Whaling City Cyclone puts NL on bike racing's map

New London - Philippe Adcock, a Belgian immigrant who runs Jacques Fruit Store, was beyond excited when he learned that a team of six Dutch cyclists would be at Fort Trumbull on Sunday, competing in a race that is quickly growing in stature in the biking community.

"It's not good, it's great," said Adcock, who brought two boxes of fresh oranges to the Dutch squad, which is in the area for a series of races this month. "No, it's very great. It's extraordinary."

Adcock, who cheered for "my European neighbors," was one of many spectators who were at Fort Trumbull for the third annual Whaling City Cyclone, a day-long series of races that draws cyclists from the area and across New England.

"I'm too old to do that," Adcock said. "If I was 33, maybe. But just to watch, that was exceptional."

The race, organized by promoter Bill Humphreys and hosted by a local team, Mystic Velos, follows a one-kilometer loop around Fort Trumbull, a tight, hilly course buffeted by a steady breeze from Long Island Sound. The races started at 8:30 a.m. and culminated in the late afternoon, with the 35-mile pro race.

The race serves to both promote the sport in the region and to promote the region as a tourist and business destination, Humphreys said. It was sponsored by the City of New London and about 30 area businesses.

"I really try to involve the community and try to market a real professional production," Humphreys said. "It's an education process."

After its early success, Humphreys said he wanted to raise the stakes, inviting the team of six prominent Dutch cyclists.

"After two years of running the race and seeing that the nuts and bolts worked, I said, 'Let's take it up a notch, let's take it up to the next level,' " Humphreys said. "This is the first step toward expanding the sport."

On Friday, New London Mayor Rob Pero hosted a reception for the Dutch team, The Flying Dutchmen, and on Sunday, State Rep. Ernie Hewitt, D-New London, praised the race organizers, city officials and local businesses who supported the Whaling City Cyclone.

At its peak, a few hundred spectators lined the course, most of them concentrated at the finish line, where Humphreys and Paul Nixon provided commentary on the races.

After the race, Nixon said the Whaling City Cyclone race has helped raised the profile of New London as a racing venue.

"Bill Humphreys has just done a great job with this race," said Nixon, who runs StartFinish Productions. "He keeps stepping it up. The first race was great and it just keeps getting better each year."

In addition to the day's races, the local Kiwanis International chapter held a bike safety rodeo in an empty parking lot, setting up a course with orange cones and giving free helmets to children who participated.

"This race is helping the City of New London raise awareness of cycling and, with that, making the roads safer for all cyclists," Nixon said.