$10,000 Cash Purse Marks This Year’s May 20 West L.A. College Grand Prix for Cycling

May 03, 2007 11:01 AM Eastern Daylight Time

$10,000 Cash Purse Marks This Year’s May 20 West L.A. College Grand Prix for Cycling, Announces Dan Weinberg, Velo Club La Grange Sponsorship Director

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--A $10,000 cash purse — the largest in the race’s history — marks this year’s West L.A. College Grand Prix for cycling (www.lagrange.org/wlacgp.htm), presented by 1031Market.Com and hosted by Velo Club La Grange, and set for Sunday, May 20, over a 1.3-mile circuit around the college’s campus grounds.

The grand prix promises to be not only the largest and richest cycling event in the club’s 38-year history, but the biggest and richest cycling event ever raced in West Los Angeles, and is expected to attract more than 400 amateur and professional bicycle racers from across the Western United States. Over 1,000 race fans and cycling enthusiasts are anticipated to attend the racing challenge and day-long cycling exposition showcasing the latest in cycling technology and nutritional products. Admission and parking are free.

“Cycling is a great athletic sport, especially for young people, and 1031Market.Com is excited to present this year’s West L.A. College Grand Prix,” said Clay Womack, president of Direct Capital Securities. 1031Market.Com (www.1031market.com) is the Internet home of Direct Capital Securities, one of the industry’s oldest and most active investment firms specializing in Tenant-In-Common replacement properties.

“A $10,000 cash purse has always been a goal of ours for this event, and the fact that we have finally achieved our goal is fantastic,” said Dan Weinberg, Velo Club La Grange sponsorship director. “I’m proud to say that our race is among the top five bicycle races in all of California, which now has more than 200 races.”

Past winners of the West L.A. College Grand Prix include such racing notables as Tony Cruz, Harm Jansen, Freddy Rodriguez and Ivan Dominguez.

The grand prix includes 10 categories by age and gender, including Juniors, Masters and Pros. The West L.A. College Grand Prix begins at 9 a.m. with the Juniors. The highlight of the day, the Pro’s Race, will start at 1:35 p.m. Cash awards totaling close to $5,000 in this category will be paid 20 deep.

Other highlights include custom winners’ podium jerseys for selected categories, KOM (King Of the Mountains) competition with $2,100 in cash prizes, team competition with prizes for best team in each race, and Master’s Cycle League points. A complete list of categories, prices, race course map, directions to the campus and how to register is available by going online to www.lagrange.org/wlacgp.htm.

La Grange’s professional coaches again will conduct two racing clinics on the actual race course to allow first-time and beginning riders to “Learn to Race Like a Pro.” The clinics will teach bike handling, race strategy, bike safety, and cycling etiquette. The clinics are free and will take place on Saturday, May 12, and Wednesday, May 16 (see www.lagrange.org for more details).

Cash sponsors include 1031Market.com (Direct Capital Securities - title sponsor), Thomas Byrnes (attorney at law), West L.A. Industrial and Urgent Care, Helen's Cycles, Bicycling Magazine, Cannondale Bicycle Corporation, Land Rover (a new LR2 vehicle will be on display in the expo area), and Kahala Corporation (title sponsor of the Kahala-La Grange racing team).

Additional sponsors for this year’s West L.A. College Grand Prix include Voler Team Apparel (podium jerseys, prizes), Accelerade Advanced Sports Drink (free samples, prizes), Surf City Squeeze (free smoothies), LA Sports Massage (free massage), Liquid Fitness (free race clinics, coaching services), Siren Studios (production rental company - equipment support), Alpha & Omega Construction Services (expo area support), Full Performance Fitness (liquid vitamins - prizes) and MCL (Master's Cycle League - prizes).

The core mission of 1031Market.Com is to help real estate investors find appropriate investments that are designed to defer capital gains tax on property they sell, including, in particular, fractional real estate ownership programs such as tenant in common programs and oil and gas interests.

Velo Club La Grange is one of California's largest and oldest cycling clubs with over 400 members nationwide. The club was founded by Raymond Fouquet in 1969 and fields one of the top amateur racing teams in the U.S. Past members include a Tour de France stage winner, an Olympic gold medalist, and several U.S. National and California state champions.