With the aid and support of several club members, CRCA will launch its outreach program for younger riders at the Mengoni Grand Prix on August 23.

For the August 23 race, there will be Under 15 and Under 12 races/rides. The Under 15 ride will start at Cat’s Paw and do a 5 mile loop of the park, taking the 102nd St. cutoff. The Under 12 ride will start at Tavern on the Green and finish at Cat’s Paw.

This event is supported by the NYC Department of Transportation (DOT) as part of its experiment in closing Park Avenue to traffic on three Saturdays in August.

Registration for both events will be at 72 St by the East Park Drive. There will be no entry fee. Riders can pre-register on BikeReg to guarantee a spot. All particpants must have a parent or guardian sign the standard USACycling waiver.

The races will start after the Pro/1/2 field passes the start points for the last time. This will be around 7:30.

The rides will be escorted by a moto and all riders will get offical Mengoni Grand Prix race numbers. Participants will learn about bike racing from experienced racers who will accompany the race. Lance Armstrong Junior Olympic medals will be given to the top finishers.

As a prelude to the Mengoni event, David Greenberg and David Ottavio will conduct informal clinics for young riders after the August 9th and August 16th club races. Rides start at 8:15 am. Meet at the top of Cat’s Paw. Please let us know if you have kids that will be there or at Mengoni — crcaU15[at]gmail.com.