Jim Kruse stood in front of Fort Wayne Outfitters on Monday morning and spoke to a crowd of biking enthusiasts, including Mayor Tom Henry, about the community's “amazing bicycling heritage.” He talked about “adding to the legacy” with the event he and two friends founded.

It's called the Parkview Cycling Festival, and it was created not only to attract competitive cyclists from around the country but also locals looking for fun and fitness.

“It's going to be a fantastic event at Parkview Field,” Kruse said.

The festival takes place July 10-11 during the Fort Wayne Newspapers Three Rivers Festival. It includes seven sanctioned USA Cycling races that feature Elite Women, Junior and Classic Men's Professional.

“We looked at the stadium and all of the amenities there,” said Kruse, an avid cyclist who races competitively and founded the local team Men of Steel Racing. “There's no businesses, no homes, and it's just a perfect location for a bike race. You can throw everything else inside (the stadium), you don't have to organize and there are no streets to close off.”

The 8/10 -mile course basically wraps around the downtown ballpark. Kruse said Junior races will last 30 minutes. Professionals will go for 90 minutes, which equals about 50 miles with their speed.

Spectators will be treated to many free extracurricular activities inside Parkview Field - live music, a Kids Zone and the first Movie Night. Everything is free but there will be a small charge for the movie. “We're showing there's a different use for the stadium than just baseball,” Kruse said.

Monday's gathering drew about 75 locals who came to see the unveiling of the festival's official poster and get more information about the event. But the big draw was Phil Keoghan, who hosts CBS' show “The Amazing Race.” Keoghan was on Day 31 of a 40-day, 3,500-mile bicycle trek across the country to raise money and awareness for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. He spoke about a half hour on the old Wells Street bridge.

“You come to a smaller town and it's more of a close-knit community,” Keoghan said. “People know what is going on … they're connecting with the ride.”