The Old Pueblo Grand Prix Professional Bicycle Road Race Comes to Downtown Tucson Sunday, April 17
On Sunday, April 17, 2011, 02 Modern Fitness and Maynards Market & Kitchen Cycling Team will bring the Jim Click Automotive Team Old Pueblo Grand Prix bicycle road race to downtown Tucson.
With a prize purse of $20,000, this event will rival some of the top races in the country and should attract many of the top cyclists.
The Old Pueblo Grand Prix will be a classic downtown criterium – a quintessential American-style bike race concentrated around a few city blocks with lots of turns, high speeds and continuous action and excitement. This racecourse includes a total of six turns, both right and left, creating a difficult course for the riders and plenty of excitement for the crowds. The criterium is sanctioned by the USAC.
The racing will begin around noon and extend to 7 p.m. The race starts and finishes on Church Avenue with the route headed north on Church Avenue, east on Alameda, south on Stone Avenue, east on Pennington, south on Scott, west on Congress and north on Church to the finish line in front of the historic Court House. With the course measuring just 6/10ths of a mile, spectators will likely see the athletes pass by at speeds of 25-30 mph every minute.
Concentrated in downtown Tucson, the race is a family and spectator friendly event. Watching the races is free and there are approximately 18 eateries along the route. At the EXPO area, Jim Click Automotive Team, the title sponsor, will have eco-friendly vehicles on display. A demo car outfitted for race day excursions and a special pace car that will lead the riders ceremonially around the first lap of each race will also be featured. The Expo will be located in the lawn in Jacome Plaza at the library and the center along Pennington Avenue.
Races throughout the day will be separated by level of competitive experience, with the Pro men and women likely to be well-known cyclists on an international level.
There will be a post-race gathering to “meet the pros” at Hotel Congress later in the evening.
Racers must register by April 10, 2011 at www.bikereg.com
Team RadioShack Rides in Honor of 28 Million Living With Cancer
In support of LIVESTRONG, Team RadioShack devotes the final stage of the 2010 Tour de France to the global fight against cancer
The final stage of the Tour de France was flooded with color but, the color black is what stood out from the pack. Led by cancer survivor and seven-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong, Team RadioShack started the finale by swapping their official red-and-gray racing kit in favor of exclusive black “28″ jerseys, dedicating their ride to the 28 million people worldwide currently living with cancer. Although race officials mandated that the team return to their official Team RadioShack kits, the messaging still broke through the pack.
“RadioShack’s partnership with Lance Armstrong has always been about more than cycling. It’s about engaging our customers and more than 35,000 associates in the global fight against cancer,” said Lee Applbaum, chief marketing officer for RadioShack Corp. “We understand that for 28 million people around the world, the race is not over.”
By dedicating the final stage of the Tour, the Team RadioShack riders have become global ambassadors for the 28 million survivors worldwide who are battling cancer and are determined to help them fight it. RadioShack is proud to stand with LIVESTRONG in support of those brave millions who are in the fight for their lives.
Together with LIVESTRONG, RadioShack has made a commitment to reduce the global cancer burden by raising awareness, eradicating stigma and encouraging people to join the cause. Team RadioShack wore this support as a bold reminder that cycling is not just about winning races, it’s a way to spread a message of support for those who are tirelessly battling this disease. Read more
Olympian Hunter Kemper wins 2010 Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon
More than 1,800 amateur and professional athletes competed in the 2010 Escape from Alcatraz(TM) Triathlon on Sunday, May 2, with Olympian Hunter Kemper from Colorado Springs, Colo. winning the prestigious event for the second time.
Leanda Cave from Tucson, Ariz., was the top finisher among the females, making her a three-time winner. Featuring a 1.5 mile swim from Alcatraz Island to the shore, an 18-mile bike ride and an eight-mile run through San Francisco, this race is considered one of the most difficult triathlons in the world. Read more
Cyclists will pedal 850 miles across Texas in the Rise Across Texas Challenge
Lance Armstrong Is Honorary Captain, Mack Brown and Gene Stallings Honorary Coaches
To celebrate his 50th birthday Austin businessman Steve Hicks hosted 100 friends at a Caribbean getaway; Jimmy Buffet and the Beach Boys entertained. Hicks turns 60 in February and will mark the milestone in a dramatically different way: rallying 49 people to join him in bicycling 850 miles across Texas.
On March 6, 2010 Hicks and his fellow bicyclists will set out from the Louisiana/Texas border and head west, averaging 60 miles a day. Starting from Orange, they’ll wind up in Presidio two weeks later on March 20.
Hicks, owner and executive chairman of Capstar Partners, conceived of the ride, the Rise Across Texas Challenge, as a fundraiser for the Rise Schools of Texas, which educate typical children alongside those with developmental disabilities. Lance Armstrong is the ride’s honorary captain; Mack Brown and Gene Stallings are honorary coaches.
