Fitchburg Longsjo Classic is an annual road bicycle racing

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...

 stage race held in and around Fitchburg

Fitchburg, Massachusetts

Fitchburg is the third largest city in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 40,318 at the 2010 census. Fitchburg is home to Fitchburg State University as well as 17 public and private elementary and high schools.- History :...

, Massachusetts

Massachusetts

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...

, United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. It is notably the second oldest cycling race in the United States.

The race began in 1960 as the-Longsjo Memorial Race, in memory of long-time Fitchburg resident Art Longsjo

Art Longsjo

Arthur "Art" Matthew Longsjo, Jr. was an American Olympian speed skater and cyclist. He was born in Fitchburg, Massachusetts and died in a car accident in Burlington, Vermont at age 26...

, who competed in both the Winter Olympics as a speed skater and at the Summer Olympics as a cyclist. In 1980, the race was renamed by USA Cycling

USA Cycling

USA Cycling or USAC, based in Colorado Springs, Colorado, is the national governing body for bicycle racing in the United States. It covers the disciplines of road, track, mountain bike, cyclo-cross, BMX and collegiate racing...

 (then known as the United States Cycling Federation (USCF).

The 2011 race scheduled for july 3rd, was cancelled due to a large structure fire that closed some of the streets used for the criterium couse.

Women

1999 - Lyne Bessette Lyne Bessette Lyne Bessette is a professional bicycle racer from Quebec, Canada. She was a member of the Canadian Olympic team in 2000 and 2004. She won the Tour de l'Aude Feminin in 1999 and 2001 and the Women's Challenge in 2001...   2000 - Lyne Bessette Lyne Bessette Lyne Bessette is a professional bicycle racer from Quebec, Canada. She was a member of the Canadian Olympic team in 2000 and 2004. She won the Tour de l'Aude Feminin in 1999 and 2001 and the Women's Challenge in 2001...  (2) 2001 - Lyne Bessette Lyne Bessette Lyne Bessette is a professional bicycle racer from Quebec, Canada. She was a member of the Canadian Olympic team in 2000 and 2004. She won the Tour de l'Aude Feminin in 1999 and 2001 and the Women's Challenge in 2001...  (3) 2002 - Lyne Bessette Lyne Bessette Lyne Bessette is a professional bicycle racer from Quebec, Canada. She was a member of the Canadian Olympic team in 2000 and 2004. She won the Tour de l'Aude Feminin in 1999 and 2001 and the Women's Challenge in 2001...  (4) 2003 - Katie Mactier Katie Mactier Katie Mactier is an Australian professional racing cyclist. She began racing in 1999 at 24. She was educated at Wesley College, Melbourne.She is a member of the Caulfield Carnegie cycling club...   2004 - Sue Palmer-Komar Sue Palmer-Komar Sue Palmer-Komar is a female Canadian racing cyclist, who races for Colavita.-Palmarès:1992199519961997200220032004...   2005 - Sue Palmer-Komar Sue Palmer-Komar Sue Palmer-Komar is a female Canadian racing cyclist, who races for Colavita.-Palmarès:1992199519961997200220032004...  (2) 2006 - Sarah Ulmer Sarah Ulmer Sarah Elizabeth Ulmer, ONZM is the first New Zealander to win an Olympic cycling gold. She won a gold medal and set world records at the 2004 Summer Olympics at Athens,....   2007 - Genevieve Gauthier  2008 - Catherine Cheatley  2009 - Evelyn Stevens Evelyn Stevens Evelyn Stevens is an American professional cyclist for the Team HTC-Columbia Women cycling team.-Palmarès:20082009...

Men

1960 - Guy Morin  1961 - Arnie Uhrlass  1962 - Richard Centori  1963 - Rob Parsons  1964 - Paul Ziak  1965 - Franco Poutenzieri  1966 - Sam Watson Sam Watson Samuel William "Sam" Watson is an Australian Aboriginal activist and a socialist politician. He is the grandson of Sam Watson who was of the Birri Gubba tribe. His grandfather worked in ring-barking camps and saved enough money to hire a lawyer to release him from the Aboriginal Protection Act. He...   1967 - Guiseppi Marinoni 1968 - Robert Simpson Robert Simpson Robert Simpson or Bob Simpson may refer to:American:*Bob R. Simpson, American Business Executive, Major League Baseball Owner*Robert Simpson , American meteorologist and co-developer of the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale...   1969 - Jocelyn Lovell Jocelyn Lovell Jocelyn Bjorn Lovell is a former cyclist from Canada.Lovell dominated Canadian cycling in the 1960s and 1970s; winning dozens of national titles as well as gold medals at the Commonwealth Games and Pan American Games...   1970 - Doug Dale Doug Dale Doug Dale is an American actor, best known for hosting the Comedy Central series TV Funhouse. Doug was also involved in the Happy Happy Good Show, a Chicago sketch show featuring Robert Smigel, Bob Odenkirk and Conan O'Brien...   1971 - Bobby Phillips  1972 - Giuseppi Marinoni (2) 1973 - Steve Woznick  1974 - Bill Shook  1975 - Wayne Stetina  1976 - Tom Doughty Tom Doughty Tom Doughty is an English, Cheshire-based lap steel acoustic guitarist and singer-songwriter, who has released three albums. His style is free-flowing and improvisational, drawing from the blues, folk and jazz-swing standards. He has played at venues all over the United Kingdom and frequently...

