Rogues Race...
By Patrick Rucker
Published January 10, 2005
Bike messengers and urban cyclists slog through first stage of the annual Tour da Chicago, an unsanctioned competition
Masterson, 24, of Milwaukee hadjust trounced more than 50 cyclists in the first stage of the Tour daChicago, an unsanctioned winter race that spans several Sundays andsends rogue bicyclists crisscrossing the city.
Clutching his $50 winner's purse, Masterson insisted that the competition was its own reward.
"Just to come down here and hang out, that is the appeal," saidMasterson, his face dirt-flecked. "It was exhilarating. Winning is justthe bonus."
Over the last several years, the friendlycompetition has escalated into a heated rivalry among the bikemessengers and cycling enthusiasts.
And while the Tour daChicago is a biker's delight, there's something in it, too, for thepedestrians and drivers who spot a mass of cyclists pedaling like maddown the middle of an icy street.
"It's their little peek intoa Chicago subculture," said Susan Peithman, 23, a student at theUniversity of Illinois at Chicago and one of the few female racers.
Sunday's contest started at 8:30 a.m. in the Logan Square neighborhood,at Boulevard Bikes, 2535 N. Kedzie Blvd., a sales and repair shop. Asrecords spun on the store's turntable, competitors chatted before therace.
"I've been in other alley cat[races], but this is the biggest," Ryan McLennan, 26, said of thecontest. "It's on the main roads but not really sanctioned. And it hasto remain relatively small. If it were in the summer, this would behuge and have too many people."
The cold temperatures and early hour mean that the Tour da Chicagodraws only the hardiest bikers, who earn points for how they place ineach leg.After sevenmore stages over seven more Sunday mornings, a winner will be crownedand walk away with a 7-year-old, heavily soiled biker's jersey and theenvy of his or her rivals. But first that person must compete in eventsthat involve more than pedal power.
The stages include a cycling scavenger hunt and a footrace while carrying a bike.
Mike Gipson, 29, a bike messenger, stood outside the shop momentsbefore the first heat began, sipping coffee, smoking a cigarette andchomping on an energy bar.
"About half of the people are messengers," he said. "But there are a lot of other good riders out here."
Sunday's event featured several elimination races around the NorthSide. Masterson, a computer programmer, bested a fellow Milwaukee riderand a former bike messenger from Oak Forest in a final dash aroundHumboldt Park.
At the next stage, all eyes will be on Masterson.
"He will definitely be the target," said Mike Morell, 27, who organizedSunday's race. "It's good-natured, but people are really trying towin."