Anniston, AL (22 March 2011) – Some of the domestic cycling peloton’s fastest sprinters will head south for the ninth Sunny King Criterium, the second stop on USA Cycling’s prestigious National Racing Calendar (NRC) and the first of fourteen criteriums throughout the season. Pro and amateur cyclists will speed through the closed streets of downtown Anniston, Alabama as part of the Noble Street Festival 2011 in races being held from 11 AM-9 PM CT that will be streamed live on the official race site, www.sunnykingcriterium.com.

Taking place in the shadow of the nearby Talladega Speedway, over 5,000 adrenalin junkies are expected to line the streets to watch the cyclists compete NASCAR-style – meaning it’s all about speed, thrills and spills in unpredictable bike races where anything can happen at any time. The entry fees from the Sunny King Criterium will again be donated to Relay For Life, a local chapter of the American Cancer Society, to which the event has donated over $60,000 since 2005. The goal for 2011 is to raise another $10,000.

Starting with the juniors, continuing with the amateurs, and headlined by the pros, the riders will pedal counter-clockwise on a flat four-corner, .7-mile rectangular circuit with a slight uphill finish. Racing under the lights, the one-hour women’s pro/1/2 event is scheduled for 6:20 PM CT followed by the men’s pro/1 sixty-lap affair at 7:30 PM CT.

Back to defend his Sunny King Criterium victory from last year will be Fly V Australia’s Ben Kersten, who will be joined by teammates Jonathan Cantwell and Australian Criterium Champion Bernie Sulzberger. Also expected to take the start in the men’s pro race are reigning USPRO Criterium Champion Daniel Holloway, who will be supported by Andrew Bajadali, Reid Mumford and their Kelly Benefits Strategies-OptumHealth teammates, former USPRO Criterium Champion Rahsaan Bahati (Slkz presented by Pista Palace), Frank Pipp and Kyle Wamsley along with a contingent from Bissell Pro Cycling Team, an eight-man Kenda Pro Cycling presented by Geargrinder outfit led by Chad Hartley and Luca Damiani, Cole House and a crew from RealCyclist.com, and talented young development squads from Team Type 1 and Chipotle Development Team.

The women’s race will be powered by the powerhouse TIBCO/To The Top outfit featuring 2009 NRC champion Alison Powers, 2009 U.S. National Road Race victor Meredith Miller, and last year’s U-23 (under age 23) U.S. National Criterium winner Samantha Schneider. They’ll clash with riders from the highly respected Colavita/Forno D’Asolo featuring Kelly Benjamin, and Team Type 1.

To complete the racing weekend, on Sunday, April 10th, many of the pro and amateur cyclists will test themselves further on the challenging rolling hills in nearby Piedmont during the 65-mile Foothills Classic Road Race. Additional information is available at www.foothillsroadrace.com.

An entertaining day for the family, the Sunny King Criterium will also be the scene for a wide array of children’s activities including races, Bike pARTS, which is a sculpture exhibition and competition made from recycled bike parts, and over a dozen local restaurants will be serving scrumptious snacks and delicious meals.

In addition to being designated as an NRC event, during which individual riders and teams compete for points towards the season-long series titles, the Sunny King Criterium is part of the WE Race Series, Alabama Cycling Association Points Series and The Lance Armstrong Junior Olympic Road Series. Further information for spectators as well as registration information for participants can be found at www.sunnykingcriterium.com. Follow the race on Twitter @SunnyKingCrit and on facebook at the Noble Street Festival.