Patrick Dempsey and George Hincapie confirmed their participation in the ‘Breakaway Ride presented by Specialized,’ two cycling events held in conjunction with the upcoming 2010 Amgen Tour of California professional cycling race set for May 16-23, 2010.  Held in April (one month prior to the 2010 Amgen Tour of California), the rides are open to the public and will serve to raise funds for Breakaway from Cancer®, the signature cancer support initiative of the Amgen Tour of California.  Breakaway from Cancer aims to raise awareness of the important resources available to cancer patients from prevention to education and patient care to advocacy and financial support.

Each ‘Breakaway Ride’ will give cycling enthusiasts and fans a chance to ride on the actual route of the 2010 Amgen Tour of California with three distances for each event to accommodate various skill and fitness levels (short, medium and long). The longest distance covers an entire stage of the Amgen Tour of California, the same as will be ridden by the pros.  Participants will be chip timed and supported, with a maximum of 3,500 riders per event.  Detailed map info locaed here: www.breakawayride.com.
The first Breakaway Ride will take place on Sunday, April 11 and will feature the Stage 8 route in the cities of Thousand Oaks, Westlake Village and Agoura Hills, the worldwide headquarter community of title sponsor Amgen.  Demonstrating his commitment to the cause and enthusiasm for cycling, television and film actor Patrick Dempsey will ride in this first event.  Dempsey, whose mom is a four-time ovarian cancer survivor, is an advocate for cancer support services. In 2008, he founded the Patrick Dempsey Center for Cancer Hope & Healing at Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston, Maine.

“I am looking forward to reuniting with my friends from Amgen and Breakaway from Cancer to help raise awareness and funds for the non-profit cancer support organizations,” said Dempsey, who served as a spokesperson for Amgen’s Breakaway from Cancer initiative in 2007. “I am also excited about the opportunity to ride a piece of the 2010 Amgen Tour of California route together with fellow Southern California cycling enthusiasts!”

The second Breakaway Ride will take place on Sunday, April 25, and will feature the Stage 2 route from Davis to Santa Rosa. Four-time Amgen Tour of California competitor and Breakaway from Cancer supporter George Hincapie will attend this event.

“Nearly everyone is touched by cancer, including my family, and it’s important to know that you don’t have to fight cancer alone,” said Hincapie. “I joined Breakaway from Cancer in 2005 because people need to know that education, resources and support are available as they fight the disease.”

A portion of each rider’s entry fee will be donated to Breakaway from Cancer’s charitable partners – Prevent Cancer Foundation, Cancer Support Community (formerly The Wellness Community), Patient Advocate Foundation and National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship.  Participants will have the opportunity to earn gifts and prizes by raising additional funds for Breakaway from Cancer partners via the ActiveGiving program on Active.com.  The most successful fundraisers will have the opportunity to meet and ride with Dempsey at the April 11 ride and with Hincapie on April 25. Other prize packages include exclusive VIP experiences at the 2010 Amgen Tour of California, Amgen Tour of California official race merchandise and other cycling-related items.  Additionally, the top fundraiser of each Breakaway Ride will receive a top-of-line Specialized S-Works Tarmac or Roubaix bike.

“These Breakaway Rides will provide amateur cyclists and community members the opportunity to ride the same route that the pros will experience only one month later in the Amgen Tour of California,” said Andrew Messick, president of AEG Sports.  “The commitment and dedication shown by Patrick Dempsey and George Hincapie to Breakaway from Cancer is inspiring, and we look forward to their involvement.”
As the title sponsor of the Amgen Tour of California for the fifth consecutive year, Amgen will continue to leverage the race to raise awareness and support for people affected by cancer through its Breakaway from Cancer initiative.

“Amgen and its non-profit Breakaway from Cancer partners are pleased to have George Hincapie and Patrick Dempsey join us in supporting Breakaway from Cancer, which raises awareness of the free services available to people affected by cancer,” said Stuart Arbuckle, vice president and general manager, Amgen Oncology.

Presenting sponsor of the Breakaway Ride, Specialized, will use this opportunity to further their philanthropic goals and bring better cycling experiences to even more people.

“We are really excited to partner with the Breakaway Ride to support Amgen’s cancer initiatives and to get cyclists out on their bikes.  Tying into the Amgen Tour of California and getting to ride the actual route is a unique opportunity for riders and ties into our goal to get people to ride more; more often,” said Ian Dewar, partnership manager for Specialized.

