PLAINFIELD, IL — A new cycling competition is coming to Plainfield Aug. 3, the Village Board decided.
Trustees voted 4-2 during their regular meeting Monday to approve the inaugural Commercial Street Criterium Cycling Race. Brian Wojowski and Cally Larson voted no, while Tom Ruane, Margie Bonuchi, Patricia Kalkanis and Richard Kiefer voted yes.
The organizer, Sean Metz of xXx Racing, intends to host several competitive individual cycling races beginning at 10 a.m. and lasting until 6:30 p.m. Metz expects more than 500 attendees watching the races, according to village documents.
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“I have gone to criterium races and it is a great spectator sport whether you’re into cycling or not,” Mayor John Argoudelis told Patch. “It offers our residents a very interesting sporting event right at home and gives people the opportunity to watch the race and walk uptown to grab a bite to eat and come back.”
Argoudelis likened the race to Nascar since each race will track how many times an hour a cyclist can go around the course — “they just keep going around and around,” he said.
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“It brings the most elite cyclists from across the country to Plainfield,” the mayor said.
Toward the end of the event, around 6 p.m., the course will turn into an open track, meaning cyclists of all ages — from young ones on tricycles to local professionals — can bring their bikes and test out the route.
The route will start on Commercial Street at the corner with Des Plaines Street, travel east to Illinois Street, go west on Ottawa Street to wrap around Village Green using Des Plaines, Chicago and Fos River streets before exiting back onto Ottawa Street, turning south on James Street and back onto Commercial Street.
With road closures lasting 9-10 hours, more than 100 residents within the route of the race won’t be able to drive to and from their homes. In light of this, residents were asked to leave their cars parked at Plainfield Central High School. But in emergencies, vehicles can exit their residences during the 10-minute breaks between races.
“The organizer has indicated that he has personally visited most of the residences and received an overwhelming support for the event,” the staff report reads.
Metz tapped Ten Drops Coffee, Altiro Latin Fusion, Moe Joe’s Cajun Food, Sovereign Tap, Atrevete Confections and Werkforce Brewing to sell food and beverages on race day.
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