Intelligentsia Cup bicycle racing series wraps up 10 days of events

Cyclists compete Sunday in the Intelligentsia Cup, a series of bicycle races that played out over 10 days in and around Chicago. The final races were Sunday in the West Loop, where amateur and professional cyclists competed on an eight-block rectangular course. Top cyclists reached speeds of about 40 mph.  | Mitch Dudek/Chicago Sun-Times

A day of racing in the West Loop’s Fulton Market wrapped up the 10-day Intelligentsia Cup bicycling event.

The event began in 2012 as the Prairie State Cycling Series, and was renamed the next year with Intelligentsia Coffee signed on as title sponsor. That year, it also expanded to seven venues.

This year, it started July 19 in Chicago’s Beverly neighborhood, then moved on to Glen Ellyn, Elgin, South Chicago, Lombard, West Dundee, Niles, Elmhurst and Lake Bluff on consecutive days. It included both criteriums (laps on a closed circuit) as well as road races.