Bikers to snake their way around eastern Iowa town

What’s said to be the most crooked street in the world sounds like just the type of place to avoid, especially if you’re on a bicycle. Still, hundreds of cyclists from across North America are headed to southeast Iowa’s Snake Alley Criterium in Burlington this weekend.Newt Colburn is the promoter of the Snake Alley rally. The race course runs eight-tenths of a mile through downtown Burlington and includes the infamous Snake Alley. That brick-paved street has five curves within one block at a steep 12-and-a-half percent grade.Colburn says the challenge of completing the difficult circuit is what lures most bicycle racers to Burlington for this event.He says the reigning national champion for road racing will be among the participants in the “pro-one-two” competition, during which racers will have to go -up- Snake Alley 20 times. Colburn says the first race is Saturday morning and is for less-experienced bikers.Eastern Iowa is the place to be for bikers this weekend. The Melon City Criterium will be held Sunday in Muscatine while the Quad City Criterium is scheduled for Monday in Rock Island, Illinois.