Australian Cantwell wins Tour of Elk Grove
The Alexian Brothers Tour of Elk Grove may not have had Lance Armstrong.
But it had everything else you need for a major bicycle race, with the bonus of the appeal of a neighborhood block party.
Many of the sport's top names graced the field for this weekend's event, including Chris Horner, No. 1 ranked American, winner of this year's Tour of the Basque Country and the 10th-place finisher at the Tour de France. Horner finished in the top five and came close to winning Sunday's race.
That race was won by Australia's Jonathan Cantwell, representing Fly V Australia. Cantwell took the overall honors, walking away with an $18,000 check, in addition to the $6,000 he pocketed for winning Sunday's event.
Canadian David Veilleux of Kelly Benefits Strategy took second in Sunday's race, while Carlos Ospina of the Colombian National Team took third.
In the overall, Cantwell finished first, while Veilleux earned second. Last year's overall winner, Karl Menzies of the UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team, took third overall. Fourth place went to Jelly Belly's Michael Freedman, the 2007 winner. Horner took fifth.
"The course is what makes the race really exciting. It's really technical. The mayor does a really good job of making it hard. The turns make it a whole lot harder, because you got to accelerate in and out of them so hard all day long," said Horner, who represented the team from Radio Shack.
Elk Grove Mayor Craig Johnson said the number of riders was up 20 percent this year.
"We'll be well over 1,000 riders this weekend, which will be a record number for us. But that's not surprising. One, we're well established now, and, two, a lot of races have been dropping," including Chicago and Downers Grove. "In this economy, there are less rides going on, so riders are looking for more events to be in, so that helps us."
Also, he said, there is a bigger turnout of pro riders.
And although the economy did force Elk Grove to cut back a little bit on its investment in the event, "We're very fortunate. Our sponsors stepped up," he said.
The end of the race was marred when one of the riders lost control, hopped a curb on Elk Grove Boulevard and landed into three onlookers. One of them, John Connelly, said his leg was cut below the knee. The other two, he said, were taken away by ambulance for a routine check.
"The bike and the rider took me out and threw me in the air and then I came down. He hit my buddy and his wife and he hit me. And he ended up at the end of the driveway."
The rider was also taken away by ambulance.
One witness, Nancy Bayus, said the rider's tire blew.
"You heard the pop, and people started flying," she said.
Throughout Sunday, a festive atmosphere pervaded the streets surrounding the main stage on Elk Grove Boulevard. The street corners were protected by haystacks and lined with portable toilets.
Homeowners watched the race from tents, blankets or tables placed on their driveways.
Many of the locals displayed signs, vying for prize money offered by the village for the best one. One resident, Joe Acino, said he and his brother spent four hours fashioning a big sign on his lawn reading, "Welcome 2 EGV We (Heart) Spandex."
"It's pretty cool, interesting. A different experience," said Acino of the race. He said he hosted 35 to 40 people for a party during Saturday's festivities.
On Sunday, the sound of the public address system vied with the usual sounds of cicadas and airplanes.
And at the busy intersection of Elk Grove Boulevard and Victoria Lane, Ed Stawicki and his daughter, Melissa Stawicki, a sophomore at St. Viator, were stationed beneath a tent by their house, selling candy and chips to benefit the soccer team.
"It's something different in the neighborhood. It brings the village together. Last night's party, there was probably a couple thousand people outside here. I see people I don't normally see.
"It's a great group of people," he said of the bicyclists, who, he said, stop by and say hello to the children.
Other residents barbecued, washing down their culinary creations with some cold brew.
Carrie Valentino, who lives on Maple Lane, encouraged the cyclists with a cowbell, while husband Mark Valentino would shout out at a pack of cyclists how far they were behind the leaders.
Carrie said she is a fan of the Jelly Belly team and was routing for Jelly Belly's Michael Freedman, who finished in the top five.
Alluding to the fact that homeowners on the route needed to move their cars early if they wanted to use them, Mark said, "Plus we have no choice. Our cars are trapped in the driveway. We're kind of a captive audience."
But Carrie said, "We get to hang with our neighbors and have fun."
Earlier in the day, on the bleachers along Elk Grove Boulevard, spectators cheered on family members for some of the early events. They included Kim Christiansen of Mount Prospect, whose husband Eric was racing in the ManorCare Health Services Masters 35+ 3/4 race. She said bicycles have been a lifelong passion for her husband, although they generally don't ride together. "He's too fast for me."
Eric's brother David Christiansen, of St. Charles, was also among the enthusiastic crowd.
"When he was 10 years old, he was riding bikes all the time, and he was customizing his bikes. That's when Stingrays were cool," David said.
Kim said it was her husband's fourth time at Elk Grove. She said he races throughout the Midwest.
Last year at Elk Grove, she said, he was slightly injured. "His bike broke on the first turn. His chain popped. They fixed him up and shoved him back out there."
Kim said, "This is extremely organized, and I think it is well-received by the community."
One racer, 22-year-old Matt Billick, a student at the University of Illinois, rushed home from his summer studies in Japan to participate, said his mother, Diane Billick, from Roselle.
"He came back early just to be (in the race)."
Diane Billick said Matt has been riding with Illini 4000, a cross-country race, raising money for cancer research.
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<h1>More Coverage</h1>
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<h2>Photo Galleries</h2>
<ul class="gallery">
<li><a href="/story/?id=397869">Images from Sunday's Tour of Elk Grove </a></li>
<li><a href="/story/?id=397782">Images from Sat.'s Tour of Elk Grove </a></li>
<li><a href="/story/?id=397702">Images from Friday's Tour of Elk Grove </a></li>
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<h2>Related links</h2>
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<li><a href="http://www.tourofelkgrove.com/results_photos.cfm" target="new">Tour of Elk Grove results</a></li>
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<h2>Stories</h2>
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<li><a href="/story/?id=397370">Breaking down the Tour of Elk Grove road course<span class="date"> [7/29/10]</span></a></li>
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