AEG, presenter of the Amgen Tour of California, is partnering with Pacific Sports, a leading sports and event management company that has created running and triathlon events throughout the world for more than 30 years to produce the rides.

“We are breaking new ground in amateur cycling in the United States,” said Jack Caress, president & CEO, Pacific Sports.  ”To be a part of an inaugural event such as the Breakaway Rides is gratifying, and we are honored to be benefitting a great cause like Breakaway from Cancer.”

TO REGISTER for one of the Breakaway Rides, visit www.Active.com.  For more information, please visit www.breakawayride.com, www.amgentourofcalifornia.com, or visit your Specialized dealer.

About the Amgen Tour of California
The largest cycling event in America, the 2010 Amgen Tour of California is a Tour de France-style cycling road race presented by AEG that challenges the world’s top professional cycling teams to compete along a demanding course from May 16-23.

About Breakaway from Cancer®
Founded in 2005, Breakaway from Cancer is a complementary component to the Amgen race sponsorship. Breakaway from Cancer strives to raise awareness of the important resources available to cancer patients from prevention to education, and patient care to advocacy and financial support. The initiative includes charitable partners Prevent Cancer Foundation, Cancer Support Community (formerly known as The Wellness Community), Patient Advocate Foundation, and the National Coalition for Cancer.  Learn more at www.breakawayfromcancer.com.

About Specialized
Specialized Bicycles was founded in 1974 by riders for riders. Headquartered in Morgan Hill, California, with global distribution, the company focuses on making everyone’s time on a bike better by delivering functional and technically advanced equipment that provide true performance benefits. Learn more at www.specialized.com.

About Amgen
Amgen discovers, develops, manufactures and delivers innovative human therapeutics.  A biotechnology pioneer since 1980, Amgen was one of the first companies to realize the new science’s promise by bringing safe and effective medicines from lab, to manufacturing plant, to patient.  Amgen therapeutics have changed the practice of medicine, helping millions of people around the world in the fight against cancer, kidney disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and other serious illnesses.  With a broad and deep pipeline of potential new medicines, Amgen remains committed to advancing science to dramatically improve people’s lives.  To learn more about Amgen’s pioneering science and vital medicines, visit www.amgen.com.  To learn more about Amgen’s Breakaway from Cancer initiative, visit www.breakawayfromcancer.com.

The Tour of the Tucson Mountains

This is an exciting race the entire family can take part in! Open to all ages and abilities, the Tour offers 70 and 27-mile courses.  The 70-mile event is a perimeter ride around – not over – the beautiful Tucson Mountains.  Both routes begin at Marana Town Hall in Marana, AZ and are generally flat, perfect for beginning riders!

If anyone has pictures from last years event please email them to me.
echo[at]womenscyclingmag[dot]com

REGISTER HERE!

Tour of America’s Dairyland 2010

Milwaukee, Wis. – The Tour of America’s Dairyland presented by Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board, an omnium bicycle race across 11 Southeastern Wisconsin cities, will include a Women’s 3/4 category, in addition to the Pro Women 1/2 category, in this year’s daily race schedule, promoter Midwest Cycling Series has announced.

Cat 3/4 Women will have the opportunity to race in 10 consecutive days on this year’s 11-day Tour, which runs June 17-27 and will features nine criteriums (lap races) and two road races for professional and amateur cyclists.

“We listened to the passionate feedback we received after the ‘09 Tour of America’s Dairyland from women cyclists who said they wanted more opportunities to race” said Bill Koch of Midwest Cycling Series.  “Basically, they said, ‘if you build it, we will come!’ so we’re looking forward to some exciting women’s racing of varying levels out there this year.”

The addition of the Women’s Cat 3/4 category will enable less experienced female riders the opportunity to compete against racers of a shared experience level for cash prizes and primes (incentives) before ten of thousands of spectators on the same courses as the Pros.  In the Wisconsin area, the Tour promoter will work with advocates of women’s cycling along with local bike shops to schedule women-only clinics this Spring to engage women in racing.

Added Koch, “Presenting sponsor Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board has been a proponent of women’s cycling for years, and together with them, we remain committed to supporting women in the sport of cycling and giving as many women possible a chance to compete in an environment that is welcoming, rewarding and non-intimidating.”

