Roadwork alters race

by Jason Gabak / The Citizen

AUBURN - For Dean Furnia, race director of the Owasco Velo Stage Race, it has been many long months of planning and organization to get this race up on its feet.

The third annual three-part race is scheduled to kick off at 9 a.m. Saturday with the East Lake Time Trials. From there Furnia had hoped to continue the race Saturday evening with the Downtown Criterium, but the current state of city roads has made that impossible.

“We had been planning the downtown course for six months,” Furnia said. “We knew that there was going to be summer road work projects. We worked with the city planning the course and the last we heard they were going to hold off until after the race. We didn't think there was going to For the Criterium, Furnia had planned a big night downtown that would include live music, a DJ and a fun spectator environment.

“This was going to be the most spectator friendly part of the race,” he said. “We had planned to have a lot going on and give people a chance to come out and see the race and have some fun. Their support is big for the riders too, seeing people cheer them on really gives them a boost.”

But with the current repairs under way on downtown roads there was no way to plan a safe course.

“We tried to plan an alternate course downtown,” Furnia said. “But there was no way to make a safe course for the riders and that has to be our major concern.”

While this has left Furnia with something of a dilemma, he and the race committee were quick to make a decision to ensure that the race will go on.

We didn't want to cancel that section of the race,“ Furnia said. ”But instead of a criterium we are having what is called a circuit race.“

According to Furnia, a circuit race consists of an area of no less than three miles and no more than five, essentially making a square.

Saturday evening's race will include Valentine, Granger Hall, Harter and Gahwiler Roads in Owasco.

While this is not the perfect solution, Furnia said it beats the alternative.

“We've had to shift gears a little,” he said. “But there have been entire races that have had to be canceled because of road work, so while we've had to make changes, the race is still going on.”