WARWICK — More than 200 cyclists representing colleges from Pennsylvania to Maine will race through Warwick on Saturday in the Eastern Collegiate Cycling Conference’s championship.
The Warwick Police Department advises drivers to expect traffic delays from 7 a.m. to about 6 p.m. on Orange Road, Athol Road, Winchester Road, Old Winchester Road, Robbins Road, Flower Hill Road, Northfield Road, White Road, Wendell Road, Shepardson Road, Hockanum Road. Robbins Road and Old Winchester Road will be southbound only except for local residents.
The race is hosted by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Cycling Club. The club has held the championships in Warwick once before, in April 2016.
“The town was really helpful with it and it’s a great location,” said MIT Race Coordinator Dmitro Martynowiych. “It worked out really well and everyone liked the course. We like to mix things up a little bit so we’ve thrown Old Winchester Road into the race, which is a dirt climb, which is a little more unusual for a road race.”
There are two race events. From 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. there is a team time trial. The race starts at Warwick Community School and follows a loop down Orange Road and up Wendell Road back to the school. The road race, which goes from 10 a.m. until about 5 p.m. follows the same route but continues up Northfield Road and Flower Hill Road, then comes back via Winchester Road and Old Winchester Road.
There is also a third event on Sunday at Unity Park in Turner’s Falls.
Martynowych said that he expects about 50 teams to be represented at the race, although signups are ongoing. The largest teams, usually with around 20 cyclists, come from Dartmouth, MIT, Pennsylvania State University, University of New Hampshire and University of Vermont. Other schools may be represented by only one cyclist.