Update: TriSport.com hosts mechanical classes at Tucson retail store
"El Tour - Ride of A Lifetime"
The Ride
Held annually the Saturday before Thanksgiving, El Tour is a fun ride attracting over 9,000 cyclists of all ages and abilities from throughout the United States and beyond, consisting of novice, intermediate, advanced, and professional riders. Southwest Airlines’ in-flight magazine, Spirit (June 2001) named El Tour de Tucson “one of the premier organized rides in United States,” and Bicycling Magazine (October 2002) ranked El Tour as “one of the top three fundraising rides” in the country.
The Participants
Cyclists enjoy 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 even as part of their wellness program as a survivor from cancer or other life-threatening illness. Many are attracted to El Tour’s fundraising programs for its many charitable agencies, for which the event raised over $1.8 million dollars in 2009. What all riders of El Tour share is a desire to get on their bikes, meet great people and have a fun time doing it!
The Routes
Participants may cycle 109, 79, 66 or 40 miles, plus the 8, 4 & 1/4- mile Diamond Children’s Fun Ride, open to all abilities. Main routes expose participants to scenic areas of Tucson, with beautiful vistas of its local mountain ranges - three rising over 9,000 feet- complete with the backdrop of the mighty saguaro cactus, icon of the Southwest’s Sonoran Desert. The Fun Ride offers an exciting 8-mile route, highlighting the many special cultural aspects of downtown Tucson. Course profiles can be rolling to moderately hilly, though the 40-mile route is basically flat and great as a family affair or for beginners! Two often dry but sandy river crossings will greet 109-mile riders, while 79 and 66-mile cyclists experience just one. No crossings for 40-mile participants. All routes offer aid stations, spaced each 7-10 miles, full police support at intersections and plenty of morale-boosting volunteers and spectators.
The Finish
The 109-mile startline (and finish line for all events) is located at Jacome Plaza in downtown Tucson at the corner of W Church St & E Pennington St, just .03 miles from the previous year’s venue. Upon crossing the finishline at the end of their ride, cyclists collect a special finisher’s medallion to remember their accomplishment and then onto the adjacent El Tour Downtown Fiesta, a festive atmosphere complete with food vendors, Michelob Ultra Beer Garden, El Tour Perimeter Store merchandise booth, and non-stop music and celebration throughout the day!
The Alternative
Indoor El Tour is a stationary cycling event – no traffic, no safety hazards, no headwinds, but still loads of fun. Ride for minutes instead of miles while supporting Perimeter Bicycling charities and receive a special medallion. Indoor El Tour begins one week prior to the main event and may be ridden on any stationary bike or at the finishline on Ride Day.
* Register for El Tour now!
*Participants may opt to pay the processing fee now to reserve their space, with remaining fees/contributions due by Friday, November 19 at Bike Expo
<<<<<REGISTER NOW! For El Tour >>>>>
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