The Beanpot Cycling Classic is a collegiate cycling

Road bicycle racing

Road bicycle racing is a bicycle racing sport held on roads, using racing bicycles. The term "road racing" is usually applied to events where competing riders start simultaneously with the winner being the first to the line at the end of the course .Historically, the most...

 race weekend, held near Boston each spring. For many years it was the largest normal season collegiate race weekend in North America, hosting over 400 competitors each year.

Races

The Classic consists of three races: a team time trial

Team time trial

A team time trial is a road-based bicycle race in which teams of cyclists race against the clock .Teams start at equal intervals, usually two, three or four minutes apart...

 and a road race, both hosted in Grafton

Grafton, Massachusetts

Grafton is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 17,765 at the 2010 census. Grafton is the home of a Nipmuc village known as Hassanamisco Reservation, the Willard House and Clock Museum, and the Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine...

 and Westborough, Massachusetts

Westborough, Massachusetts

Westborough is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 18,272 at the 2010 census. The town is governed under the New England open town meeting system, headed by a five member elected Board of Selectmen whose duties include licensing, appointing various...

, and a criterium

Criterium

A criterium, or crit, is a bike race held on a short course , often run on closed-off city center streets....

, held in Somerville, Massachusetts

Somerville, Massachusetts

Somerville is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, located just north of Boston. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 75,754 and was the most densely populated municipality in New England. It is also the 17th most densely populated incorporated place in...

.

The race weekend is a regular season road race weekend in the Eastern Collegiate Cycling Conference, and winners garner points that advance them and their schools in divisional standings. Schools are awarded triple points, due to having three races in the event. Winning schools receive a clay beanpot as a trophy.

Team Time Trial

The team time trial is held on a seven-mile course. In 2005 and 2006 the time trial descended from Grafton center and traveled along mostly flat farmland before returning for a tough climb back into the town center.

Road Race

The road race is held on a 13-mile rolling course, starting and finishing at the campus of the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine

Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine

The Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine is one of the eight colleges and schools that comprise Tufts University and is the only school of veterinary medicine in New England.-Degree programs:...

, the veterinary school

Veterinary school

A veterinary school is a tertiary educational institution, or part of such an institution, which is involved in the education of veterinarians. To become a veterinarian one must first complete a veterinary degree A veterinary school should not be confused with a department of animal science...

 at Tufts University

Tufts University

Tufts University is a private research university located in Medford/Somerville, near Boston, Massachusetts. It is organized into ten schools, including two undergraduate programs and eight graduate divisions, on four campuses in Massachusetts and on the eastern border of France...

.

Breaks often form on the deceptive Brigham Hill, a 3/4 mile climb with a false crest halfway up.

Optimal viewing locations are along Brigham Hill, along the hill on East St. in North Grafton, and at the start/finish at the Tufts Veterinary School.

Criterium

The criterium is held on a fast, technical course along Professor’s Row at the main campus of Tufts University. The fast, sharp turns and repeated climbs cause the race to break early. The second turn is especially demanding, positioned at the foot of a steep descent. Racers must be especially careful here to avert disaster.

Organization

The Beanpot is organized by a consortium of Boston-area college cycling clubs. Historically, the time trial is organized by Boston University

Boston University

Boston University is a private research university located in Boston, Massachusetts. With more than 4,000 faculty members and more than 31,000 students, Boston University is one of the largest private universities in the United States and one of Boston's largest employers...

, the road race by Harvard University

Harvard University

Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...

, and the criterium by Tufts University

Tufts University

Tufts University is a private research university located in Medford/Somerville, near Boston, Massachusetts. It is organized into ten schools, including two undergraduate programs and eight graduate divisions, on four campuses in Massachusetts and on the eastern border of France...

. MIT, Northeastern University, and Boston College

Boston College

Boston College is a private Jesuit research university located in the village of Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA. The main campus is bisected by the border between the cities of Boston and Newton. It has 9,200 full-time undergraduates and 4,000 graduate students. Its name reflects its early...

 coordinate finances, promotion, fund-raising, and administration for the event.

Two raffles are typically held to raise funds. One raffle has cycling-specific prizes such as components or wheels. The other raffle has general-interest prizes such as gift certificates to local restaurants.

Recent Winners

Year	1st	2nd	3rd
2008	UVM University of Vermont The University of Vermont comprises seven undergraduate schools, an honors college, a graduate college, and a college of medicine. The Honors College does not offer its own degrees; students in the Honors College concurrently enroll in one of the university's seven undergraduate colleges or...	MIT	Yale
2007	UNH University of New Hampshire The University of New Hampshire is a public university in the University System of New Hampshire , United States. The main campus is in Durham, New Hampshire. An additional campus is located in Manchester. With over 15,000 students, UNH is the largest university in New Hampshire. The university is...	Dartmouth Dartmouth College Dartmouth College is a private, Ivy League university in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. The institution comprises a liberal arts college, Dartmouth Medical School, Thayer School of Engineering, and the Tuck School of Business, as well as 19 graduate programs in the arts and sciences...	UVM University of Vermont The University of Vermont comprises seven undergraduate schools, an honors college, a graduate college, and a college of medicine. The Honors College does not offer its own degrees; students in the Honors College concurrently enroll in one of the university's seven undergraduate colleges or...
2006	UVM	UNH	Dartmouth
2005	UVM	Dartmouth	Penn. State Pennsylvania State University The Pennsylvania State University, commonly referred to as Penn State or PSU, is a public research university with campuses and facilities throughout the state of Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1855, the university has a threefold mission of teaching, research, and public service...
2004	UVM	Penn. State	Dartmouth