Tour of Somerville facts for kids
| File:Tour of Somerville 2017.jpg | |
| Race details | |
|---|---|
| Date | Memorial Day |
| Region | Somerville, New Jersey |
| Nickname(s) | The Kentucky Derby of Cycling |
| Discipline | Road |
| Type | One-day |
| History | |
| First edition | 1940 |
| Editions | 80 (as of 2025) |
| First winner |  Furman Kugler (USA) |
| Most wins | Jonas Carney (USA) (5) |
| Most recent | Lucas Bourgoyne (USA) |
The Tour of Somerville is a famous series of bicycle races held every Memorial Day weekend in Somerville, New Jersey. The main event is a 50-mile race for professional cyclists. It is the oldest bike race in the United States, starting back in 1940.
The race is so well-known that it's nicknamed The Kentucky Derby of Cycling. It attracts top cyclists and even Olympians from all over the world. For many years, from the 1940s to the 1980s, it was considered the most important cycling race in America.
Contents
How the Race Began
The Tour of Somerville started because a young cyclist named Furman Kugler wanted a race closer to his home. His father, Fred “Pop” Kugler, owned a bike shop in Somerville and decided to create one for him.
"Pop" Kugler remembered that his son "wanted to sleep in his own bed for a change the night before a race." So, he organized the first event in 1939. However, there was a small problem. New Jersey law said you couldn't have a "race" for prize money on a state highway, and Somerville's Main Street was a state highway. A state official suggested calling it a "Tour" instead, and the name stuck.
The First Races
Furman Kugler won the very first Tour of Somerville in 1940. He won again in 1941. In 1942, his good friend Carl Anderson took first place.
The race was paused during World War II. Sadly, both Furman Kugler and Carl Anderson were killed in the war. When the race returned in 1947, it was renamed The Kugler-Anderson Memorial to honor them. It has been held on Memorial Day ever since.
When Kugler won in 1940, his time for the 50-mile race was 2 hours and 8 minutes. He rode a heavy steel bike with wooden rims. Today, with modern, lightweight bikes, winners often finish in under 1 hour and 40 minutes. The bike that Kugler rode to victory is now on display in a glass case in Somerville.
A Town Tradition
The Tour of Somerville is more than just a race. It has become a huge community event with a street fair, music, and art. Families gather on their lawns to watch the cyclists speed by.
Many famous cyclists have competed here, including Tour de France winner Greg LeMond and Olympic champion Eric Heiden. In town, people don't even call it the Tour of Somerville. They just call it "the bike race."
The course has changed over the years, but the spirit of the event has not. It remains a classic American-style race, known as a criterium, where riders complete many laps on a short circuit.
Race Categories and History
The Tour of Somerville has grown over the years to include races for different age groups and skill levels.
Kugler-Anderson Memorial (Men's Pro Race)
This is the main event, started in 1940. From the beginning, it attracted the best cyclists in North America. Many winners were also national champions or Olympians.
Mildred Kugler Open (Women's Pro Race)
A major race for women was officially added in 1976. It is named after Mildred Kugler, the daughter of the race's founder. She was a state and national cycling champion herself in the 1940s.
Junior and Youth Races
Over the years, other races were added for younger cyclists:
- Harry Naismyth Junior (1949): For teenage boys, named after a junior national champion from Somerville.
- John Chilseko Intermediate (1971): For boys aged 12-14, named after a past winner of the main race.
- Alan Bell Midget (1972): For kids aged 9-11, named after a two-time Olympian from Somerville.
The Race Today
What started as a single-day race is now a three-day cycling festival. The weekend includes races for different skill levels in nearby towns and sprint races down Somerville's Main Street.
In 2019, the race made an important change: the prize money for the men's and women's professional races became equal, with each group competing for $10,000.
The race was canceled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021, it was canceled again because of major flooding from Hurricane Ida. But the tradition continues, bringing exciting, non-stop action to the streets of Somerville each year.
Kugler-Anderson Memorial Tour Winners
This table shows the winners of the main men's race in recent years.
| Year | Winner | Nationality |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Lucas Bourgoyne | United States |
| 2024 | Cesar Marte | United States |
| 2023 | Danny Estevez | United States |
| 2022 | George Jackson |  New Zealand |
| 2021 | Canceled due to Hurricane Ida | |
| 2020 | Canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in New Jersey | |
| 2019 | Connor Sallee | United States |
| 2018 | Shane Kline | United States |
| 2017 | Noah Granigan | United States |
| 2016 | Scott Savory |  Guyana |
| 2015 | Andrew Dahlheim | United States |
| 2014 | Adam Alexander |  Trinidad and Tobago |
| 2013 | Hilton Clarke |  Australia |
| 2012 | Luke Keough | United States |
| 2011 | Timothy Gudsell | New Zealand |
| 2010 | Ben Kersten | Australia |
Mildred Kugler Women's Open Winners
This table shows the winners of the main women's race in recent years.
| Year | Winner | Nationality |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Marlies Mejías |  Cuba |
| 2024 | Coryn Labecki | United States |
| 2023 | Jessica Chong | United States |
| 2022 | Katia Martinez |  Mexico |
| 2021 | Canceled due to Hurricane Ida | |
| 2020 | Canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in New Jersey | |
| 2019 | Maggie Coles-Lyster |  Canada |
| 2018 | Laura Van Gilder | United States |
| 2017 | Laura Van Gilder | United States |
| 2016 | Ellen Watters | Canada |
| 2015 | Lauretta Hanson | Australia |
| 2014 | Erica Allar | United States |
| 2013 | Kimberley Wells | Australia |
| 2012 | Ruth Winder | United States |
| 2011 | Theresa Cliff-Ryan | United States |
| 2010 | Theresa Cliff-Ryan | United States |
