Tim Tai, Senior Photographer

As cyclists raced down Chapel Street and volunteers wheeled pounds of cheese through the crowds, Javier Montalvo, an officer at the New Haven Police Department, danced the “Cupid Shuffle” at his post while surveying crowds and enjoying the lively atmosphere. 

The officer and his partner, Eric Aviles, were stationed in the center of the action at the New Haven Grand Prix on Friday. This annual bicycle race and street festival boasts hours of racing and the largest Apizza feast in Connecticut, the unofficial “Pizza Capital” of the United States.

Montalvo and Aviles weren’t the only locals enjoying the atmosphere. The New Haven Grand Prix brings in 15,000 spectators to dance to live music, indulge in the city’s pizza supply and occasionally, pay attention to the whizzing bike race circling them. 

The race course follows a three-quarter mile loop around the New Haven Green and Yale’s Old Campus with the start and finish line at the intersection of College and Chapel streets, right across from Yale’s Bingham Hall.  

A counter above the finish line displayed the number of remaining laps during each hour-long race. Spectators at the finish line shouted encouragements and blew horns as the counter ticked down to the last lap.

The race is classified as a “criterium” because of its short, four-cornered racecourse. It’s faster than other cycle races that focus on climbing mountains or covering large distances and require a strong technique to navigate the sharp turns in large groups of racers. 

Inside the race gates, hundreds of cyclists from across the country traveled to participate in the New Haven Grand Prix. Most notably, Robin Carpenter, a professional American cyclist with a long list of international successes, won the Men’s Pro category. 

The intensity of the race created a constant stream of updates that the announcer, Dillon Pronovost, drunkenly rattled off for the fans sober enough to understand him. Most of the spectators missed Pronovost’s ramblings because the music and cheers drowned out his half-hearted podium updates and requests for more alcohol.  

Another professional cyclist, Dillion Hubbard, flew in from Tampa Bay, Florida, to race for the New Haven Angels, a local, competitive cycling group. Hubbard told the News, “I’m not anxious [for the race]; I’ve done a lot of racing.”

However, Hubbard’s three years of professional experience didn’t prepare him for the competition New Haven brought in that night. He ended up placing 13 out of the 34 racers in the Men’s Pro category. 

The Yale Cycling Team, or YCT, competed with three members — Alex Popescu ’26, Martin Vakoc ’26 and Kaidi Pan GRD ’29 — in the men’s three-quarter category. Popescu and Vakoc placed 28th and 11th, respectively. Pan was pulled from the race due to a group crash with less than two laps to go. 

Vakoc had similar success at last year’s Grand Prix, placing fifth. Vakoc’s continued success holds promise for YCT’s New Haven Grand Prix results in the years to come. 

The Grand Prix is part of a larger initiative led by the Connecticut Cycling Advancement Program, or CCCP. 

The CCAP supports youth involvement within the Connecticut cycling community and is responsible for the rise in cycling popularity among thousands of students across the state. 

Greg Ferraris, CCAP director of youth programs, is responsible for the Prix’s setup, breakdown and coordination of volunteers. 

“It’s rewarding, but it’s stressful,” Ferraris told the News.

The New Haven Grand Prix serves as their criterium series finale until the cycling season begins again in the spring. The CCAP brought in hundreds of junior cyclists as well to compete in the race, with nearly half the racers under age 20. 

The next New Haven bike race organized by the CCAP is the Hidden Valley Cyclocross race on Sunday, Sept. 22, near Lighthouse Point Park.