U.S. Cycling Scene This Week: Regional races rule on Labor Day

The National Racing Calendar closed out last weekend at Chris Thater and USA Crits is on a break until the finale in Dallas on September 16. The women’s season is all but concluded and the men’s U.S. Professional Road Championships are still a couple weeks out. Fall is just around the corner and that means time for quality, regional stage racing in Vermont and Colorado and the Gateway Cup in St. Louis.

Gateway Cup – St. Louis, Missouri
September 3-6

The Gateway Cup four-day omnium kicks off Friday night under the lights of the Lafayette district and continues through Labor Day. The favorites in the men’s events include new U.S. crit champ Daniel Holloway (Bissell) and Brad Huff (Jelly Belly-Kenda). The women’s field is packed with Laura Van Gilder (Mellow Mushroom) no doubt hoping to close her season out on an up note over U23 national champ Samantha Schneider (Tibco-To the Top) and Carrie Cash-Wootten (Vera Bradley Foundation).

Day 1: Studio 2108 Tour de Lafayette
September 3 8:30 p.m. (women) / 9:30 p.m. (men)
45 min + 5 laps (women) / 75 min + 5 laps (men)

Day 2: Big Shark Bicycle Co. Tour des Hills
September 4 3:30 p.m. (women) / 4:30 p.m. (men)
45 min + 5 laps (women) / 75 min + 5 laps (men)

Day 3: Giro Della Montagna
September 5 4:15 p.m. (women) / 5:50 p.m. (men)
45 min + 5 laps (women) / 75 min + 5 laps (men)

Day 4: Greenstreet Properties Benton Park Classic
September 6 2:20 p.m. (women) / 3:30 p.m. (men)
50 min + 5 laps (women) / 75 min + 5 laps (men)

Green Mountain Stage Race – Waitsfield, Vermont
September 3-6

The GMSR kicks off Friday in Vermont. Canadian road champion Will Routley (Jelly Belly-Kenda) and Jake Keough (UnitedHealthcare-Maxxis) will be on hand, as will the full Cannondale-Cyclocrossworld.com team of Jamey Driscoll (Jamis-Sutter Home), Tim Johnson (UnitedHealthcare) and Jeremy Powers (Jelly Belly). Irish champ Olivia Dillon (Peanut Butter & Co.-Twenty12), Megan Guarnier (Tibco-To the Top) and Janel Holcomb (Team Danbury Audi-Cyfac) are among the elite women set for the four-stage affair.

Stage 1: Champion System Time Trial
September 3 9:15 a.m. (women) / 10:50 a.m. (men)
5.7 miles

Stage 2: The Bridges Circuit Race
September 4 8:50 a.m. (women) / 1:00 p.m. (men)
53 miles (women) / 72 miles (men)

Stage 3: Mad River Road Race
September 5 8:30 a.m. (men) / 9:50 a.m. (women)

Stage 4: Dealer.com Burlington Criterium
September 6 2:10 p.m. (women) / 3:50 p.m. (men)
25 laps (women) / 50 laps (men)

Steamboat Springs Stage Race
September 3-6

The second annual event in the ski area town of Steamboat Springs rolls out beneath Mount Werner on Friday. Peter Stetina and Timmy Duggan (Garmin-Transitions) as well as their 2011 teammate Caleb Fairly (Holowesko Partners), and Marc de Maar and Chris Baldwin (UnitedHealthcare-Maxxis) highlight the men’s startlist. Uber veteran and current French TT champion Jeannie Longo (Vital Plus) is the top favorite on the women’s startlist.

Prologue: Aspire Time Trial
September 3 4:07 p.m. (women) / 4:25 p.m. (men)
6.2 miles

Stage 1: Marabou Ranch Circuit Race
September 4 12:30 p.m. (men) / 3:15 p.m. (women)
45 miles (men) / 31.5 miles (women)

Stage 2: Moots Road Race
September 5 8:00 a.m. (men) / 1:00 p.m. (women)
70 miles (men) / 55 miles (women)

Stage 3: Ski and Bike Kare Criterium
September 6 1:45 p.m. (women) / 2:40 p.m. (men)
45 minutes (women) / 60 minutes (men)