Elgin, IL--July 6, 2005 -- Bicycle racing is back in Elgin and back in a big way.

The Elgin Cycling Classic criterium on Sunday, August 7, will feature $15,000 in prize money to pros, amateur and citizen racers who will battle it out in the heart of the downtown area.

The event also will feature a premier hand cycling competition with cash prizes and bicycle races for kids from 5 to 12 years of age. The Elgin Cycling Classic will make a good fit with the fast growing series of cycling races in the area, said organizer John Steffen.

"We wanted to bring bike racing back to a city that has a history of competitive cycling," said Steffen. "This will be a great race for competitors and spectators alike."

Races will begin at 7:45 a.m. at Chicago and Spring streets with the Men's Citizen Category 5 event featuring $500 in prize money, plus premiums for such things as fastest lap. The main event of the day will be the 4 p.m. Men's Pro/Am race, 60 minutes of sprinting and maneuvering for prizes totaling more than $5,000.

The 1K criterium course will take riders along some of Elgin's earliest thoroughfares, past 19th century buildings and colorful locales such as the corner once known as Whiskey Point. The race will coincide with the Elgin Fine Arts Festival, which begins Friday night and runs through Sunday on the city's civic plaza nearby.

More information and race registration can be obtained at www.elgincyclingclassic.com or at 847-741-3561.