Saline Set for Tour of Washtenaw Bike Race

Cyclists from all over the region will be in Saline Saturday for the inaugural Tour of Washtenaw race.

Billed by organizers as a "Midwest Epic," the event is the second stop on the Great American Cycling Series of events, which also includes events near Albany, N.Y., and Vail, Colo., among others.

There are six races, with the first starting at 11:20 a.m. and the last starting at 12:40 p.m.

The 55 and 80-mile courses begin at Liberty School and finish at the corner of South Ann Arbor and Henry Streets. The first bikes are expected to cross the finish line shortly before 2 p.m.

Joe Lekovish described the course.

"It was cold and it was raining, but the 55-mile loop will definitely live up to it's billing as epic," he wrote in a post on the race's Facebook page. "This will definitely be a race for the strongmen (and women)."

The event was originally planned as part of a three-day series of races that included Friday and Sunday events in Ann Arbor. Those events were called off due to the number of construction projects taking place in the city.

The City of Saline quickly lent its support to the race. Members of city council voted to let the race use its streets, hoping that it would bring customers to the downtown shops. The race is expected to draw 300-500 cyclists, many of whom will bring friends or family to town

There is a Bike Expo being held in the South Ann Arbor Street parking lot from 10:30 a.m. until 6 p.m. The expo features music, food served by the Kiwanis and Lions Clubs, a beverage tent which will serve beer and wine, inflatable rides for kids, a kids' bike rodeo and bicycle riding instruction for kids. There will also be several bicycle-related vendors on hand at the expo.

Local restaurants are hoping to cash in on the activity. Brecon Grille is offering 15 percent off to all cyclists. Mac's Acadian Seafood Shack is offering 10 percent off for cyclists.

Mac's owner Bob Rash said he thought bringing a race to town was a great idea.

"It looks like they've set up a great race in the countryside that ends up downtown," he said. "Anything that increases foot traffic on the weekends is a good thing."

Josh Evans, who is the bar manager at Brecon Grille, is an enthusiastic cyclist. He has high hopes for the event and said he believes Saline and Washtenaw County can support a thriving cyclist event. But Evans pulled out of Saturday’s race.

"It's a great idea, with all the cyclists in this town and nearby. But this race seems very last-minute. A lot of people don't know about it," said Evans, who said that he and many of his fellow riders decided against the race because so much of it takes place on dirt roads. "The dirt road portions are brutal. Recreational riders who go and spend a couple grand on a bike aren't going to want to ride on these dirty roads on a wet and rainy day with all those potholes. This course is a real ripper."

Evans said he would "do it in a second" if the entire course was paved and thoat Saturday's competitors will be pretty hardcore. 

"Whoever rips through that course is a heck of a cyclist," Evans said.

He hopes the event returns in 2012 with more publicity and with events on Ann Arbor's paved streets.

Here are the expected times of the starts and finishes of Saturday's race:

• Masters 30/40 — Start at 11:20 a.m. with a finish at approximately 1:53 p.m.

• Category 3/4 — Start at 11:40 a.m. with a finish at approximately 2:17 p.m.

• Masters 50/60 — Start at 11:50 a.m. with a finish at approximately 2:35 p.m.

• Category 5 — Start at noon with a finish at approximately 2:53 p.m.

• Women's Pro (1/2/3/4) — Start at 12:20 p.m. with a finish at approximately 3:23 p.m.

• Men's Pro (1/2) — Starts at 12:40 p.m. with a finish at approximately 4 p.m.