Hundreds of bike racers from across the country will come to the Quad Cities this weekend for the Kwik Star Criterium. The annual Memorial Day bike races will be held in the Village of East Davenport.
Race organizer John Harrington from the Quad Cities Bicycle Club, says 300 have registered so far, and he expects more than 400 by Monday because many wait until the last minute, check the weather, then sign up.
He doesn't want to put a jinx on the weather, but so far the forecast looks pretty good.
"I've already checked it 137 times and it keeps getting hotter. It's going to be 91 I think now, but there'll be a breeze and it might be a little cloudy but no rain, so that'll work out just fine."
Children's races begin at 9 am, with the women's and men's pro races in the afternoon.
And new this year is equal prize money for men and women - Harrington says last year the top four in each received the same amount, but not for 5th through 15th place. Now it'll be the same for both sexes, lst through 15th.
"And you may think well gee, that doesn't sound like news. It turns out it's not that common among bike races."
The course in the Village of East Davenport is three-quarters of a mile long, with the start and finish line at Jersey Ridge Road and 11th Street.
This will be the 53rd year of bike races on Memorial Day in the Quad Cities, and the 5th year in the village.
