Tucson’s Premier Bike Race…El Tour De Tucson!
Bicyclists from the world arrive in Tucson, land of saguaro cacti, beautiful mountain ranges, blue and sunny skies, ready for Saturday’s event, the annual El Tour de Tucson, always held the Saturday before Thanksgiving. Tucson is well known as a bicycle friendly city and has won the Gold Award and is striving for the Platinum Award.
While Buffalo, a town accustomed to snow, is laden with more than six feet of the white stuff and much of the nation is suffering temperatures far below normal for this time of year, volunteers for El Tour de Tucson are getting their last minute instructions for the 104 mile bicycle ride through Pima County where temps should be in the high 60’s, a comfortable ride for bicyclists pedaling their best.
El Tour de Tucson has four rides: the most strenuous is 104 miles, a 75 miles ride, and a 55 mile ride, and finally a 40 mile ride. This is a city wide event and some streets are closed off to motorists.
The route transverses the city from the south to the east to the north to the west and then back down south to the start place.
Along the route, contingencies of people cheer for their favorite riders. People set up water and snack stations for bicyclists along the shoulders of “country roads”. Police in their orange vests direct traffic … the motto- packs of bicyclists first.
More than 9,000 cyclists are expected for the event and 2600 volunteers will be available to assist cyclists. A full program and schedule of events is at http://www.perimeterbicycling.com/
People planning to travel within the city on Saturday should check the route map on the above web site and plan their travels accordingly. It is easy to be held up for 10-15 minutes when cyclists are crossing major intersections.
Stately saguaros from their hilly perches stand at attention for those who brave the trek on what promises to be a beautiful, warm, Tucson November day!
Tags: Around the Tucson Area, My Point of View, Things to do and see in Tucson, Weekend Wanderings