Bike races get off to flying start / LJWorld.com

Archive for Saturday, July 4, 2009

By Mark Boyle

Tonight a group of pro bikers converged on Lawrence for some exciting action.

By Annalise Flynn

July 4, 2009

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Tour of Lawrence 2009

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Hundreds participate in Tour of Lawrence

Hundreds of cyclists participated in speed sprints Friday night in downtown Lawrence. Enlarge video

There was a strong wind and a threat of rain, but that did not stop spectators from gathering in full force to watch the first leg of the inaugural Tour of Lawrence on Friday night.

Lawrence native and biking enthusiast Terry Sutcliffe perched on the corner of Seventh and Massachusetts streets, the finish line, about an hour before the cycling even started around 7:30 p.m.

“This is acceleration from down low up to here so it’ll be interesting to see what speeds they can get in such a short distance,” Sutcliffe said about the Street Sprints race.

Matt Mckillip, a construction coordinator, also was at Seventh and Mass., which he said was the perfect viewing spot for what he expected to be a fast-paced race. “This will definitely be the best place to watch. … By the time they get up here, the pros will be going in the 35 to 40 mile per hour range,” he explained.

The gathering crowd was warned of the possibility of rain, but event organizer Bob Sanner said unless there was a public safety issue like lightning or a tornado, the racing would go as planned.

Sutcliffe said getting a little wet should not bother the cyclists too much. “These guys are experienced, and they’ve ridden in all kinds of conditions, and rain is just one of the things that they know how to deal with,” Sutcliffe said.

Rain fell on the event only briefly — prompting a few competitors to drop out – but lightning was streaking across the skies as the event wrapped up a little before 11 p.m. The lateness of the event, more than the weather, may have altered some of the cyclists’ post-race plans.

“I’ve never been here before so I want to go see the town a little bit,” racer Joshua Carter of Wichita Falls, Texas, said before the men’s competition began.