UW could be part of 2016 Olympics

If Chicago wins its bid to host the 2016 Olympics, the Madison area and UW-Madison would be the hub of cycling events.

Gov. Jim Doyle and Olympic organizers announced that the Madison area would be the venue for road racing and mountain biking events if Chicago lands the Olympic bid.

“Not only is Madison a great place to live, it’s the nation’s premier area for bike riding,” Doyle says. “I am pleased the Chicago 2016 committee has chosen Madison to be its cycling hub and can’t wait for people around the world to discover our beautiful region.”

Plans call for the 320 athletes and the additional Olympic staff to be housed at the university in a lakeshore residence hall complex yet to be built and for the road-racing events to begin on the campus.

Doug Arnot, director of sports venues and operations for Chicago 2016, says the road racing events would start near the athletes’ village.

“The front door is about 200 meters from the start of the race,” Arnot says. “We are very grateful to the University of Wisconsin for stepping up and being part of our team.”

The Wisconsin Road Cycling Course would begin on the campus, head east through downtown and feature several steep climbs near the finish line in Blue Mounds State Park. The Wisconsin Mountain Bike Circuit would take place at Tyrol Basin outside of Mount Horeb.

“Chicago 2016 has consistently placed athletes at the center of our Games plan,” says Patrick G. Ryan, chairman and CEO of Chicago 2016. “Our constituents emphasized their desire for technical and challenging courses, and we believe the natural terrain found in Madison will exceed their expectations and make for an ideal competitive environment.”

Chicago is one of four cities competing for the bid. The others are Madrid, Tokyo and Rio de Janeiro. The final selection is scheduled to be made in Copenhagen in October.