Bicycle races for spectators are best enjoyed as a pedestrian or a cyclist, so if you are able, leave your car at home today. Grab your friends, pack a snack, and head off to your vantage point. Remember to take your litter with you and dispose of it in proper garbage or recycling containers after the race.
The best locations to watch the Sunday, June 22 Road Race are;
The best way to get to these points is to walk or bicycle as there will be traffic delays during the race and it helps alleviate some of the congestion and is safer for the riders. Please park in designated areas as there is no off-road parking allowed. Details for each of the races and race course maps are also available to help you plan your race watching strategy.
For spectators, the athletes in bicycle races are close enough to touch but don’t touch them as they may be penalized. Remember to keep a close eye on children and leashes on the dogs; actually dogs probably prefer the comforts of home as opposed to hot asphalt on their toes.
Historically, going out the bike race has been primarily a social event for the spectator and a chance for the local community to show the pride they have in their community. Arguably the world’s best cycling fans are the Italian “Tifosi”, who even have a Patron Saint of Cycling:
As the story spread, the Madonna del Ghisallo became known as patroness of local travellers. In more recent times, cyclists would often stop to rest and pray at the chapel, which is a local landmark, and is at the top of a steep hill. After World War II, Father Ermelindo Vigano, pastor at the shrine, proposed Ghisallo as the site of an Italian shrine for bicyclists, and she was given as patroness of cyclists on 13 October 1949 by Pope Pius XII. The chapel has become part religious shrine, part cycling museum, with artifacts and photos from the sport. There is an eternal flame that burns there in memory of the cyclists of are no longer with us, and services each Christmas Eve and the Feast of All Souls commemorate them.
So please come out, enjoy the races and meet the racers, relax in the day, and let the racers “suffer like the dogs”, as cycling commentator Phil Legget likes to say.