A picture perfect wrap-up for Tour of Elk Grove -- and bright future ahead

The road to success for the Alexian Brothers Tour of Elk Grove has been a sprint rather than a marathon.

On Sunday, the fourth edition of the tour ended with enthusiastic bell-ringing crowds, perfect weather and a suspenseful climax to the third leg of the men's pro championship.

Crowning the triumph, it was announced this weekend Alexian Brothers has renewed its sponsorship for another three years. Another key sponsor, Gullo International Development Corp., also will renew, said Giovanni Gullo, company president and a longtime Elk Grove resident.

"This race is here to stay for a long time to come," Elk Grove Village Mayor Craig Johnson said. "It's free to come out and watch. We have a free concert on Friday and Saturday nights; we have fireworks; we have a kids' fest. It's really much more than just bicycle races. It's a true community event."

Jonathan Cantwell, of team Fly V Australia, squeezed past Ken Hanson of Team Type 1 and Sebastian Haedo of Colavita Sutterhome to win the Gullo International Stage 3 event in just over 2 hours and 21 minutes.

Hanson, whose team includes members with Type 1 diabetes, climbed back into the race after taking an early spill.

The overall winner of the Alexian Brothers Pro Men Criterium was Tasmanian Karl Menzies, representing the OUCH cycling team presented by Maxxis, with a three-day time of 6 hours, 3 minutes and 32 seconds. He earned $25,000 in prize money.

Less than 10 seconds separated Menzies from second-place-finisher Brent Bookwalter of BMC. Tom Zirbel of BISSELL placed third.

Menzies gave credit to the organizers, the sponsors and Johnson for the event's success. But he and the two runners-up paid the ultimate tribute to the fans as they showered them with champagne from the podium.

"It's great. That's why we do it. To get a win and spray some champagne in front of a crowd."

For the riders, the course was no leisurely ride down the bike path. Speeds reflecting the actual speed limit for cars along Elk Grove Boulevard were recorded by the side of the course. Riders had to negotiate a tricky U-turn and otherwise maintain their position in the pack with little wiggle room.

One of the riders, Chris Horner, who has been a teammate of Lance Armstrong and competed in the Tour de France, compared the Elk Grove event to the Tour de France, "This race is just another style of racing. When you have the mountains and the hills, it changes the tactics dramatically. Here, when you're racing in Elk Grove, there is no rest. There is no place where you can just sit back and relax and recover for two hours.

"Here in Elk Grove, it's just full gas the whole time, and that's why you see yesterday we finished that course in three hours and 30 minutes. (In the mountains), that could be a four-and-a-half-hour distance. Here you're always fighting for position on each of the corners."

For the spectators lining Elk Grove Boulevard, it was the equivalent of having a box seat behind the dugout at a major league baseball game. You could practically touch the riders as they turned onto Victoria Lane.

A number of spectators greeted the contestants with bells.

Bales of hay were strategically placed along the route - one leaning against a fire hydrant - to protect any riders who suffered a spill.

The homeowners in the neighborhood were clearly enjoying themselves, including John Connelly, who watched the race from his lawn while savoring a cigar. "It's a bike party for us. Friends and family all come here and enjoy the day." He said visitors to the event are welcome, such as the Australian guest who was treated to a round of Foster's.

Several businesses were on hand with promotional tents, among them Village CycleSport, which has locations in Elk Grove Village, Arlington Heights and Schaumburg.

Co-Owner Vince Boyer said, "It promotes cycling and it makes people aware of what bike racing is all about and how entertaining it can be. The Mayor's race has brought tons of new riders to the sport, because it's an entry-level event."

Contestants in the The Mayor's Challenge included not only Mayor Johnson but his friend, Palatine resident Mike McGehee, who competed with a glass eye, which replaced the right eye he lost to cancer.

He said he wasn't going to sit around on his couch feeling sorry for himself. "I've been an athlete my whole life, and I said, 'I can continue this, so I will.'"

<div class="infoBox"> <h1>More Coverage</h1> <div class="infoBoxContent"> <div class="infoArea"> <h2>Photo gallery</h2> <ul class="links"> <li><a href="/story/?id=310968">The event in pictures </li> </ul> </div> </div> </div>