Proposal: Liberty Mound Road Race
We are looking for feedback from the community! Please send us an email at bd.race.director@gmail.com
Who: The race is for cyclists looking to go fast and compete for a win. We expect about 300 participants over the course of the day, but not everyone would be on the road at once! See the FAQ for more info.
When: Saturday August 9th, 2025 from 9am to 2pm
Where: A 5 mile circuit near Liberty Mound in the town of Pleasant Springs
Why: Cycling races are fun and provide a goal for people who like riding their bike and training for races. Wisconsin has a great culture of cycling, and there is a lot of interest in the competitive side of the sport with a major manufacturer like Trek nearby.
Why here:
These roads are in great condition and well maintained
The terrain is great for a road race: rolling hills, some technical turns, and an uphill finish
These roads are not busy county highways
The Town of Pleasant Springs Comprehensive Plan cites a desire to increase cycling in the community, including increasing opportunities for bike riding and bike lanes on county roads. (See page 17)
This course goes right by Liberty Mound, a local landmark:
“The largest hill, in early days called Liberty Mound, is located on section 2 and is the highest point of land in Dane County with the exception of Blue Mounds. On a clear day a fine view of Madison and the countryside toward Stoughton, Sun Prairie, Utica, Ft. Atkinson and Jefferson may be had.” -- Town History, by Lorraine Hawinkson, 1992 for the Stoughton Courier-Hub
How: We are proposing a one-way road closure for oncoming traffic to the direction of the race. In these types of events, the group of cyclists can take up the entire lane and make it difficult for both vehicles and participants when cars attempt to pass. The race will be safer for cyclists and vehicles if there is no oncoming traffic. Have more questions on how this will work? Check out the FAQ below!
FAQ
One-Way Road Closure
What if there is an emergency?
Emergency vehicles have precedence over all bike race activities and road closures. Racers will be instructed to pull over and make way for any emergency vehicle with sirens running.
How will you ensure safety if a car enters the course going the wrong way?
Each race will have a lead vehicle driving in front of the group. This car will be the first point of contact if a vehicle is going the wrong way around the course, and they can alert the vehicle and the group of cyclists so that there isn’t an incident.
What if I live on the course and need to leave my house?
We will ask that you leave your house in the direction of the road race (clockwise around the loop). That may add a few miles of detour, but the majority of the course will not have cyclists on in at any given time, so you should be able to drive the speed you normally would.
What if I’m driving and come up behind the race?
If you encounter a group of cyclists from behind, please slow down to assess the situation. If your trip will take you off course soon, it may be easiest to sit behind the cyclists for a little bit and then continue on your way. If you want to pass the group of cyclists, please give a few taps of the horn to alert them to your presence and given them a chance to move over to the right, then pass when it is safe.
Why are you asking for this closure?
We have a lot of experience racing in road races and putting them on, and one constant is that the cyclists will push the boundaries of the center line if it’s a competition. Rather than have bad interactions where oncoming traffic is having to swerve to avoid cyclists or otherwise come into conflict, we want to set up an event where all traffic is going the same direction.
For cars passing the group of cyclists, the fact that the road is closed to oncoming traffic means that drivers will have a safer time making a pass in the other lane. This will make for a better experience for drivers, and a better race for the cyclists.
How will you enact this closure?
We will have volunteers at each intersection with flags who can talk with traffic and explain what to do if anyone has questions. We will also put in a request to hire police officers to be at the key intersections. We would also like to secure large orange road closure signs and traffic barricades to have at each intersection as well.
Will cyclists be in both lanes of the road?
The cyclists will be instructed to stay on the right side of the road. They will be warned and disqualified if they are egregiously on the wrong side of the road.
We would like to allow cyclists to use the full width of Rinden Road on the final climb heading up to our finish line, between North Hill Street and Park Street.
How does A Road Race Work?
What’s the basics of this event?
This is a cycling road race, in the same sort of style as the Tour de France. There will be a few big groups of cyclists, and perhaps some people will be off the front (leading the race) and some people will be lagging behind (dropped from the main group).
This is not like the Trek 100 or the Badger Challenge. Those events have lots of cyclists spread all over the course. This event will have just a few big group of cyclists going around the course.
This means that most of the time, most of the circuit won’t have any cyclists present. For example, if the big group is working their way up Star Rd, Rinden Rd likely won’t have any cyclists on it.
Is everyone on the course at the same time?
We run many different categories of races for different athlete levels. Each individual event will be 1-3 hours long. So for instance, we might have the novice race from 9:00am - 10:30, the intermediate race from 10:45 - 12:30, and the advanced race from 12:45 - 2:00pm. The exact schedule for the day is still to be determined.
This means that there will probably only be at most ~100 cyclists on the course at once at any given time.
Event Logistics
Where will people Park?
We are working with the ATC facility at 2485 Rinden Rd. to use their parking lot. We are asking the Town of Pleasant Springs for an easement to allow parking along the side of N Hill Rd. We are also exploring whether there are any property owners with unused fields that might allow parking.
Where is the finish line?
The finish line (where most people will congregate) is near the intersection of Rinden Rd and N Park St. We are reaching out to the residents at that intersection to work with them on this event!
What would be going on at the Finish Line?
A relatively small number of spectators would be congregating at the finish line to cheer on the racers. There would also be a camera and United States Cycling Association (USAC) officials taking note of the finishing placements. And, we hope to have an announcer who can commentate the race if possible.
We will have porta potties in the ATC parking lot, pending permission from the landowners.
We are working with Little Meadow Farm to have their farm stand set up in the ATC Parking Lot to provide refreshments.
What about the gravel pit on Rinden Rd?
We have reached out to the operators of the quarry on Rinden Rd, and they do not plan to be open on weekends this summer. Entering/exiting traffic there should not be an issue. We will also sweep the road near that entrance to ensure a debris-free course.
What is your emergency plan?
We will plan to have an EMS service on site in case there are any incidents during the race.
Can non-racers use the course during this time?
If there is interest, we could host a community lap where anyone can take advantage of the one-way closure and see how fast they can ride the 5 mile loop! Please let us know if that would something you would be interested in!
We are also exploring a partnership with local high schools to host a running race prior to the cycling races, as an opportunity for the students to prepare for the Cross County season and get volunteer hours!
Who do I call if there is an issue on race-day?
We will set up a tip line that goes to the race director for anyone to call if there is an issue. If there is an issue on the day of the race (for instance: someone is littering, trespassing on private property, or refusing to move right and allow a car to pass), please call! Racers reported vis the tip line for infractions will be pulled from the race. If there is a serious issue, you should still call 911.
We will police the course after the event to pick up trash.