Opening day of the 2010 Tour of America’s Dairyland will be celebrated minutes from Downtown Milwaukee in the village of Shorewood, Wis, near the shores of Lakes Michigan.  The Shorewood Criterium schedule will feature Men’s and Women’s Pro races only, along with a kids event.  Other Wisconsin communities hosting criteriums in the second year of the Tour include Thiensville, Grafton, Appleton, Sheboygan, Waterloo, Fond du Lac, Downer Avenue on Milwaukee’s Eastside, and Waukesha.  Greenbush and Elkhart Lake will be home to road races, the latter of which will be held on the historic Road America racetrack.  Across the 11 days, Tour of America’s Dairyland will award over $105,000 in cash prizes and primes to racers of multiple categories.

The high energy of the bicycle racing will be complemented in most communities by family-friendly activities, entertainment, a Sports Expo benefiting Racers Against Childhood Cancer (RACC), plenty of food and drink from local vendors, and much more.

Endorsed and supported by the Wisconsin Cycling Association and United States Cycling Federation, Tour of America’s Dairyland will have updates posted on www.TourofAmericasDairyland.com

About Midwest Cycling Series, LLC
Midwest Cycling Series, LLC, organizers of the Tour of America’s Dairyland, June 17-27, 2010, comprises six avid cyclists and successful entrepreneurs including U.S. Cycling Team Olympian and Team Sports, Inc. President Tom Schuler, Olympic Road Race Trials qualifier and former Nova Cycle Sports Foundation President Bill Ochowicz, Milwaukee Junior Cycling Team co-Executive Director Bill Koch, National Senior Olympics competitor Jim Michler, and Paul Weaver, founder of one of Wisconsin’s longest running multi-sport teams, Team Geargrinder.  Jack Hirt, former executive director of the Bike Federation of Wisconsin, also leads day-to-day operations as Executive Director.

About Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board
Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board, a nonprofit organization funded by the Wisconsin dairy producers, promotes the awareness and consumption of milk, cheese and other dairy products made in America’s Dairyland.

Open to all ages and abilities, the Tour offers 72 and 25-mile courses, all routed throughout Mesa, Arizona, and beginning at Red Mountain Park in Mesa. Routes extend into the beautiful and rugged backdrop of the Salt River Recreation Area and Tonto National Forest.  The 72-mile event is a perimeter ride around Red Mountain and the 25-mile course feeds onto the main route.  Both courses feature an approximately 3-mile climb as participants begin the final leg of the event

Kids, parents, families and friends are invited to participate in the Tour’s Fun Ride, a 4-mile course routed adjacent Red Mountain Park main event start lines.

El Tour de Phoenix benefits Perimeter Bicycling Association of America, Inc., The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Team In Training program, as latter continues its mission to fund research to fight blood cancers.

All contributions for the event must be processed by El Tour de Phoenix event headquarters.

Last day to register Friday, April 9, 2010 at Bike Expo/Packet pick up.

REGISTRATION HERE!

Fun Ride registration may be done on Ride Day.

29th Annual Race Across America

Woo hoo! Are you ready for the Race Across America? Well if you’re not then it’s time to get your butt in gear! The Race Across America is considered by many to be one of the hardest races in the United States and for good reason. With a course spanning from Oceanside, California all the way to Annapolis Maryland this grueling ride requires true commitment and dedication!

This year is a very unique year because someone extremely special has decided to not only commit to ride but lead her team as team captain. That’s right ladies and gentlemen Kristina Ripatti a former LAPD police officer who was shot in the line of duty and paralyzed will be participating in this years ride using her hand-cycle!

Women’s Cycing Magazine would like to commend Kristina for turning what is seemingly a tragedy into triumph! Kristina represents the spirit and go-get-em attitude that we here at WCM cherish, honor and respect.

We would like to ask everyone who reads this article to do what you can to participate in this great cause and ride. Whether you just want to know where to go to cheer on the racers, help out with setting up for the event, ride or donate money, we’re encouraging everyone to get involved.

Lastly we’d like to give a shout out to the entire team: Kristina Ripatti, Russ Loomis, Nancy Guth and Mark Burson! Good luck ya’ll you’ve got the support of WCM and all of our gritty, wild and crazy minions!

Below is more information with regard to RAAM’s commitment to charity!
Note: For more info please contact Mark Burson
mark.burson [at] bm.com | 805.390.1767

RAAM’s Commitment to Charity

RAAM has always served as a high profile vehicle for racers raising money for charitable causes.  RAAM participants have raised over $ 1 million for charity in each of the past three years. The Lon Haldeman Award was created to honor racers who raise the most funds for their chosen charity.

