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SPORTS / WEDNESDAY, JULY 7, 2010 / THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN / KANSAN.COM
Ryan Waggoner/KANSAN
Spencer Martin (front in blue shirt), a senior from Lawrence, races down Memorial Drive on Saturday during the KU Campus Circuit portion of the Tour of Lawrence. Martin competed in the Category 3 men's race on Saturday, taking 20th place.
TOUR (CONTINUED FROM 25)
est of the three courses. The course starts in front of Wescoe Hall, loops down toward Memorial Stadium, back up to West Campus Road, down by Allen Fieldhouse, then back up the hill to finish where it started. It's just
shy of four miles long and has more than 350 feet of climbing.
"The KU campus race is what we consider the crown jewel of the three races we offer." Bob Sanner, event coordinator, said. "It's such a tremendous backdrop."
Martin finished 20th.
land."
He said, in hindsight, he was happy with his performance. Sunday was more frustrating for the senior rider, though. With only a few laps remaining in the Downtown Criterium,
"The KU campus race is what we consider the crown jewel of the three races we offer. It's such a tremendous backdrop."
BOB SANNER Tour of Lawrence event coordinator
"I was really hoping to potentially win," he said. "I just didn't have the legs early on in the race. You just get dropped onto these huge hills and all of a sudden you're stuck in no man's
Martin was part of a huge pileup and crashed out of the race.
"The first half of the race it was dry." Martin said. "There were no wrecks at all, then it started to rain. It got really slick almost immediately. About five or six minutes after
the rain started, going around a turn about half the field just crashed out
The brutal turn was a frustrating finish for Martin, but he said held "definitely" be back for another round next July.
STRONG FINISH
Ryan Waggoner/KANSAN
Andrew Dahlheim, of Richardson, Texas, raises his hands as he crosses the finish line during the final of the Eldridge Hotel Street Sprints Friday night. Dahlheim took third in the men's division.
Bike race brings more traffic for downtown businesses
BY MEGAN RUPP mrupp@kansan.com
Local business owners expressed excitement at the economic opportunities offered by the second annual Tour of Lawrence.
Over the newly popular holiday weekend event, more than 400 cyclists raced in three different circuits.
"Historically, restaurant and hotel activity in Lawrence over the Fourth of July weekend is very slow," said Bob Sanner, sports marketing manager for the Lawrence Convention and Visitors Bureau. "We created the Tour of Lawrence to help the local economy in that way and hope that they might also do some
Sanner said he thought to start the event after organizing the USA Cycling Collegiate Championship, which Lawrence hosted in 2006 and 2007. He said the event brought more patrons to downtown businesses and he hoped he could create a similar event that would be held annually in Lawrence. Downtown
retail shopping."
Nancy Longhurst, the general manager of the The Eldridge, 701 Massachusetts St., said the festival-like atmosphere increased the number of people staying in the hotel and eating in the restaurant over the weekend.
businesses sponsored the event with the same hopes.
"We've probably increased business by 50 percent," Longhurst said. "Instead of having 30 percent occupancy, we're almost full."
"Perhaps this can turn into something like that," said Chuck Magerl, owner of Free State Brewing Company, 636 Massachusetts St. "It's great for business and fun to see on the streets of downtown."
"We've been closed years past, but we were open last year for its first start," Magerl said. "There were so many more participants this year, we knew we were going to be open again."
Magerl said many downtown businesses that usually closed for the holiday chose to stay open this year because of events like live music, children's races and fireworks that drew people to the area.
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