1977 - Wayne Stetina (2) 1978 - Wayne Stetina (3) 1979 - Tom Schuler Tom Schuler Tom Schuler is a retired American professional road bicycle racer and founder of Team Sports Inc., a sports management company in cycling, mountain biking, triathlon, and roller blading...   1980 - Bruce Donaghy  1981 - Steve Pyle Steve Pyle Steve Pyle is a former US Junior and Senior National Team cyclist who competed at the national and international level and rode to many victories. He was known for his endurance and time trialing ability. He was a member of the U.S. cycling team for the 1980 Olympics, but the United States...   1982 - Alan McCormack  1983 - Louis Garneau Louis Garneau Louis Garneau, OC, CQ is a Canadian road racing and track cyclist and cyclewear manufacturer. He is probably best known for putting his arm around Elizabeth II and having his photo taken....   1984 - Russ Williams  1985 - Jeff Slack 1986 - Patrick Liu  1987 - Roberto Gaggioli  1988 - Graeme Miller  1989 - Jeff Slack (2) 1990 - Tom Post  1991 - Davis Phinney Davis Phinney Davis Phinney is a former professional road bicycle racer from the United States. He was known as a fast sprinter, and claims to have won the most races in American history. In 1986, he became the first American to win a stage at the Tour de France, while riding on the American-based team 7-Eleven...   1992 - Lance Armstrong Lance Armstrong Lance Edward Armstrong is an American former professional road racing cyclist who won the Tour de France a record seven consecutive times, after having survived testicular cancer. He is also the founder and chairman of the Lance Armstrong Foundation for cancer research and support...

1993 - Davis Phinney Davis Phinney Davis Phinney is a former professional road bicycle racer from the United States. He was known as a fast sprinter, and claims to have won the most races in American history. In 1986, he became the first American to win a stage at the Tour de France, while riding on the American-based team 7-Eleven...  (2) 1994 - Frank McCormack 1995 - Mike Engleman  1996 - Tyler Hamilton Tyler Hamilton Tyler Hamilton is a former American professional road bicycle racer and former Olympic gold medalist. Hamilton became a professional cyclist in 1995, and during the 1999, 2000 and 2001 Tour de France was a teammate of Lance Armstrong who won those races.Hamilton appeared at the 2000 Summer...   1997 - John Peters  1998 - Frank McCormack (2) 1999 - Bart Bowen  2000 - Henk Vogels Henk Vogels Henk Vogels is an Australian former professional road bicycle racer who retired from competition at the conclusion of the 2008 season, which he rode with the Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team...   2001 - Eric Wohlberg Eric Wohlberg Eric Wohlberg is a retired male professional racing cyclist from Canada. He competed for his native country at three consecutive Summer Olympics, starting in 1996. Wohlberg won two medals at the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. He also won the Tour of the Gila in...   2002 - Chris Horner Chris Horner Christopher Horner is an American professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTour team . A native and current resident of Bend, Oregon, Horner dominated the American road racing scene by winning the points standings in the 2002, 2003 and 2004 USA Cycling National Racing Calendar.-PAA-NutraFig...   2003 - Viktor Rapinski  2004 - Mark McCormack Mark McCormack (cyclist) Mark McCormack is a professional cyclo-cross and road bicycle racer from the United States. McCormack became the first rider to hold the U.S...   2005 - Jonathan Page  2006 - Shawn Milne Shawn Milne Shawn Milne is a professional road bicycle racer from Gloucester, Massachusetts, United States. In 2009, he rode in events on the USA Cycling National Racing Calendar and UCI Continental Circuits for Team Type 1. On May 31, 2009, he won the Air Force Cycling Classic...   2007 - Jake Rytlewski  2008 - Kyle Wamsley  2009 - Zachary Bell Zachary Bell Zachary "Zach" Bell is a Canadian professional racing cyclist from Watson Lake, Yukon. He finished in 7th place at the 2008 Summer Olympics in the men's point race and 12th in the men's madison...