Spin cycle ...

My advance of the Gran Prix of Beverly for the Boston Globe on Aug. 1, 2010. Printed version can be found here.

Gran Prix promises a grand evening of bike racing

Take hundreds of bike racers, all pumping their legs at more than 100 revolutions per minute, pegging their heart rates at 200 beats per minute and hitting speeds of close to 40 miles an hour, combine them with a tight, technical course running along city streets and a raucous crowd toting cowbells, and you've got all the ingredients for one scintillating state championship.

This Wednesday, the heart of downtown Beverly will again be transformed into a race venue, as the 2nd annual Fidelity Investments Gran Prix of Beverly brings high-end criterium bike racing back to the Garden City. Last year's inaugural event proved such a success among racers, spectators and city officials that it was rescheduled to coincide with the 44th annual Beverly Homecoming, ensuring even bigger crowds. Another draw for elite racers is that USA Cycling, the sport's governing body, recently awarded the Gran Prix the title of state championship. It can also serve as a nice tune-up for the USA Cycling Pro Criterium National Championship being held on Aug. 14 in Illinois.

"Any time you have the word 'championship' attached to an event, it definitely makes you want to target it, makes you really try your best that night," said Tim Johnson of the UnitedHealthcare-Maxxis squad, a Middleton native now living in Beverly. "Being a state championship definitely puts the GP of Beverly on a higher plain than some other races."

Held on relatively short circuit course, a criterium features competitors constantly jockeying for position as they repeatedly circle past spectators at high speeds. Each race lasts between 40 minutes and an hour, and consists of several "races within a race," called primes (pronounced "preems"), resulting in non-stop, white-knuckle action. The race is expected to highlight a number of Beverly-based racers who've established themselves as top-flight riders on the national level, including Johnson, Jesse Anthony of Kelly Benefit Strategies, and Shawn Milne of Team Type 1. Add former Team Saturn stars Lyne Bessette (Johnson's wife) and Mark McCormack, Saugus native Maureen Bruno Roy of M&M Racing, and last year's winner, Benjamin Zawicki of Richmond Pro Cycling, and spectators can count on a exciting evening of racing.

"As a local, I'm partial to the Beverly Gran Prix, but even as a racer I have to admit that it is one very cool event," said Milne, a Gloucester native who now calls Beverly home. "There need to be more races that are oriented around local businesses. Coming through the start/finish line of last year's event was as exhilarating as any crit that I have done because the crowds were just amazing."

Those crowds are a welcome sight for city officials and race organizers, as both groups consider the event a win-win situation. "The city has embraced this event," said race director Paul Boudreau. "City officials have partnered with us throughout the planning process, and acted as a liaison between the race and businesses on the race course."

Local restaurants Soma and Mandrake were granted one-day licenses permitting sidewalk service alongside the racecourse, adding to the festival atmosphere, while nearby Chianti Tuscan Restaurant and Jazz Lounge is hosting a post-race party.

"It's desirable for a city to have activities that are unusual, special," said Beverly Mayor William Scanlon. "They were able to build a course that was short enough so you certainly didn't get bored. Seeing those racers coming around the corners and hitting the straightaway sections was really something.

"Now people know about it. All the people who saw the race last year will be coming back, and bringing more people with them," said Scanlon. "Last year, all the spectators were pretty much on the Cabot Street, but this year I'd expect to see more all around the loop."

That "loop," which incorporates Hale, Dane, and Winter streets as well as Cabot Street, also serves as a unusual attraction to both racers and spectators, says Boudreau. Most criterium races are held on giant ovals, similar to NASCAR races. The Gran Prix of Beverly, however, features six corners, more like a Formula 1 race, making for a much more challenging course that puts a premium on biking handling as well as pure speed.

Future cycling stars will also have a chance to shine, as organizers have scheduled free Kids Races (ages 5-12) at Beverly Common, followed by a Kids Parade down Cabot Street (these events are free, but require registration). The amateur men's race is set to start at 4:30. The women's state championship race is scheduled for 5:20, and the showcase elite men's state championship race slated for 6:35.

For details, visit granprixbeverly.com.

FINIS