Le Tour De Mont Pleasant biking weekend, professional cyclists finish strong

• Tweet
• 

Nate Williams’ year-round training all paid off on Sunday.

The professional bicycle racer finished first place in Le Tour De Mont Pleasant’s 106-mile pro road race.

“If the roads are clear, I’ll ride outside, if not I’ll do the trainer indoors,” the Grand Rapids resident said.

The route weaved throughout Isabella county including Mount Pleasant, Blanchard, Weidman and Rosebush in a single lap.

Williams rides for the Bissell/ABG racing team and has been racing for six years.

He sprayed a bottle of champagne into the audience as he stood atop his first-place podium at the award ceremony following the race.

Williams won $1,000 for finishing first. He said he plans to spend the money on paying for other races.

“It feels real good to finish,” Williams said. “It was awesome that the community came out to support the event.”

More than 1,000 people attended Le Tour De Mont Pleasant and more than 300 people raced each day, said Lisa Hadden, president and CEO of the Mount Pleasant Area Chamber of Commerce.

Hadden said she was pleased because there were fewer injuries than last year.

Last year there were three injuries, while there was only one broken collar bone during last weekend’s competition.

Hadden said her favorite part of the event was watching the children compete at the kid’s race Saturday.

It is the largest kid’s race in the state, she said.

“It is so cute and so fun to see all these kids,” she said. “We put numbers on them just like the pros and they’re having the time of their lives.

Hadden said she was amazed at the professional skill of the racers.

To see guys keeping up at 26 mph after racing 100 miles is amazing, she said.

Hadden said the racers in Saturday’s criterium race clocked in at about 37 mph.

Professional racer Vince Roberge of Panther/RGF Cycling finished fourth in about four hours and 15 minutes.

Roberge’s teammate crashed during the race, leaving it up to him to finish the ordeal strong.

“It feels good to be done,” Roberge said. “I’ll probably feel more tired tomorrow than today.”