Boston Beanpot ready to roll

The 2006 edition of the Boston Beanpot Collegiate Cycling Classic is set to be run in Grafton, Massachusetts on Saturday, April 8, with organisers expecting close to 500 riders.

Touted as America's largest collegiate race, Harvard, Boston University, Boston College, Tufts University, Wentworth, Northeastern University and MIT are the organising institutions, with the three race event consisting of a team time trial and road race on Saturday and a criterium on Sunday.

The team time trial is hosted by Boston University early Saturday morning while the midday road race will be hosted by Harvard - both races will be run from the historic Grafton common. The criterium is hosted by Tufts University and is held just outside Boston in Medford and Somerville on the traditional 6/10th's mile downtown course next to and through the campus of Tufts.