AM on Citrus Avenue between 5th and 6th streets.  3, 4 and 5 year old riders will race 50 yards against others their own age and riding the same type of vehicle, either tricycles or bicycles.  Riders ages 6 through 9 will race 1 lap on a 0.65 mile loop.  Youngsters age 10 through adults age 45+ will ride a varying number of laps on a 1.2 mile loop.  Riders will compete in a total of 26 different races based on age and gender between 9 AM and 12:30 PM.

Recommended viewing locations include Citrus Avenue between Orange St and 6th Street.  Come early, the best viewing locations near the Start/Finish may be very crowded, particularly on the upper level of the parking structure.  Other excellent viewing locations are at the corners of Citrus Ave and Olive Ave, Olive Avenue and 6th Street, 6th Street and Vine, Vine and Cajon, and Orange St and Citrus Ave.  Parking may be hard to find on Saturday, so be prepared to walk several blocks to reach the race venue.

The professional women take to the streets at 1:30 PM for a 60 minute Criterium on a 1 mile course using the same Start/Finish line as the Public Races.  The professional men will race on the same course in a 90 minute Criterium beginning at 3:30 PM.

Recommended viewing locations are the same as those noted above for the Public Races plus the corners of Cajon St and Olive Ave, Olive Ave and 4th Street, and 4th Street and Vine.  One particularly good viewing location is the corner of Cajon and Vine because the riders pass this intersection twice each lap.  Due to the duration of these events you can take the opportunity to view the races from several different locations.

Sunday – April 6th

Non-professional riders, licensed by the United States Cycling Federation, will compete in eight separate races on the same 0.65 mile course used by some of the Public Races.  Some riders will compete in only one race, but others may compete in as many as three races.  These races are from 30 to 90 minutes in duration.  The first race will begin at 7:30 AM and the last race will end at 4 PM.  Viewing locations for these races are the same as those noted above for the Public Races.

At 10 AM during a short break in the schedule of races for licensed riders the professional women will begin their 99 km Sunset Road Race.  This event begins and ends at the Start/Finish line on Citrus Ave, but most of the race takes place on a loop course on the hills in a residential area south of downtown Redlands.  The women’s race will finish shortly before 1 PM and the professional men will begin their 142 km race on the same course at 1:30 PM, finishing at approximately 5 PM.

There are many good viewing locations along the Sunset Loop course.  The loop starts and ends at the Fire Station located at Garden Rossmont.  Three exciting corners are viewable from Simonds Parkway opposite the Fire Station.  The Feed Zone is located on E. Sunset Drive N, near Burns lane.  Action in the Feed Zone can be lively at times.