Rich Ruoff, “director of all that is good,” has released details of two races that he is organizing with the Swashbuckler/PA Renfaire.com Cycling Team.
The first of those is the Comeback Criterium, on Sunday, July 20, on the grounds of the Case New Holland tractor factory in New Holland. Online registration for that race opens at noon today. The second, previously unannounced race, is the Hammer Creek Road Race, in Elizabeth Township, about four miles northeast of Lititz.
Ruoff, the former director of the now-defunct RedRoseRaces.com, is also working with Mike Doupe to do the Grandview Grand Prix, a criterium in the Grandview Heights neighborhood in Manheim Township, just north of Lancaster City. That race is being sponsored by the Spinners cycling team.
The races, along with the Christiana Criterium being organized by Dave Felpel, have been quickly pulled together in the last month following the sudden collapse of RedRoseRaces.com. David Butterworth, controlling partner of RedRoseRaces, cancelled some 16 events remaining on the RedRoseRaces calendar for the remainder of the year after announcing the company was losing money.
Butterworth revived three of those races under his own Pro-Am Cycling banner. Local teams also stepped up to fill the void. RedRoseRaces was the largest race promoter on the East Coast and one of the largest in the country when the company failed.
Ruoff, now with a new website, promises on the flyers for the new races that: “This race is put on by people who know cycling and who love cycling.” Additional races may also be announced, he said.