With so many worthwhile efforts supported by our racers we felt it was best not to align ourselves with any specific cause but rather to let our racers use the race as a platform to showcase their chosen charities. However, every year RAAM supports charitable causes that warrant special consideration.  Typically, we support efforts that affect people along the RAAM course and/or the RAAM family.  In recent years we have made donations to the following charitable causes:

2010 – RAAM will begin a new recycling program and will be working with Green Guru and Terracycle…More information to come.

2009

Finish Line Donation – Hundreds of pounds of food and supplies from our racers was donated to The Lighthouse Shelter, a shelter serving homeless families in Anne Arundel County, Maryland.  Please visit www.annapolislighthouse.org.

2008

Fallbrook, California – This North San Diego County town is home to many RAAM staff and racers.  The town was seriously damaged by wildfires several months before the 2008 race.  A cash donation, collected at the start of the race, was made to the Fallbrook Legacy Foundation.

No Barriers – A cash donation, generated from sales of limited edition merchandise, was made to this athlete founded charity that supports disabled athletes.  Specifically, No Barriers promotes innovative ideas, approaches, and assistive technologies which help people with disabilities push through their own personal barriers to live full and active lives. Please visit www.nobarriersusa.org.

Finish Line Donation – Hundreds of pounds of food and supplies from our racers was donated to The Lighthouse Shelter, a shelter serving homeless families in Anne Arundel County, Maryland.  Please visit www.annapolislighthouse.org.

Soldiers in Iraq – We sent several boxes of personal items – toiletries, energy bars, etc. – to the son of a long-time RAAM staffer serving in Iraq for distribution to his platoon.

Piste Foundation – We donated clothing to Piste, a small alternative health care clinic, located in the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico.

2007

Greenville, Kansas – The town of Greenville, Kansas, located on the race route, was destroyed by a tornado.  A cash donation, collected at the start of the race, was made to the Red Cross to assist the town.

Finish Line Donation – Hundreds of pounds of food and supplies from our racers was donated to the city of Atlantic City, New Jersey for distribution to local charities.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (November 1, 2009) — While many medical students and health care professionals spend time behind closed doors promoting world health, a select group of these students and professionals, along with community representatives, will be participating in a bike ride across the nation.  This group of 25 bicyclists will embark on a journey called Ride for World Health to help raise awareness of the various issues of health care that greatly affect the world—healthcare access, poverty and disease, infectious diseases, and women’s and children’s health.  Along with health awareness, Ride for World Health will also raise funds for their yearly beneficiaries, World Bicycle Relief and HEAL Africa.  The cross-country ride will begin March 30, 2010 in San Diego and will end May 25, 2010 in Washington D.C.

Ride for World Health believes education and empowerment of the public is a critical step toward improvement in global and domestic health.  During the ride, “Global Health Days” are organized in select U.S. cities with scheduled “Coast-to-Coast Lecture Series” that help to educate various audiences about the current state of global health.

“The mission of R4WH is to address global health disparities by focusing on education, advocacy, and fundraising which are addressed by utilizing a national cycling event as a vehicle for change,” said R4WH Co-Founder Andrew Wagner.  “Each year, 
our Coast-to-Coast Lecture Series initiates meaningful dialogue throughout communities along our 3,300 mile journey.  Through our efforts, we raise significant funds to support a non-profit organization with goals consistent with our vision, and empower our audience to become informed and active global citizens.”

Last year’s R4WH team delivered nearly 50 lectures to audiences around the country and were able to donate $80,000 to their 2009 beneficiaries, Esperanca and Village Health Works through solidarity rides and fundraising events.  Ride for World health actively seeks sponsors that share their commitment of health awareness and while each rider is responsible for most of the personal costs of the ride, donations can be made to an individual rider or the organization.

Ride for World Health is a national nonprofit organization that was founded in 2004 by a small group of Ohio State University medical students as a reaction to the state of domestic and global healthcare.  For more information about the ride and how to donate please visit www.rideforworldhealth.org.

Don’t miss Spooky Cross Night Race coming Saturday, 10.24 to Irvine, CA

Bring your favorite costume and be prepared for the time of your life! Music, Halloween madness, costumes and beer will be the call as the 2009-10 Southern California Prestige Series of Cyclocross presented by Shimano brings you Spooky Cross Night Race hosted by Rock N Road Cyclery on Saturday, October 24th in Irvine, CA.

This is sure to be an unforgettable event filled with Halloween-themed festivities beginning with Juniors and Youth cyclocross racing at 2:30pm. Spooky sounds begin to fill the air. At 3:15pm, the kids will get the chance to show off their costumes with the Clif Kids Costume Race! The schedule continues with Prestige Series racing culminating with live music by the Rims and more, food and beer and elite cyclocross racing at dusk and into the night.

