Big Wheels Gravitate to Manhattan Beach : Bicycling: Although the Grand Prix field of 1,200 is divided into 35 categories, some of cycling’s best will compete in the elite class.

On Sunday, a field of 1,200 bicyclists ranging from preschoolers to senior citizens will participate in the 32nd Manhattan Beach Grand Prix, one of the oldest bicycle races in the nation.

The race was founded by Ted Ernst, a former pro racer and bike shop owner who started the Redondo Beach-based South Bay Wheelmen bicycle club in 1961.

“When I got back from racing in Europe in 1960, I opened a bike shop in Manhattan Beach and there were no races,” said the 61-year-old Ernst. “So I went to city councilmen in Manhattan Beach and the police and fire department to look for a good, safe course.”

This year there are 35 categories ranging from a tricycle race for 2-year-olds to a professional elite competition. There’s also a 65-and-older event and several races broken down according to age. Nine of the races are sanctioned by the U.S. Cycling Federation.

“The thing that makes this race so special is the inclusion of the community events,” said Tom Best, president of the South Bay Wheelman, which co-sponsors the Grand Prix. “Similar types of races come and go every year throughout Southern California but this one sticks around.

“This race has been on the same course for 32 years. “I think that’s what really sets it apart.”

This year--for the first time in race history--there will be a special athlete category. It will feature about 13 competitors from 17 to 34 who have excelled at the Special Olympics. That event is scheduled to begin at 12:20 p.m.

“This is great for our athletes because we want to integrate them with the community,” said Denise Havir, co-director of cycling for the California Special Olympics. “These athletes were hand chosen from our summer games. They had to be able to do mass starts.”

The main event, the elite competition, is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. The pro teams that have entered are Coors Light and Saturn. Bob Mionske, Jonas Carney and Stephen Swart are among the top pros expected to compete.

Mionske, 30, a member of Team Saturn, was a 1988 and ’92 Olympian and the 1990 national road champion. He also competed in the ’91 Pan Am Games. Carney, 22, a member of the Coors Light team, is the 1991 criterion amateur national champion and a member of the U.S. National team.

Swart, 28, is New Zealand’s top road racer. He competed in the ’87 Tour de France and won the ’92 U.S. National Criterion Championships. He was a silver medalist at the 1986 Commonwealth Games.

“Since ‘72, we’ve had guys from Olympic teams and national champions and former Tour de France riders,” Ernst said.

The winner of the elite race will take home $2,000 in cash and an additional $5,000 in prizes. The race will offer a total of $12,000 in cash and prizes.

The 1.4-mile course, which starts and finishes at Live Oak Park, goes up Valley Drive, down Ardmore Avenue to 15th Street and then down Pacific Avenue. Each category will have different time frames and distances. For example, the world-class athletes will go for 90 minutes and community races will range from one lap to 25 yards.

“I picked the course because it’s a challenging one,” Ernst said. “It’s a tough course and you have to be a good, all-around rider to win. Not just fast.”

Ernst has never competed in the race. Coordinating the event simply takes up too much of his time.