News

Tour of Elk Grove offers three days of competitive riding, community events

Posted July 28, 2010 11:00 pm

More than 1,000 cyclists and hundreds of spectators will swarm to Elk Grove Village this weekend for the fifth Alexian Brothers Tour of Elk Grove.

The three-day event - Friday, July 30, to Sunday, Aug. 1, - boasts the largest purse in North America for a professional men's cycling race. The 3-stage Men's Pro Race held over all three days comes with $120,000 in total prize money, Elk Grove Mayor Craig Johnson said.

Tour of Elk Grove is also on the National Racing Calendar of USA Cycling, the sanctioning body for competitive cycling in the U.S.

Click to enlargeThe event features 15 races for professional and amateur cyclists and a total prize purse of $150,000. The Tour is presented by Alexian Brothers Medical Center.But there's more to enjoy than merely cycling. Residents can attend two block parties on Friday and Saturday nights, with live concerts and fireworks each night."It's a true community event for three days," Johnson said. "We still have the food fest every day for the races, sports expo area where different vendors and sponsors come. It's not all about bike racing."The event includes a kids' fest sponsored by the Elk Grove Bank and Trust, a Trustees' Fun Ride and the Mayor's Challenge race, which isn't for slouches since the mayor it is named for is an accomplished racer himself.Spectators can view the entire men's criterium race on two Jumbotrons.Johnson said it takes a lot of volunteers to put on the race each year, including several of his family members who are helping organize this year's events since he injured himself in a bicycle accident."It's a lot of work by a lot of family members, but it puts on a great event for the community," he said.Weekend of racingTour of Elk Grove races will be from 4-6:30 p.m. Friday; 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday; and 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday. The center of the action is Elk Grove Boulevard at Ridge. The start/finish line is there, plus viewing areas and a sports/food/merchant expo and kids' area.Men's 3-day pro racebull; Stage 1: 4.5-mile time trial at 5:30 p.m. Friday bull; Stage 2: 150K (93-mile) road race on the streets of Elk Grove Village at 4 p.m. Saturdaybull; Stage 3: The final 110K (68.2-mile) criterium, a race held in a closed circuit loop starting at 3 p.m. SundayOther top racesbull; Men's Category 1/2 - features races on both Saturday and Sunday and a total of $15,500 in prize moneybull; Two women's Category 1/2/3 races Saturday and Sunday with a total prize purse of $6,500.Other features bull; Community block parties with free admission Friday and Saturday evenings featuring food, meet-and-greet with riders, live music and fireworks at dark. bull; Entertainment provided by party band Rock Candy performing Friday night, and '80s tribute band 16 Candles performing Saturday. bull; tourofelkgrove.com or (773) 868-3010.Community cycling eventsMayor's Challenge: 10 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 1bull; Distance: 5 lapsbull; Entry fee: Free; registration requiredbull; Team size: 3-5 riders allowed; teams can be male, female and coed; number of teams capped at 30bull; Check-in: Riders must check in at Race Day registration to pick up their bib numbers; no race day registration.bull; No category or triathlete riders allowed. Anyone who has ridden in a category event in the last 5 years (names will be checked against the USA Cycling and U.S. Triathlete databases). Active triathletes cannot compete.bull; Results: The rider who finishes in third place per team will determine the team's overall time. The overall team winner will be determined on the best team time.Trustees' Fun Ride: 12:30 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 1Distance: 1 lapEntry Fee: Free Daily scheduleFriday, July 30 4 p.m. Charity Time Trial, 4.5 miles; medals.5:30 p.m. Men's Pro (Stage 1) Time Trial*, 4.5 miles; $10,000 purse.7-10 p.m. Community block party with music, food, fireworks. Saturday, July 31 9 a.m. Men's Category 5 (Heat 1) 20 mins + 1 lap; awards 9:30 a.m. Men's Category 5 (Heat 2) 20 mins + 1 lap; awards 10 a.m. Women's (Category 3-4) 30 mins + 1 lap; $1,000 purse10:45 a.m. Men's Category 4 25 mins + 1 lap; $1,500 purse11:30 a.m. Men's Category 3 60 minutes + 1 lap; $2,500 12:45 p.m. Women's (Category 1, 2, 3) 50 minutes + 1 lap; $2,500 1:45 p.m. Men's Category 1/2 70K (43.4 miles); $7,000 4 p.m. Men's Pro (Stage 2) Road Stage* 150K (93 miles); $31,0007-10 p.m. Community block party with music, food, fireworks Sunday, August 1 8:30 a.m. Master's Men Category 5 (35+) 20 mins + 1 lap; awards 9 a.m. Master's Men Category 3/4 (35+) 45 mins + 1 lap; $2,000 10 a.m. Mayor's Challenge, 5 laps; team awards 10:30 a.m. Master's Men Category 1/2 (35+) 50 mins + 1 lap; $3,00011:30 a.m. Women's (Category 1/2/3) 50 mins + 1 lap; $4,000 12:30 p.m. Village Trustees' Fun Ride, 1 lap 12:45 p.m. Kids' Big Wheel Race 1:15 p.m. Men's Category 1/2 80K (49.6 miles); $8,500 3 p.m. Men's Pro (Stage 3) Criterium*, 110K (68.2 miles); $26,000* Legs of the 3-Stage Pro Men's competition

Article Comments

Article Categories
Communities Cook County Counties Cycling Elk Grove Village News Sports Sports Types