The Portsmouth Criterium made a triumphant return this weekend, bringing almost 120 bicyclists and throngs of spectators into the city. Racing through both sunshine and rain, the riders brought all the drama and energy of a fast-paced, hardcore bike race back to downtown after a five-year absence.

Race co-director Susanne Delaney said the race “couldn’t have gone better.”

“It’s what I hoped for,” she said. “I’m just really excited to see it all come together.”

For some of the racers, this year’s crit was a long time coming.

Eleven-year-old Rick Greeley came in third in the kids 9-12 race, a follow up to his first place victory in the kids 5-8 race at the last Portsmouth Crit in 2000. Greeley earned the nickname “Rockin’” from a family friend as he wheeled his bike onto the sidewalk after the race. He said he’d like to see the crit happen every year, with more categories for the kids’ races.

Following the kids’ races, the women took to the field. The gray clouds that had hung over the region for the last couple of days cleared just as the women’s 1/2/3 race started. As the 23 bicyclists whisked through 30 laps around the course, Zoe Owers of Concord broke from the pack and earned a generous lead. By the end of the race, the clouds had returned, droplets of rain fell and Owers had almost lapped the field, the spectators firmly on her side. Resting after her first-place victory, Owers said she didn’t realize she had that much of lead on everyone else.

“I didn’t have a plan, I just wanted to race hard,” she said. “I try not to look back that much.”
The competition was particularly fierce in the men’s pro 1/2/3 race, during which two riders crashed. Logon Hodson took a spill while rounding a corner on Middle Street. The racer behind him pushed into the rear of Hodson’s bike, and he couldn’t lean enough to make the turn.

“Between me and oblivion was a hay bale,” he said. “So I took the hay bale.”

Hodson was ready to keep racing after the crash, despite numerous cuts and scrapes all over his face. However, paramedics and his now-misshapen bike stopped him from getting back on the course.

“You always want to keep going,” he said.

Hodson watched the rest of the race from the sidelines, dabbing blood off his face. He said he’ll “definitely be here next year,” not just because the race is extremely competitive, but because of the large numbers of spectators. The audience “makes you feel like a real athlete,” according to Hodson.

“There’s hundreds of people here watching the race,” he said. “I’ve done races in industrial parks where there’s no one watching.”

Robbie King of Exeter took first place in the men’s field. Catherine Keenan, who co-directed the race with Delaney, said more than 100 volunteers helped put on the race.

“It’s awesome,” Keenan said. “It’s so great, we’re so glad to bring it back.”

While the riders zoomed around downtown like a colorful whirling dervish, merchants watched from their stores while packs of pedestrians roamed the sidewalks. Though the event in 2000 was marred by complaints from downtown business owners about street closures limiting access to stores, Delaney said this year downtown businesses were “overwhelmingly positive” about the race.

”I think for the most part people are excited to have it back,” she said.

Most shops were open, and many had booths at a tag sale held on Market Street. Jennifer Slade said business was good at Attrezzi’s tag sale location. The store usually holds a tag sale twice a year, she said, so it made sense to take advantage of the street closures on Sunday.

"There’s more people downtown, so there’s more traffic all around,” she said.


Other businesses shared similar sentiments. Pat Anderson, working at Clay’s on Market Street, said the race brought in a lot of people.

“It seems to be more than what we usually have on a Sunday morning,” she said.