On September 21st of this year, you’ll be able to head down to Penn Quarter and see a real live pro criterium race in the form of the ING Direct Capital Criterium. It’s a six turn 1km circuit that winds its way among the Federal agencies downtown.
I’ve been waiting for a long time to see something like this happen (in fact, I already know the shot I’ll be aiming for). As it stands, there’s going to be a Men’s 35+ race, a Men’s 1/2/3, and a Men’s Pro. No word on who the teams will be yet.
DId you notice something missing from that list of races? That’s right, no women’s field. Which is especially disappointing, considering that Cyclelife, a presenting sponsor, has its own women’s team.  They’re aware of that disappointment, and while they haven’t promised anything about next year, they say that they hope to include a women’s field when they can.
The official race site is here, and I’ll post more when details become available.