In between pumpkin carving contest nominees will become illuminated Jack-o-lantern barriers and will put racers to the test on the Spooky Costume Race course – starting out with a celebration lap for everyone to show off their Halloween garb. Team Duke hosts the Spooky Costume Relay Race – 2 or 4 person teams to benefit the John Wayne Cancer Foundation. Prizes awarded to top men, women, co-ed and best costume podium.

The Halloween themed course is a mix of pavement and dirt and grass. The racers will head out on with a full-out sprint taking racers out of the field and onto the Planet Bike Hill of Fame sending racers up and down then into a steep run up and back onto the infield heading through the Ellsworth Tunnel. Racers will charge around the Sock Guy go cart track and onto the Moots Gucci off-camber dirt bank before heading over to the H2O Overdrive Stairs and back around the SoCalCross Expo and Shimano fast-track double barriers. This will take racers into the darkness of the Kool N Fit DJ Dead People Zone and immediately into the Fluid Sand Pit. Racers complete the loop and finish on pavement in the middle of the SoCalCross Expo and Beer Garden. Each lap is approx. 3.5km in length. Races are timed circuits on the course based on category.

The elite categories will race at dusk and night. Look for challengers for Elite Men’s Series Leader Brent Prenzlow (Celo Pacific) from the Gritters brothers – Brandon and Kyle of Rock N Road. MTB Champions Brian Lopes and Sid Taberlay are schedule to be in the line-up as well.

Save $$$, save time, pre-register on-line at: www.Sportsbaseonline.com Prestige Series discount passes available. Each time you pre-register, you will be automatically entered to win a Fuji CX frame and Fork! Online registration closes Thursday, October 21st at 9:00PM (Pacific). Race Day registration is available opens at 1:00pm and closes 20 minutes prior to each race category start. Demo.rental bikes are available for new riders to ‘cross. Reserve yours today. A beginner’s CX clinic will take place at 1:30pm by MTBChick.com.

GOOGLE MAP DIRECTIONS: 8800 Irvine Center Drive – Irvine, CA
MORE INFO AT: www.SoCalCross.org

ENTRY FEES: Pre-Registration entry fee is $25.00 for all CX categories except, Juniors (10-18 yrs) race Junior race for FREE with USA Cycling license, or purchase one-day license for $10. Juniors must pay regular entry fee for category races if NOT entering Junior race. Add $5.00 for Race Day Entry. Additional and fun race entries are just $5.00/per race after higher entry fee is paid.

A valid USA Cycling license is required for all race participants.

DIRECTIONS: HIDDEN VALLEY (Wild Rivers / Verizon Amphitheater)
From 405 freeway south: Exit Irvine Center Drive, go right. Make a right at Lion Country/Hubble signal (entrance to Pass through ticket booths, go left and continue to end of parking lot.
From 5 freeway: Exit Bake Parkway, go west. Turn right onto Irvine Center Drive. Make a left at Lion Country / Hubble (Wild Rivers/Irvine Meadows entrance) Pass through ticket booths, go left and continue to end of parking lot.

GOOGLE MAP DIRECTIONS: 8800 Irvine Center Drive – Irvine, CA

Minneapolis (Oct. 19, 2009) – A national program is offering race promoters the opportunity to send their top amateurs to the 2010 edition of the Nature Valley Grand Prix (Minnesota & Western Wisconsin, June 16-20) to compete against the country’s top men and women professional bicycle racers.

Entering its third year, the “Nature Valley Pro Ride” will select amateur men and women at regional races around the United States to become part of a pair of Nature Valley composite teams for the 12th annual edition of the five-day stage race that begins June 16.

The Nature Valley Grand Prix is the top ranked event on the 2010 USA Cycling National Race Calendar (NRC), attracting tens of thousands of cycling enthusiasts, pro athletes and avid recreational riders to Minnesota.

“This is a chance for a race promoter to raise the participation and visibility of their event at no extra cost,” Nature Valley Grand Prix Race Director David LaPorte said. “As for the riders who are selected, they can look forward to racing in front of huge crowds and being treated like a rock star at our event.”

“I made the commitment to drive the 13 hrs to St. Louis for the Hillsboro-Roubaix road race”, wrote 2009 Nature Valley Pro Rider Chris Winn of Lakewood, Colorado, in his blog. “Long way to go for a bunch of Coloradans for a weekend suffer-fest. The race was the second qualifier event for the Nature Valley Pro Ride, a chance for amateurs to get the complete pro package treatment in a composite team for the Nature Valley [Grand Prix] Stage Race in June.”

