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2000 Results    Preview    Schedule    Interview with Roy Knickman

This weekend sees the staging of the 15th annual Sports Grand Prix in Downers Grove, Illinois, better known for its main event, the US National Criterium Championships. Criteriums, with their high speed, short distance, and aggressive nature, are the country's best patronised road events, and the National Criterium Championship carries no small amount of prestige.

The 1.6 km figure-eight course is in the heart of Downers Grove, 20 minutes west of downtown Chicago, and generally lends itself to a bunch sprint. The main events are on Sunday, August 19; the USCF Elite Men's Championships (80 km), USCF Elite Women's Championships (50 km), and the USPRO Men's Criterium Championship (100 km).

This year, the Saturn Corporation is the presenting sponsor and official vehicle of the Sports Grand Prix, and of course the Saturn team has designs on winning a few titles. Frank McCormack won the title in 1995 and 1996. Chann McRae was wearing Saturn colours in 1998 when he captured the national title. Former Saturn team member Antonio Cruz won in 1999 while riding for l'Equipe LeCheval, and subsequently signed for Saturn (he is now with US Postal). "We've got some very good sprinters on both our men's and women's teams, so we anticipate they will be in the final battles for the championship jerseys," said Tom Schuler, general manager of the Saturn Cycling Team.

Although the Saturn women's team is the No. 1 ranked squad in the world, with several top international athletes, USA Cycling regulations mean that only domestic riders will be able to compete on Sunday. This will limit the team to Kim Bruckner and Suzanne Sonye, and Tom Schuler admits that "They will have their hands full with the other top teams. But they were sorely outnumbered at the national road race in May and came away with first and third place."

In that event, Bruckner took the gold and Sonye the bronze, just two days after Bruckner won the national time trial championship. A victory on Sunday would give her a sweep of all three titles.

USA Cycling regulations allow foreign riders to compete in the men's pro event, although the USPRO Criterium Champion will still be the first US rider to cross the line. Last year, it was Mercury's Derek Bouchard-Hall, who will certainly be in the hunt for another title, or perhaps one of his teammates.

Saturn's Trent Klasna won the national time trial championship in late May, was second in the professional road race in mid-June and has led the men's NRC standings since March 19, and therefore is an obvious favourite. He will be part of a full 10 man Saturn squad, with its mix of Americans and foreign riders, including Ivan Dominguez, a Cuban expatriate who is back on top form after an early season injury and is one of the team's top sprinters.

Event schedule

Saturday, August 18

• 12:00pm - USHF Handcycle Race for men, women, and quads, 25 min + 2 laps
• 12:45pm - USCF Masters 30+, 30 min + 2 laps
• 1:30pm - USCF Masters 40+, 20 min + 2 laps
• 2:00pm - Citizen Masters Men ages 30+, 15 min + 3 laps
• 2:30pm - Citizen Junior Men ages 17 and younger, 15 min + 3 laps
• 2:31pm - Citizen Women all ages, 15 min + 3 laps
• 3:00pm - USCF Sr 5 & Citizen Open, 20 min + 2 laps
• 3:30pm - USCF Senior 4, 25 min + 2 laps
• 4:15pm - USCF Senior 3, 30 min + 2 laps
• 5:00pm - Timex International USCF Women's Open, 40 min + 2 laps
• 6:00pm - Extran Pro-Am Challenge USCF Cat. 1/2, 50 km

Sunday, August 19

• 8:00am - FASST Masters Inline Championship, 20 min + 2 laps
• 8:45am - Higher Gear USCF Cat 2 Challenge, 40 min + 2 laps
• 9:45am - SRAM USCF Elite Men National Criterium Championship, 80km (50 laps)
• 12:00pm - Saturn USCF Elite Women National Criterium Championship, 50km (31 laps)
• 1:30pm - The Rollerderby Inline vs Cyclist Challenge, 100 metres
• 1:45pm - Children's Big Wheel Grand Prix (for boys & girls ages 2 - 7)
• 2:15pm - TOUR Skate Corp. Inline National Championship for Women, 15 min + 2 laps
• 2:45pm - TOUR Skate Corp. Inline National Championship for Men, 20 min + 2 laps
• 3:45pm - The U. S. Postal Service USPRO National Criterium Championship, 100km (62 laps)

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