Hartley, who is in his first season with Team GEARGRINDER, started racing 12 years ago when he was 16 and has been a professional racer for the past seven years. "Biking is my day job," he says.

Hirt began his racing career six years ago, focusing on cyclo-cross events (on- and off-road racing). He says Wisconsin ranks high in talent and support given the number of biking teams that exist. "I have been to races out of state and there never seems to be as many local teams as there are when you race here," he says.

Midwest Cycling Series co-founder Bill Ochowicz, an Olympic Road Race Trials qualifier who now races at the master’s level for Nova Cycle Sports Foundation, agrees. "Wisconsin has always been an excellent environment for creating and promoting cycling events and talented riders," he says. "I would rank it in the top three in terms of its competitiveness. I know in speaking with other riders from around the country that they love Wisconsin’s well-paved, intricate road structure and scenery."

But Hirt is quick to point out two vital areas missing from bike racing in Wisconsin: media coverage and team sponsorships. "Nothing is better than racing in front of a huge crowd of spectators, but the spectators are never going to find out about the races unless the media tells people about it," he says.

And that works hand-in-hand with gaining sponsorships. Since teams and individual racers incur their own expenses to participate in races, sponsors are mandatory to the success of racing teams. "Our team is put together with all local sponsorship money, and many of these sponsors are businesses that some of us use on a day-to-day basis," says Kent Savitt of Milwaukee’s Cafe Hollander Bike Team. "Athletes put their heart and soul into every race, and the local sponsorship base believes in these riders enough to finance their squads."

Winning racers are awarded money but, as Hirt points out, "If you are wining races on a regular basis, you may ‘start’ to come close to covering the cost of your bike racing habit.

"With all the Milwaukee neighborhoods trying to revitalize themselves, and small towns in Wisconsin trying to revitalize their downtowns, there couldn’t be a better event to draw people than having a bike race," he adds.

Jack Hirt, executive director of the Midwest Cycling Series, is a Cat 2 racer in road and cyclo-cross racing and a Cat 1 in mountain biking. Racers are rated in categories, with Cat 5 being amateur status and Cat 1 and 2, professional.

The Race

The words attack, breakaway and sprint mean something different to bike racers than to the general populous. They are the lingo of the trade, and thrown around like an old football at races.

For Hartley, biking is in the family blood: His parents own a bike shop near Chicago and he’s been riding bikes for as long as he can remember. He’s a national champion, has stood on the podium at events like the Tour de Georgia and last summer won the Sprint Jersey (for best sprinter) at Superweek. And he’s quick to point out the demands of this fast-paced, physically and mentally daunting sport.

"If an athlete were to go as hard running as they could go on the bike, they would fall flat on their face. But, unlike running a race, it’s not a straightforward, ‘as hard as you can go’ effort," he says. "There are tactics and strategy, more than all other sports."

Paul Weaver, team leader and owner of Team GEARGRINDER, has since retired from racing, but remembers the rigors of race day. "Most of my wins were celebrations of a different sort," he says. "I always thought I won when I crossed the finish with all my body parts in the same shape as they started the race."

Savitt knows a thing or two about the importance of keeping all those body parts in check. The night before the 1992 United States Olympic trials he was diagnosed with food poisoning, and was laid up for three weeks. Four years later, after a bout with pneumonia, he competed in a Superweek race in downtown Milwaukee. He and a teammate just began their surge up to the front of the field to begin positioning themselves for the sprint, when in the apex of his turn — at 35 mph — his front tire blew out. Savitt was run over by more than 15 riders (including his brother), and suffered a fractured and splintered collarbone, broken ribs and a chattered shoulder blade. "I still have the large metal plate and a dozen or so screws holding it all together," he says.

The demanding and consistent training that racers face is another challenge of the sport. Hours a day on the bike, both in- and off-season, and weight training intervals and body conditioning, are all musts for serious riders.

"Training in cycling is much different than any other sport. The off-season in most sports is a time to cross-train or go have some fun. In cycling, it the time to put in base miles," says Hartley. "In terms of time, the ‘off-season’ has more hours of training than any other time of the year."

According to Hartley, for professional racers, big weeks will consist of up to 30 hours of training. Once the season gets closer, the training intensity increases and the total time decreases to about 15 to 20 hours, but with more high-end work, like sprints.

For Savitt, who is married and works full time managing 10 wine distributors in eight states, finding the time for training can be difficult. "My wife didn’t know me when I was racing full time in the ’90s, so this was definitely an adjustment for her," he says. "We try to approach cycling now with a ‘pick and choose’ attitude. I won’t compete every weekend but instead look at what I feel are the important races and then try to slot in weekends outside of cycling for us to do other things."

During the season, he gets a minimum of an hour-and-a-half of training in, often at sunrise. When he’s on the road, he relies on hotel fitness centers for an exercise bike or elliptical trainer.

Then comes race day. "A lot of people don’t realize the time and dedication that the sport entails. It’s not as simple as just jumping on your bike and riding fast," says Savitt, who focuses mainly on Elite Masters racing. "There are huge danger factors involved in the sport. All it takes is one mistake by an inexperienced rider to take down a number of riders. You must be mentally tough and have good bike handling skills. You can’t be intimidated or unsure when you’re bumping shoulders at 35 mph."

Savitt is a firm believer in a lengthy race-day warm-up, building endurance for the 90-minute races.

"If you ever watch the start line of a race, you can see the differences in people," says Hartley. "Some are shaking with anticipation, some are in quiet reflection. They are all getting ready for what they are about to put themselves through."

So, what is it about this mentally and physically challenging sport, wrought with danger at every curve, that keeps racers getting back on their bikes each season? "I really can’t get it out of my blood," says Savitt. "Being on my bike makes me feel good, but racing competitively and winning makes me feels great."

The Finish Line

In competitive bike racing, one thought holds true: If you go to a race, you will become a fan. And Milwaukeeans are starting to take notice.

"If people haven’t been to a bike race, coming out to one of the local, fast-paced criteriums in southeastern Wisconsin will make them a fan," says Savitt. " I was amazed at the turnout last year for the Giro d’ Grafton. Spectators lining the streets early in the morning and holding down a spot to view the races throughout the day. It was similar to people waiting for the Great Circus Parade."

Hirt also has high hopes for the future of bike racing in Milwaukee, including seeing it televised with racers from around the world participating, and the downtown Milwaukee races being jam-packed with spectators. And all those spectators commuting by bike,of course.

"Hopefully, in 10 years, we can get the bike racing culture to grow so much that along with kids saying ‘I want to be a Green Bay Packer when I grow up,’ some will also say ‘I want to be a professional bike racer when I grow up,’" Hirt says.