Downtown will be filled with visitors, with and without bicycles, this Sunday, during the first Specialized Morgan Hill Grand Prix criterium bicycle event.
“We expect 2,000 spectators and 400-500 racers, both professional and amateur,” said Dan Craig, executive director of the Morgan Hill Downtown Association.
Organizers say there will be room for all and events for every age, gender and category including youngsters in this road cycling criterium.
Most races follow a 1.2-mile course for 30 to 75 minutes with racers competing for prizes ranging from $200 to $2,500. The kids races begin at 1:30pm, 400-meter events for youngsters in three age divisions.
Some of the more experienced adult racers compete nationally and internationally.
Craig is convinced that, this time, downtown merchants and restaurant owners will be pleased with the experience.
A bike race held 10 years ago failed to continue after its first year, mostly because the race was not handled properly and merchants were unhappy, he said.
“This time, everyone is aware of it,” Craig said.
Craig said he had walked the streets Monday, talking to as many merchants as he could find but couldn’t talk to those whose businesses weren’t open. Downtown businesses were to have received a mailed notice no later than Monday.
Brad Jones, who owns four business in the downtown including BookSmart, with his wife, Cinda, said he has definitely been notified.
“We’ve read about it in the paper, gotten mail, had phone calls, had stuff hand-delivered – it’s amazing,” Jones said. “They just keep hammering on us that it’s coming. We’re loaded for bear here. We’re expecting to have a huge Sunday.”
Diane Guertin, chef/ow-ner at Mushrooms on West Main Avenue said she had heard about the race and plans to roll with the punches.
“I was going to open early on Sunday and offer a couple of breakfast specials,” Guertin said. “The patio will be open and people can see the race from there.”
Guertin said she finds it encouraging to have the race downtown but said it will probably keep some regular customers away. But she does expect race spectators to stop in. Mushrooms is one block past the race route so customers can easily walk or park next to the restaurant.
Most restaurants will open for the day, some even setting tables outside to allow the new sport of dining while spectating and to expand seating possibilities. Besides Mushrooms and Izakaya, Rosy’s at the Beach, Sinaloa, the Vintage Pear, Sicilia in Bocca, the Flying Dragon, Chile’s Grill (formerly Quin’s), Just Breakfast, House of Bagels, Jumpin’ Juice and Java, Trail Dust and the House of Siam will all be open all or part of the day.
Ariadne Scott, a Specialized Bicycle employee who is helping to organize the race – Specialized is a major sponsor – said they have been talking to neighbors along the race route, distributing hanging tags on doorknobs announcing Sunday’s events. Scott said she has heard of no objections from residents.
Streets begin to be closed at 5:30am Sunday with full closure at 7am. The races start at 8am Sunday at Third and Monterey, going south on Monterey, east on Fourth, south on Depot, west on East Fifth Street, back up Monterey and up the West Third Street hill, down to Del Monte to West Main Avenue and back to Monterey to the Third Street finish line.
Racing ends at 4:30pm and cleanup begins.
As with other big downtown events, the Fourth of July Parade and the Taste of Morgan Hill, motorists find plenty of parking in the Caltrain lot and along city streets.
Carol Holzgrafe covers City Hall for The Times. She can be reached by e-mail at [email protected] or phoning (408) 779-4106 Ext. 201.
