Longer racecourse expected for cycling event in West Dundee

A Chicago-area cycling series will return to downtown West Dundee this summer, this time with a longer racecourse and greater community involvement.

A West Dundee criterium was first added to the Intelligentsia Cup schedule last year, when it drew about 400 cyclists who competed throughout the day in timed races on a closed course, said Executive Director Marco Colbert.

Pointing to the inaugural event's success and the area's unique topography, organizers will bring the race back to the village July 19 as part of the 2017 series, which is expected to include 10 stops.

"The popularity of this event should grow," Colbert said. "Racers enjoyed the racecourse very much."

Cyclists last year looped around a 0.7-mile course that covered Lincoln Avenue, Fourth Street, Geneva Street, Sixth Street and Washington Street, where they had to ride up a steep hill. Though a welcomed challenge, he said, that section of the course often became taxing on the cyclists because of how many times they encountered the hill during a single timed race.

This year, the village board has agreed to let organizers extend the racecourse another four blocks to also loop around Geneva, Seventh, Kane and Sixth streets.

"It's to give the racers a little bit of a break so they're not confronting the hill so frequently," Colbert said. "Bike racers love the challenge of it, and it's very hard to get a nice incline like that around the Chicago area, so it's very appealing."

However, the new layout means another four blocks of residents will have limited access to their houses during the day, Trustee Dan Wilbrandt said.

"I want the race to be here, don't get me wrong," he said. "But it's a business day, so if (residents) have to come and go during working hours and they're impacted by the bike race, we're going to be putting them out."

Last year, special parking areas were set aside for residents with houses along the race route. Organizers said they would work with the village to come up with a similar solution and would do their best to accommodate concerned residents.

Throughout the day, spectators typically line up along the route to watch the fast-pace races, Colbert said. Trustee Thomas Price said several houses along the racecourse held viewing parties in their yards last year.

The races, which range from 30 to 90 minutes long, begin about 10 a.m. and continue until 8 p.m., organizers said.

Village Manager Joe Cavallaro said West Dundee also wants to host a community event at the nearby Grafelman Park in conjunction with the bike race. Trustees decided to allot $1,000 toward such a festival, which would involve downtown businesses and other community organizations.

The village board also agreed to budget a maximum of $5,000 for sponsorship of the bike race.

"Now we have a better idea of how we can participate, how we can market," Cavallaro said. "We can do a better job this year."