Bicycle racers whiz through Mundelein in the Chicago Grit series

The fourth in a series of 10 consecutive days of high-speed bicycle racing drew competitors from around the world to Mundelein Monday.

The Chicago Grit, formerly named the Intelligensia Cup, pedals through nine suburban towns and finishes in Chicago on July 28.

The Mundelein Tighthead Grand Prix, like the other nine race days, features 10 races from novice to professionals. Races last about 40 minutes and consist of multiple laps of racing on downtown streets. Most of the races have a cash prize for the top finishers and a “family fun ride” is part of the schedule in Mundelein. Some of the professional riders are former Olympians.

The Chicago Grit is the largest road racing series in the country and last year attracted more than 5,400 racers from 47 states and 17 international countries.

The Mundelein racecourse features a 1.16-mile loop with five technically challenging 90-degree turns and a tight left-turn loop through the downtown municipal center area.

While spectators lined the entire course, they also spent time eating at local food booths, making sidewalk chalk drawings and playing yard games in parking lots near the finish line.