The best way to describe what it’s like to race the Tour of Somerville comes from 2004 men’s winner Victor Rapinski of the Belarus. “ I came here to ride a hard race, not knowing that it would actually be a 50-mile sprint.” If any decade best supports that quote, it’s the 2010-2020 period when some of the world’s best sprinters, both men and women, excelled. Part of that, as well as advances in training and equipment, is evident in comparing the winning times for the 50-mile men’s race. In 1940, Furman Kugler crossed the finish line in 2 hrs. 7 minutes. In 2019, Connor Sallee of Tulsa, OK edged three other riders to finish in a record 1 hour, 38 min.
Another huge development during this decade was the decision to offer both men’s and women’s equal prize money. Since then, $10,000 has been distributed to the top finishers in each the men’s and women’s races, a far cry from the early decades of Somerville when only merchandise and trophies were permitted as prizes. For example, a look at the 1949 race prize list included a living room set, an outboard motor and a lawn mower.
Once again the decade was dominated by women’s race winners from other countries, book-ended with double (2010, 2011) wins by Americans Theresa Cliff-Ryan of Philadelphia and Laura Van Gilder, Pocono Pines, Pa.(2017, 2018). Highlighting other non- American victors were Ellen Watters, Ottawa (2016); World Champion track rider Maggie Coles-Lyster, British Columbia (2019); Australians Loretta Hanson (2015) and Kimberly Wells (2013). Ruth Winder became the only winner, female or male, ever to win a Tour of Somerville from the Great Britain. On the men’s side, early decade victories were claimed by Australians Ben Kersten (2010) and Hilton Clarke (2013) with New Zealander Timothy Gudsell (2011). Highlighting the American winners was a 2017 storybook, start-the-day on a flight from racing in France and finish it in the arms of loving family, as Noah Granigan of Cape May Courthouse, NJ ignored jet lag to claim first place. His grandfather, and long-time Somerville race announcer, Joe Saling had the emotional honor of calling the win.
