The local cycling race season began Wednesday night with U Kon Echelon Bike Club hosting the first criterium of the season on Titanium Way.

Fifteen cyclists came out for the event, which was held on a closed course in the Industrial Park near the Yukon River.

“It’s actually a very non-technical course,” said Marc LaPointe, who won the adult race. “It’s very flat. It’s a very safe course. So it ends up being actually a pretty fast race.”

The clockwise loop had racers battling a headwind on the east side of the course and cruising with a tailwind on the west side of the course as they battled cross-wind gusts on the straightaways in between.

“There’s lots of opportunities to attack, but I think most of the group ended up staying together and biding themselves out for the sprint,” said LaPointe.

After more than 40 minutes of cycling on the closed course, LaPointe won the final sprint in to the finish.

David Jackson was second while Eric Campbell was third. Shea Hoffman was fourth and Micah Taggart-Cox was fifth.

“It’s awesome to not be in the garage training,” said LaPointe. “Being outside and racing against a couple friends is a lot more fun.”

The earlier youth race featured a handful of cyclists taking part in their first criterium.

The lead pack remained grouped for the timed portion of the race, working together to break the headwind on the east side of the course.

For the final three laps of the course, a handful of riders broke away and Lucas Taggart-Cox won the sprint in to the finish. Veronica Porter, racing in her first criterium, finished second. Mollie Fraser was third.

Annie Cable, Asha Neumann, Isla Hupe, Noah Wright, Orin Gladwin, Greta Gladwin and Johna Staley rounded out the field.

The rest of the season remains packed with race options.

U Kon Echelon’s next event will be a time trial at the Carcross Cutoff next Wednesday evening.