Amateur racers (Category I men and Category 1,2 women) who qualify at a Nature Valley Pro Ride event receive a “battlefield promotion” that earns them free entry to the race, travel stipends, team clothing, housing, ground transportation, and staff support for their composite team.

Races that become part of the Nature Valley Pro Ride schedule can expect an aggressive marketing and media relations campaign, as well as on-site sampling of Nature Valley Granola Bars and complimentary staffing of the booth by company representatives.

“We’re looking for the top regional races who want to take their game to a higher level,” LaPorte said. “We’ll consider road races, criteriums and stage races, as long as they get strong fields. And our promotional programs will make those fields even stronger.”

To be considered for the 2010 Nature Valley Pro Ride, a race must be permitted through USA Cycling and take place no later than June 13. Preference will be given to races that take place between March and mid-May.

Interested promoters must submit their application by Dec. 15. More details and a downloadable application can be found at www.naturevalleyproride.com.

The 2009 Nature Valley Pro Ride schedule will be announced Jan. 4, 2010.

— more —

About the Nature Valley Grand Prix
The Nature Valley Grand Prix began as a one-day criterium in Saint Paul in 1999. Its schedule and prestige have grown steadily until now, in its 12th year, it is ranked at the top of the USA Cycling National Racing Calendar. The 2010 Nature Valley Grand Prix schedule includes a unique mix of three criteriums (short circuit races), two road races and a time trial as the stages of the race move from downtown Saint Paul, to Cannon Falls, to Minneapolis, to Menomonie, and, finally culminates in Stillwater. For more information visit: www.NatureValleyGrandPrix.com

About Nature Valley
Nature Valley, the brand that created the granola bar category in 1975, brings variety to healthy, active consumers looking for wholesome and great-tasting snacks. Headquartered in Minneapolis, Nature Valley is part of General Mills, a leading global manufacturer and marketer of consumer foods products.

About the USA Cycling National Racing Calendar
Entering its 14th season in 2010, the USA Cycling National Racing Calendar (NRC) is an all-inclusive road cycling series sanctioned by USA Cycling. It is designed to provide a ranking system for all elite-level cyclists, both amateur and professional, through participation in the nation’s premier cycling events. For more information on the NRC, visit USA Cycling or contact Micah Rice at (719) 434-4283 or mrice[at]usacycling[dot]org.

Thanks to our wonderful friends at Perimeter Bicycling for the update… now all you WCM readers in and around the Tucson area… it’s time to “Cowboy/girl-UP”!

El Tour is a fun ride attracting some over 9,000 cyclists of all ages and abilities from throughout the United States and beyond, including novice, intermediate, advanced, and professional riders. Participants often take part in El Tour and its festivities simply due to their passion for cycling, while others choose the event as part of a healthy lifestyle change or as part of their wellness program as a survivor from cancer or other life-threatening illness. Many are attracted to El Tour’s variety of fund-raising programs for charitable agencies, for which the event raised over $1.39 million dollars last year. What all riders of El Tour share is a desire to get on their bikes, meet great people and have a fun doing it!

Participants may choose to cycle 109, 80, 67 or 35 miles, plus a 4-mile & 1/4- mile Fun Ride, open to kids, parents and friends. Main routes take participants around scenic areas of Tucson, with beautiful vistas of its local mountain ranges – three rising over 9000 feet- all complete with the backdrop of the mighty saguaro cactus, icon of the Southwest’s Sonoran Desert. Course profiles can be rolling to moderately hilly, though the 35-mile route is basically flat and great as a family affair or for beginners!

El Tour cyclists receive an official event t-shirt, goody bag, police, route and SAG support, aid station refreshments, published results and more! And all finishers are awarded a special engraved medallion at the finish line for their accomplishment. Links to the left offer further information.

As an El Tour cyclist, you, your family and friends are invited to participate in any of El Tour’s other events and activities

REGISTER HERE

Join SoCalCross SCPS #6 and the return to Cross Fever’s classic course, fallen tree, loose mulch, roller coaster course – fast with a short steep run up and sand pit.

FREE beginner’s clinic, demo.rental bikes available.
Juniors and Youth race FREE! *with valid USA Cycling license.

Velo Swap Expo… bring your old parts and barter!!
Bike Polo!
Kids Bike Skills Zone
FREE Kids Racing

Race schedule and information: www.SoCalCross.org

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