49th Fitchburg Longsjo Classic Gears Up
Annual Classic 4 day stage race prepares for July 4th weekend races. Preview

Fitchburg, Massachusetts  The Fitchburg Longsjo Classic expects some of the top riders from around the country for its 49th event over the Fourth of July week. As the second oldest pro/am cycling competition in the country, it has developed a strong following and this year is no exception, especially as the only east coast stage race on the USA Cycling National Race Calendar.

“The talent and diversity of the racers is a real tribute to Art Longsjo and the hundreds of volunteers who have helped put this race on for nearly 50 years,” noted the president of Fitchburg Cycling Club, George Gantz, who is the senior vice president of Unitil and one of the race underwriters.

Some of the pro teams coming to Fitchburg include: Bissell Pro Cycling, Kenda / Raleigh Cycling Team, Team Type 1, Team Colavita / Sutter Home, Targetraining and Team Budget Forklifts. In addition, a team from Australia is making the 15-hour plane trip for what has become a staple in the American cycling history books.

Past winners returning include: Jonathan Page, riding with Battley Harley Davidson/Sonoma; Shawn Milne, Team Type 1; and Rite Aid’s Jacob Rytlewski,  Tim Johnson from HealthNet p/by Maxxis (2007 U.S. Cyclocross Champion); Richard England, Tour de Georgia stage winner (Bissell Pro); Jesse Anthony, a local favorite from Beverly, MA, Team Type 1; and Tina Pic, a U.S. Criterium champion and multiple Longsjo stage winner riding for Colavita/Sutter Home p/b Cooking Light.

In addition, eyes will be on Budget Forklifts’ Michaela Anderson, who rides for the Australian team in the women’s 3/4 category. She holds multiple titles in her native Australia: 2006 Track Nationals, 500m time trial sprint; 2006 Road Nationals, Criterium Pairs Time Trial; 2007 Track Nationals, Team Sprint Pursuit and the 2007 Road Nationals Individual Time Trial Pairs Time Trial.

The race is dedicated to the memory of Arthur Longsjo, the first same-year dual (winter and summer) Olympian in the USA. Nearly 800 riders from across the USA and around the globe in eight different categories, including Women’s Pro/1 and Men’s Pro/1 will compete for $51, 500 in prize money.

Race Schedule - July 3 - 6
The racing gets underway Thursday, July 3rd with the Royal Plaza Time Trial, a 6.2-mile race against the clock. Race officials changed the course two years ago, which begins on Rindge Road in Fitchburg, MA. The pros start at 3:30 pm.

On Friday, July 4th, the men’s pro will ride a104-miles in the Wachusett Mountain Road Race, a grueling 11-mile course through Princeton center with a spectacular finish at the 2,000-foot summit of Wachusett Mountain. The pro riders will start shortly after noon at the ski area.

Cyclists shift on Saturday, July 5th, to the Fitchburg State College Circuit Race, a 3.1 mile loop through the hilly streets of Fitchburg, with the pros starting at 2:00 pm.

The race concludes on Sunday, July 6th with the Workers’ Credit Union Criterium. This fast-paced, exciting race runs right past the Longsjo Memorial, with multiple laps around a 0.9-mile loop through historic downtown Fitchburg, with the pros starting at 2:05 pm.

Race Marshalls needed: Volunteer

The major sponsors include: The Ronald M. Ansin Foundation, Unitil, Bovenzi, Inc., Best Western Royal Plaza, Fitchburg State College and Workers’ Credit Union. For more information, please visit www.longsjo.com

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