Hicks is appealing to riders as determined as he is. “For my 50th I showed lots of people a good time, but for my 60th I want to give something back to the world,” he says. “Some adventurous types have already signed on for the full ride. Anyone raising a minimum can join for part of the ride, too.”
Proceeds will launch a campaign to build a permanent home for the Rise School in Austin, which currently leases space. Subsequent funds will benefit Rise Schools in Dallas, Houston, and Corpus Christi.
Hicks is not an elite biker — far from it, at least now. When not recruiting sponsors, he’s relearning something that one proverbially never forgets. “I got my cycling merit badge as a Boy Scout, and that’s pretty much it,” he says. “Right now I’m trying to get used to being on the bike without falling.” Never fear, though: Kevin Livingston, six-time Tour de France Rider and U.S. National Champion, has agreed to train the riders for their venture.
Towns slated as ride stops include Kountze, Montgomery, Brenham, Bastrop, Austin, Wimberley, Kerrville, Leakey, Brackettville, Del Rio, Sanderson, Marathon, and Marfa.
Event sponsors to date include DMX, Harden Healthcare, Livestrong, Mellow Johnny’s, Pedal Hard and Texas Monthly. Trek Travel is the official bike tour operator.
For more information on the Rise Across Texas Challenge, please visit riseacrosstexas.org
Source: Rise Across Texas Foundation
Full Calendar of Activities for 24th Los Angeles Marathon This Memorial Day Weekend
Runners, cyclists, fans and anyone interested in fitness will have plenty to see and do during the Memorial Day weekend leading up to the 24th Los Angeles Marathon to be held for the first time on Memorial Day, May 25. Coming up:
Saturday, May 23: Run/Ex/09
One of the largest racing expositions in the world, Run/Ex/09, will open in the South Hall of the Los Angeles Convention Center. More than 140 exhibitors will offer innovative demonstrations and state-of-the-art products and services on running, health, fitness and lifestyle improvement on more than four acres of floor space. Saturday hours are from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. and admission is free.
Saturday, May 23: The Carbo Load
The traditional pre-race Carbo Load dinner will be held for the first time at the ESPN Zone at L.A. Live, a short walk from the Run/Ex/09 site at the Convention Center. Tickets are $25 per person and seating is extremely limited.
Sunday, May 24: Run/Ex/09
The final day of Run/Ex/09 is the last chance to register for the 2009 Los Angeles Marathon or the Acura L.A. Bike Tour (no race-day registration) or the Los Angeles Marathon 5k Run/Walk (for which there will be race-day registration). Sunday’s Run/Ex/09 hours are from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and admission is free.
Monday, May 25: Los Angeles Marathon XXIV
The Los Angeles Marathon will be held for the first time on Memorial Day, with more than 35,000 participants expected to run, cycle and walk in the Marathon, Acura L.A. Bike Tour or the 5k Run/Walk.
Start times:
5:00 a.m.: Acura L.A. Bike Tour start
6:55 a.m.: Los Angeles Marathon wheelchair participant start
7:00 a.m.: Los Angeles Marathon hand-cycle start
7:07 a.m.: Los Angeles Marathon elite women’s start
7:24 a.m.: Los Angeles Marathon field start
8:30 a.m.: Los Angeles Marathon 5k Run/Walk start
8:50 a.m.: Springfield Kids Marathon start
9:45 a.m.: Awards presentation at the Los Angeles Central Library
Street closures in the downtown Los Angeles area will begin about 5:20 a.m. with all streets re-opened by 5:20 p.m.
Monday, May 25: Los Angeles Marathon Finish Line Festival
Beginning with a giant screen showing the live KNBC race broadcast, the annual Finish Line Festival will begin at 7 a.m. and continue until 3 p.m. at Flower and 3rd Streets in downtown Los Angeles. Live entertainment will be offered on the K-EARTH Stage beginning at 10:30 a.m., with the Michelob Ultra Beer Garden close by plus two dozen sponsor and exhibit booths, including the Family Reunion Area.
Admission to the Finish Line Festival is free.
For more information on the Los Angeles Marathon, visit www.lamarathon.com
For more information on the Acura L.A. Bike Tour, visit www.acuraLAbiketour.com
“We inspire athletes and connect communities. Anchored by the iconic Los Angeles Marathon, our three sporting events draw more than 42,000 athletes, 12,000 volunteers, and one million spectators along the route to sunny Southern California for the L.A. Marathon, the Acura L.A. Bike Tour, and our 5K Run/Walk for Charity, making race day one of the world’s largest days of participatory sport.”
~ Russ Pillar, President, Los Angeles Marathon, L.L.C.
Source: Los Angeles Marathon, L.L.C.