Wellesley cyclists in gear for Boston race
Two Wellesley bicyclists are playing key roles in the Mayor’s Cup Pro Race in Boston this Saturday, one as a cyclist and the other as an organizer.
Matt Kressy, a racer from Morses Pond in Wellesley is racing in the first pro race in Boston since the Tour de Trump in the 1990s and Nicole Freedman, a Wellesley native, organized the event.
Kressy said he has been racing his whole life. He was a semi-pro mountain racer but then switched to road racing, which is easier on the bicycle.
“Lots of roads around Wellesley and Dover are gorgeous. It allowed me to explore the area. I love the duality between bicycles as fitness and a mode of transportation,” said Kressy. “It’s my life. It makes me a more vibrant human being.“
He said he will commute to Providence at times, which is an 80 mile round trip. Kressy travels nationally to compete in races, and also competes in races in New England. He is excited to see the pro racers in the upcoming race. Some of the participants are cyclists who have competed in the Grand Tours, said Kressy.
“I’m thrilled. I also think I’m going to get my butt kicked. These are some of the most talented athletes showing up in the East Coast. I love lining up with guys I read about in magazines,” said Kressy.
Freedman is the director of Bicycle Programs for Boston and a former Olympic cyclist. This race is a criterium, a high speed race on a short track. The route will be .7 miles circling downtown Boston. Two hundred men and women will be competing for $20,000.
“It’s much a more exciting event because spectators can experience the entire race,” said Freedman. “It’s a really nice celebration of biking in the city and where we are going,” said Freedman.
Freedman was born and raised in Wellesley. She graduated from Wellesley High School and then went to Stanford University where she started biking because she “failed at running.” After moving back to the East Coast, Freedman starting working in Boston with the mayor’s biking initiatives.
“Boston really has the potential to be a world class biking city,” said Freedman. “We have a young population and things are close together.”
Caitlin Castello can be reached at caitlincastello@gmail.com.
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