Mundelein hopes summer cycling event brings 'block party' feeling downtown
Mundelein will host a colorful, fast-paced event this summer featuring a full day of amateur and professional bicycle racing.
Hundreds of riders will be in town July 19 as part of the Intelligentsia Cup road racing series held over 10 days in different locations.
"They're going to see people whipping through the course at incredible speed," said Taylor Wegrzyn, a village planner and avid cyclist. He advanced the idea as something fun and different for the village to build around.
"It will definitely be something new for our community," Mayor Steve Lentz said. "It will be exciting to watch."
The Mundelein Grand Prix presented by Lennar will be the centerpiece of the event, but the village is planning a full slate of accompanying activities in the downtown area.
A beer garden, live music in the Park Street outdoor dining area, children's games, a community ride, chalk art and a bike decorating contest are in the works to provide the community with a day of fun and attract potential clients and customers for local businesses.
The Intelligentsia Cup would have celebrated its 10th year last year but was canceled due to the pandemic. Other locations this year are West Dundee, Glen Ellyn, Lombard, Elgin, Lake Bluff, the South Chicago neighborhood of Chicago, and West Fulton Market in Chicago.
Wegrzyn had his light bulb moment attending the races in Lake Bluff.
"I think it was the block party feeling and the way the community came out and supported it," he said. "It was more than an athletic event."
Wegrzyn said he approached organizers about a year ago. Because of COVID-related cancellations, there were spots in the 2021 series for Mundelein and Winfield.
"Our events are very spectator-friendly," said Marc "Marco" Colbert, race director for the Intelligentsia Cup. "Ninety percent of the people who haven't seen it before really enjoy it."
"In a way, the bike race is not the star," Colbert said. "The star in each venue is what the folks do in their towns."
Multiple races with riders of varying skills are held back to back in what is known as a criterium format, with racers completing the short course as many times as possible in an allotted time. Mundelein's course is about seven tenths of a mile.
In 2019, riders in the series came from 40 states and 20 foreign countries, according to Colbert.
Intelligentsia Cup was named the largest road racing series in the country that year based on entries. On a typical weekday, 450 to 550 riders participated, with 600 to 700 on weekends, he said.
"It's like a bike race in a box. We bring everything that's necessary for a successful bike race," Colbert said.
There will be no charge to watch. Mundelein is expecting 1,000 to 2,000 spectators for the inaugural event.
"It just felt lively," Wegrzyn said of his experience in Lake Bluff. "We have a lot of families in Mundelein (and) we have a lot of avid bikers."