Emmaus One Lap Closer to Bicycling Races Downtown

The Emmaus Main Street Program has partnered with the National Cycling Association to organize the first championship cycling event to be held in Emmaus July 2.

Gene Clock, former president of EMSP and co-chair of the “Main Street Championship Cycling” event told Borough Council Monday night that this might be “the signature event” Emmaus has been looking for.

The event would run from 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. and include a parade and seven different events, from youth racing to men’s professional.

Jack Simes III, a former Olympic cyclist, told council members that the event would draw professional riders from five continents, about 200 to 250 cyclists, and EMSP estimates they would draw about 5,000 spectators.

Besides the bike races, Clock said there will be a hot dog eating contest behind Traub’s Doggie’s, live music, two beer trucks on the Triangle and a food court.

What’s next?

In order to make the event happen, the Borough needs to seek approval from PennDOT to close Main Street from Fifth Street to Klines Lane.

There would need to be an acceptable a detour route around town to make that happen. And that would probably include waiving the truck restrictions on Harrison Street for the day, council said.

Council Member Nathan Brown made the motion to seek approval from PennDOT, and the motion was unanimously passed.

Mayor Winfield Iobst would also have to approve closing down Main Street for the day. Iobst was not at the March 21 meeting.

If PennDOT does not approve the road closure, Simes said they will try again next year.

What type of racing?

The race is part of the 2011 USA Crits Championship Series , said Simes. Crits or criterium racing combines track racing with road racing, he said.

Racers compete on a closed circuit loop around city streets. The loop will be about .83 miles.

According to the presentation given to council, each race would start and end at South Mountain Cycles & Coffee, loop around the Triangle, back down Main Street, right on Second, left on Railroad, left on Keystone and back to Main Street.

There will be six licensed races, from junior riders who do 17 laps around the course, to professional women, 23 laps, and professional men, 46 laps.

Why Emmaus?

Simes said Emmaus would be a natural place for a Crit race because it is the home Bicycling Magazine, published by Rodale, Inc, which, he said, will be fully involved in the event.

Previously, too, Simes said Emmaus is a neat town that lends itself to criterium racing. 

"The course is important and the ambience of the community is important." He added there is  "almost a little European feel" to Emmaus.