Cycling champion John Vande Velde wanted you to imagine riding through the hills of Lemont, his hometown, and pausing for a second at the highest point in Cook County as you look out at the city where you could win Olympic gold as the first to circle Buckingham Fountain three times.

Alas, though the International Olympic Committee commented Wednesday how very far cycling would happen from Chicago in the 2016 Summer Games, the 160 miles to Madison, Wis., aren't too far, according to a report critiquing the four cities still vying for the summer games.

What a shame, say Southland cyclists, who still wish the committee would consider letting international cyclists pedal through the area's countryside, ending in downtown Chicago at Buckingham Fountain.

Instead, the committee plans to send cyclists - and lasting biking infrastructure - north to Madison, where competitors will stay in a proposed second Olympic Village housing 700 athletes right next to the cycling courses.

"The present regime wants to make it a harder course and in doing so would reduce the spectators to watch the sport of cycling from 2.5 million to 200,000 up there," Vande Velde said.

The Wisconsin terrain is more difficult, Vande Velde admitted, but the two-time Olympian and U.S. Cycling Hall of Famer tested his design on his son.

"If Christian says it's hard, it's hard," was the verdict.

Vande Velde and his son, Christian, a professional cyclist who's competed in the Tour de France against Lance Armstrong, designed a road cycling course through Lemont and western Cook County, adding extra hills in Burr Ridge. Their course would send competitors up a hill in Lemont three times a lap for 10 laps, and would end with three loops around Buckingham Fountain downtown.

Robbie Ventura, who helped design both courses, said the International Cycling Union wanted an elevation change of 1,000 feet for competitors.

"We weren't even close with Lemont; we couldn't even get half of the minimum requirement," he said. "They were cool with turns and finishing in the city."

As for mountain biking, Palos-area forest preserve trails already are laid out to international standards, said Sara Hupe, who organizes the Palos Meltdown mountain biking competition.

The Palos trails just need some adjustments, she said.

"There's great terrain out there," she said. "A lot of elevation people don't realize is out there."

Madison has great biking, Hupe conceded.

"But I think we could keep it local. I probably would go up there and watch, but I'd rather do it on my home turf and all."