Ashburnham, Westminster both host legs of Longsjo

The Fitchburg Longsjo Classic expects some of the top riders from around the country for its 49th event over the Fourth of July week and this year legs of the race will enter both Westminster and Ashburnham.

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," said President of Fitchburg Cycling Club George Gantz, who is the senior vice president of Unitil and one of the race underwriters.

The racing gets underway Thursday, July 3, 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 and ends in Ashburnham near the junction of Route 101 and 119. The pros start at 3:30 p.m.

On Friday, July 4, 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 5, to the Fitchburg State College Circuit Race, a 3.1-mile loop through the hilly streets of Fitchburg, with the pros starting at 2 p.m.

The race concludes on Sunday, July 6, 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 p.m.

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. Other notables consist of: Tim Johnson from HealthNet presented by Maxxis, the 2007 U.S. Cyclocross Champion; Richard England, Tour de Georgia stage winner, riding for Bissell Pro Cycling Team; Jesse Anthony, a local favorite from Beverly, 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 United States. Nearly 800 riders from across the United States 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.

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.