Champions Park is a former private course that the city took over several years ago with plans to incorporate it into the city's waterfront development for sports facilities. The local cycling clubs have been using the old golf course for three years now and the park has hosted the state CX championships the past two years.
The unique nature of the course, designed by USGP Executive Director Bruce Fina and local 'cross guru Bob Bobrow, it that the course is very smooth and fast in the old fairways but liberal use of the old sandtraps and rough areas that were intended to add a dimension of difficulty for golfers, ironically create the same for cyclocross. Riders who think that this will be a smooth easy ride on golf course greens with knobby tires will be disappointed. Depending on the weather the course can be fast when it's dry, but the deep sand in the traps serves to quickly regulate your speed down several notches or if wet they can prove to almost halt the acceleration process as it becomes deep, wet sand.
The wooded areas where many golf balls bounced among the trees, now serve to provide a twisty course with a few sand surprises thrown in to keep the rider alert.
The course has a little bit for everybody; fast straights, twisty turns, sand, several runups, a flyover and a flat, fast finish. Those that do well will make good use of the "Trail of Tears", a fast washboard like section that leads to an interesting combination of sand, a runup, sand again, tight turns, pavement and back up the "Trail of Tears".
There is lots to do in Louisville here are some local points of interest:
Churchill Downs
Churchill Downs
700 Central Avenue
Louisville, KY 40208
Main phone: 502.636.4400
Churchill Downs Museum
704 Central Avenue
Louisville, KY
(502) 637-1111
Louisville Slugger Factory (world’s largest bat on display out front)
800 W Main St
Louisville, KY 40202
(502) 585-5226
Belle of Louisville Paddle Wheeler Steamboat
01 West River Road
Louisville, KY
(502) 574-2992
4th Street Live Night Club District
Fourth Street Live!
420 W. Liberty St., Ste. 265
Louisville, KY 40202
Phone: (502) 584-7170
Friday, October 24th:
4pm: Clif Bar Kids' Clinic, Champions' Park
Friday Night at Louisville Slugger Field - Number Presentation Party
5:30: Race volunteer meeting
6:00pm - 6:45pm: Packet Pick-up and Walk-Up registration
Food opens/ Cash bar opens
7:00pm: Number Presentation to Elite Men and Women.
7:30pm - 8:00pm: Pack Pick-Up and Walk-Up registration
Saturday and Sunday:
6:30am: Registration Opens
8:00am: First Race of the Day (see BikeReg.com for complete schedule of races)
1:15pm - Kids' Races. Sign up on site.
4:00pm: Racing concludes
The Derby City Cup Race Headquarters Hotel:
Ramada Downtown North
1041 Zorn Avenue
Louisville, KY 40207
502 897-5101
Rate - $75 per night
Ref - 946N
Cut off Date for rate – 10/10/08
Additional Hotel Info:
The Hampton Inn
101 East Jefferson St
Louisville, KY
502-585-2200