As anyone who has attended sporting events down at Shea Stadium knows, that is not exactly the expected reaction to the weather conditions that normally exist.

But, yes, that statement was actually uttered by spectators at Shea Stadium Sunday during unusually balmy weather during the 14th Annual Army Cycling Classic.

Army hosted more than 20 collegiate cycling teams and hundreds of riders in the final tune-up before the Eastern Cycling Championships at the University of Vermont this weekend.

Army senior road captain Craig Milliron said the weather was the best he has seen during his four years at West Point.

The road race at Harriman State Park Saturday was a little wet early, but dried up quickly, Milliron said.

"It was a beautiful weekend for racing," he added.

Sunday’s heat, as much as 80 degrees during the team time trials in the afternoon, was bearable due to the intermittent breeze that kept the heat from becoming oppressive.

The highlight of the weekend for riders and fans alike was the criterium around Shea Stadium. In past years the crit was held out at Camp Buckner along with the time trials.

Milliron said it was moved to Shea after the repaving of Townsley Road that runs behind the stadium and in the hopes that it would draw increased community support for the team.

Sophomore Leona Kutski (left) and senior Craig Milliron zip around Shea Stadium during their respective criterium races.

While community support may not have been what the team hoped for during a busy spring weekend, the new venue for the crit drew rave reviews.

"This is the best place for the criterium," Ron Haldeman said. His son Ben raced for Penn State over the weekend.

"This venue is lovely. You can see everything," he said from his perch looking down from atop the upper tier of seats at Shea as a pack of riders whizzed by below.

"The teams are close together, so there is interaction between them," Haldeman said. "It is a great, friendly weekend."

University of Vermont senior rider Bill Lockwood has been coming to Army cycling events for four years. He enjoyed the crit course, too, but really appreciated the fact that Army still offers a time trial.

"We don’t have too many time trials anymore," Lockwood said. "(They) are really fun and important."

At Easterns this weekend, Vermont will hold a road race, team time trial and a criterium.

Milliron said Army, which competes at the Division II level in cycling, had a solid hold on second place within the Eastern Collegiate Cycling Conference going into the weekend. He didn’t expect Army’s position to change after the Classic.

For complete race results go to the Army cycling web page at http://www.usma.edu/uscc/dca/clubs/cycl/default.htm.