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The streets of Windsor’s Little Italy were closed to motor vehicles on Saturday but they still became a high-speed raceway.
The 64th annual Tour di Via Italia tradition — among the longest-running cycling road races in North America — saw hundreds of spectators line the sidewalks and fill restaurant patios along Erie Street East to watch athletes whiz down the main stretch of the course.
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The event is as much about the spectators who bring vibrant energy to the streets as it is about the competitors themselves, said race promoter and announcer Nick Dwyer.
Those who arrived early receive cowbells to ring as competitors carved around the four sharp 90-degree corners that make up the course.
Even after all these years, cyclists follow the same circuit that has defined the race since it began in 1958. The race makes a 1.75-kilometre loop that begins and ends on Erie Street East, but also brings cyclists along Parent Avenue, Giles Boulevard, and Howard Avenue.
“When that group passes by, it’s like a gust of wind. It’s a rush,” Dwyer told the Star.
“They had a tailwind yesterday down Erie Street, which is the main stretch, and they were pushing speeds over 50 kilometres per hour.
“It’s really quite amazing to watch the speed they can hold and how long they can hold it for.”
In the final sprint to the finish line, Dwyer said cyclists were travelling at speeds over 60 km/h.
Windsor’s annual bike race, he said, is a popular draw for top racers from across Ontario and North America.
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About 200 cyclists participated in this year’s races, including 30 local riders, some of whom even secured top prizes in their categories.
Local competitors Sean Ryan, Matt Mousseau, and Rod Shepley secured first, second, and third place, respectively, in the Master 50+ race.
A member of Ottawa’s Cyclery racing team, Skylar Goudswaard, clinched the top position in the elite women’s race.
In a sweeping victory that concluded the day, Toronto’s Noah Ramsay broke away from the pack and claimed the title in the elite men’s race.
“The last race of the day was something I’ve never seen out there before,” said Dwyer.
“He (Ramsay) went off on his own a couple laps in. It’s almost impossible to do what he did, but he did it. He went solo the whole race, and averaged 45 kilometres per hour.”
Second place in the elite men’s division went to 17-year-old Ashlin Barry, son of Tour de France rider Michael and Olympic silver medalist Dede.
Usually held the Sunday before Labour Day, the event was moved to mid-August in 2022 to allow more cyclists to participate.
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This year’s race shared the weekend with the St. Angela Festival, which ran on Saturday and Sunday with food, musical entertainment, a street soccer tournament, and an outdoor Catholic mass.
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