Though plans have been in motion for months, some Lawrence merchants were surprised this week to find out that some downtown streets and parking lots will be closed Friday, May 13, for a national bicycle race.

“I hate to be cut off from both the front and the back,” said Tim Arensberg, whose shoe store at 825 Mass. will lose access to a parking lot in the back along Vermont Street. “I know that it’s going to be a day of business that’s basically lost.”

But race advocates noted that City Hall and Downtown Lawrence Inc. had both given approval for the event — and said the chance to showcase the city’s historic shopping area should offset any temporary costs.

Bob Sanner, director of conventions and sports for the Lawrence Convention & Visitors Bureau, said the National Collegiate Cycling Championships could bring between 1,500 and 2,000 spectators to town for the series of races May 13-15. He sent the April 1 letter to downtown merchants, telling them of the street-closing plans.

“I truly believe it is very prestigious for the community,” Sanner said. “I hope downtown as a whole is very excited about a national event coming to Lawrence.”

Events scheduled

The championships will have three main races:

• A criterium, May 13: Cyclists will race three laps through downtown Lawrence on a course that takes them along portions of Vermont, Massachusetts and New Hampshire streets, between Seventh and 10th streets.

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A criterium is a race of several laps on a closed course using public roads.

• Road race, May 14: Cyclists will take two or three laps — depending on their level of competition — along a 28-mile loop around Perry Lake.
• Time trial, May 15: Teams will compete along a 12-mile stretch of Kansas Highway 10 between U.S. Highways 40 and 59 west of Lawrence.

Officials have agreed to shut down the downtown streets from 3 a.m. to 3 p.m. May 13 for the criterium, Sanner said in his letter to merchants. DLI officials approved the request in January, followed by the City Commission in March.

“The event itself will be very exciting for our community and for downtown,” said Maria Martin, DLI director and owner of Southwest and More, 727 Mass.

Arensberg, though, was caught unawares. He said he doubted race spectators would be buying shoes, and expressed concern the street closure would cut him off from regular customers.

“No one approached me or asked me — I got a letter (from the visitors’ bureau) saying they’d work with me, but it looks like a done deal,” he said.

Pleasant surprise?

Sunflower Outdoor and Bike Shop, 802 Mass., is sponsoring the criterium. Owner Dan Hughes said concerned merchants should understand that racers and their fans will be around town for three days, not just during the downtown race.

“I think they’re going to be pleasantly surprised that extra people will be down here, and doing business, hopefully,” Hughes said.

Steve Wilson, manager of Kief’s Downtown Music, 825 Mass., was skeptical.

“Invariably, any kind of event downtown — parades, races, whatever — are business killers unless you’re selling coffee or soda,” he said. “On the other side of it, a lot of people get a positive association with downtown when they visit it and maybe they’ll come back.”

Other officials are counting on that possibility.

“It just brings a lot of good attention to our community,” Martin said. “It brings athletes to our community, people to our community.”

And Hughes said the one-day event wouldn’t be nearly as problematic as a downtown water line replacement project that will tear up some city streets starting this summer.

“One eight-hour stretch is nothing compared to what the water department is going to do for months and months and months,” Hughes said. “Nobody’s going to come downtown to see the water project.”