BY ANDREA TORTORA
The Cincinnati Enquirer
COVINGTON -- Bike racing and a festival to support the Tristate's police departments turned MainStrasse Village into a community block party Saturday. Visitors checked out police vehicles and equipment and watched an inline skating demonstration and fast-paced cycling in the heart of Covington's German village.
Susan Leung and Sally Uchtman, both riders themselves, came to view the races and the new technology in bicycles. The two friends sat on a bench in the shade of an oak tree before the races started. "The more you cycle, the more you get into it," Ms. Uchtman, of Wyoming, said. "And you get to see the teamwork."
Cycling may seem like an individual sport to the uninitiated, but most races have teams of four or five riders. When they work together, one rider can lead while others coast in the leader's draft. And if one team member is far ahead, the teammates can block out opposing riders from cutting ahead.
"We love to watch the wipeouts, and we think, "Thank God that's not us in a heap,' " said Ms. Leung, of Hyde Park.
Organizers of the Cyclebration Tour de MainStrasse said they incorporated a police mountain bike obstacle course into the competition to give police some ownership of the event.
About 1,500 usually attend the Cyclebration, in its fifth year. "We work with the police all the time for events like this, and we got to thinking that they didn't really have anything they could call their own," said John Schaefer, executive director of the MainStrasse Village Association. "Firemen have the (Newport) chili cookoff, but there really wasn't anything for police." Working with Q102's Back the Blue police support festival and the cooperation of several Tristate police departments, Saturday's event included a fund drive for the Police Memorial Fund and displays of water rescue, crime labs and police cruisers from the Amelia, Covington, Kenton County and Ludlow police departments and the Kenton County Sheriff's Department.
Several Covington teens walked among the spectators, selling candy to help raise money for the Covington police. The students -- Elizabeth Tibbit, 13; Billy Wood, 14; Chris Schaefer, 14; Matthew Fuller, 14; Tom Woods, 15; Tim Wolfe, 15; Sharlene Granger, 15; and Mike Dickson, 14 -- often participate in programs sponsored by Covington's Police Athletic League.
In return for the sports, amusement park and social outings the police provide, the students wanted to give something back to the police.
"It's fun," Billy said. "We get to go in all the stores and we can walk around talking to people."
If the group sells all of its candy, Covington police clerk-typist Michelle Robinson and Officer Kevin Sumner have promised a trip to Paramount's Kings Island.
