Thousands of spectators came out to Ballard on Saturday afternoon to watch the 19th annual Second Ascent Twilight Criterium.

Commonly called "The Ballard Crit", the race is one of Seattle’s classic bike races and a favorite among both racers and spectators.

A criterium takes all the excitement of a road race -- team tactics, climbs, descents, sharp turns, and sprints -- and concentrates it into an aggressive, high-speed race along a single, spectator-friendly urban block.

What makes the Ballard Crit so popular is a combination of a challenging course, a great crowd and good organization.

Mother Nature was kind to Ballard and the race drew top cyclists from the region and beyond to race the Ballard course which took them from Ballard Avenue down the descent on Vernon Place onto Shilshole Avenue and via a sketchy sharp turn on Dock Place back to the Ave where racers faced cobblestones and competition on their way to a sprint finish.

Thousands of spectators lined the street to feel the push of wind as the riders flew close enough to be touched.

With more than a few bars along the course, the Crit provided an afternoon of fun and excitement in historic Ballard.

Results:

Audi's Ian Tubbs won the Men's Pro 1/2
Revel Consulting Conor Klupar won Men's Category 3
UW's Ezra Kahn won the Men's Category 4/5
Pete Baughman from Slalom Consulting won the Master's Men 35+
Keller Rohrback's Jocelyn Setter won the Women's Pro 1/2 race
Anne Marie Kessler from Alki/Rubicon won the Women's Category 4