Beloit gets in gear for bike race
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BELOIT — Bicycle racers from around the world will converge in downtown Beloit on Thursday as part of a 17-day, 13-city international racing series.
The International Cycling Classic and Super Week Pro Tour professional bicycle races started Friday in Chicago and will continue over the next two weeks as the series makes its way to the Milwaukee area.
Each day's race is a little different, said Therese Oldenburg, an event organizer with Be Active Outdoors in Beloit, the local group organizing Thursday's events. Beloit's race is a criterium, which is an eight-tenths mile loop around downtown with race distances from 20 to 62 miles.
That offers an exciting experience for spectators because they're continuously seeing the racers, she said.
"At any point, you'll see excitement," she said.
The most fun will be at the finish line at State Street and Grand Avenue, she said.
Former professional cyclist and coach Mike Norton, who is helping organize the event, said he wanted to bring the race to Beloit to showcase the city's revitalization.
"What they've done to their city is perfect for a bike race," he said.
He's hoping to bring the event back next year for two days in Rock County.
Organizers expect more than 500 racers in the 17-day series, including several that will head off to the 2012 Olympics in London. Norton estimated four to eight Olympic hopefuls could be headed for Beloit.
Races start at 10 a.m. Thursday for the "weekend warriors," followed by intermediate racers, ending with the 100 kilometer (62 mile) professional race at 5:45 p.m. The pro race is about 75 laps and will take about two hours with racers reaching 30 mph, organizers said.
The public can test the race course in the Be Active Outdoors Community Challenge Ride at 5:15 p.m. The fundraiser will be three loops of the course. A free youth fun ride follows at 5:30 p.m.
TO LEARN MORE
For more information on the International Cycling Classic and Super Week Pro Tour professional bicycle races in downtown Beloit on Thursday, visit beactiveoutdoors.org. A detailed map is at bit.ly/BeloitBikeRaceMap.
Jul 11, 2012 at 2:03 p.m.
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I had a chance to speak with the race organizer and he was working with the local Beloit hotels to get a good deal on the pricing as most likely the racers would just commute to where ever they could stay the cheapest overall. From what I gathered he was a local resident that was organizing the Beloit race.
Jul 11, 2012 at 6:58 a.m.
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Very cool idea, I have been involved in bicycle racing in another state these events are great entertainment in a community like Beloit, nice to see that city really making a turn around.
Jul 10, 2012 at 9:02 p.m.
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This is a great event for the Beloit area and I know the Race Organizer is looking to try to bring an event to Janesville as well next year. The economic impact from these races are huge. A good friend of mine is the race director in Sheboygan for their offroad bike race and they figure it brings the city an extra 200 people for the 2 days and also helps bring in an extra 100000 dollars being spent in the area over the 2 day race. With the Superweek Race most of these racers will need over night Hotels and such which is all money that would come directly to our community not to mention the way racers eat. So our Resturants will have pleanty to be happy about as well. By the Way this does not have to cost the tax payer a dime.
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