Portsmouth Criterium 2009

I went down to Portsmouth on Sunday for the annual criterium race. I had heard that it was a big race and drew a huge crowd. There were 58 riders in the mens pro race. These guys just plain out fly. It's pretty intense standing directly at the apex of a tight corner and having them fly by just inches away as you snap photos. The exit point of a turn is also a good spot. If the pack is all together they generate quite the breeze as they're doing 30 something mph. I was surprised to see a lot of the same riders racing that I had seen just the day before in Biddeford.

This one was very challenging to shoot. Most of the track was in the shade. This meant dealing with the shade or shooting into the sun. Both options present their own problems. The biggest issue was having the riders faces in the shadows which is never a desired look. It was a beautiful day, I saw some great racing and I was able to put real gas in my car for once. Here are some of my faves:



















Here is a slideshow of the set (25 photos):