Tour de Cure

Another Tour de Cure in the books! This year I rode the 100 mile TdC route for the first time, which went out to Sodus, and also further South on the way back. The weather for the day could not have been better, a sunny beautiful day with light winds from the Northeast that helped push me home. This was also the first charity ride for my new bike, which I found very comfortable and fast for the entire journey.

Highlights of the ride included a Champions breakfast compliments of Nicole and Simply Crepes, a great Amiel’s lunch at mile 70, and seeing Owen complete his first 100 mile ride ever!  Overall, the Rochester Tour de Cure keeps getting better each year, with over 2000 participants, and raising over $1.83 million (and counting) in funds to fight diabetes.

Thanks once again to all my sponsors -- you raised $1600 for ADA in 2019. 

Well I made it!  Thanks to everyone who supported me both with donations to the American Diabetes Association (we raised $3,646) and encouragement.  It was a true test of endurance, but thanks to training, preparation, and careful planning I made it.  Getting the new 11-34T chain ring for Scarlet certainly helped me climb over 29,000 feet for the week, including the KANC!

I met so many friends during the week.  Here's my collection of photos of the event:  https://photos.app.goo.gl/kLGaR9ehe6wCw95bA 

As for Scarlet, she had zero mechanical issues or flats during the entire ride.  Hats off to her for getting me to the finish line.

This year's Tour de Cure seemed to me the best one I've ever been a part off, for many reasons.  I got to be a team captain for a large group of folks who enthusiastically supported the cause.  I volunteered the day before, driving the refrigerator truck solo, picking up beer, ice, crepes, and other essential items.  I got to decorate the team tent.  And I met new friends while connecting with old ones.  The weather was perfect, and the ride of 62 miles felt like 40.

This tour easily defended their #1 Tour de Cure status, and there is no doubt why.  The entire local ADA staff is phenomenal.  Their planning is perfection.  They are so dedicated to the cause and the event.

I'm so happy that despite having the NEC as my main ADA event this year, I got to still be a part of my local Tour de Cure.  Thanks to Kerrie Merz for asking me to be Captain of Team Red Rochester.  I'm hoping to continue these duties for many years to come, until a cure for diabetes is attained!

Very happy to report that it is official - I have qualified to ride this July in the New England Classic Tour de Cure.  This would not have been possible were it not for the 56 sponsors of my ride who raised $2,755 to fight diabetes.  Going into this fundraising campaign, it was never a given that I would raise the needed amount, and I am humbled by your support and generosity!

Thank you for giving, and allowing me to now focus on the actual training for the ride.  Riding 550 miles in 7 days will be a challenge, but I'm looking forward to the opportunity to ride for ADA!

Rather unexpectedly, I was given the opportunity by Tour de Cure friends David and Kerrie, to ride in the two day 150 mile event. Starting north of Boston, the route headed north into New Hampshire and hugged the Maine coast the second day. It was such an awesome event that I've committed to riding in the 7 day 550 mile event in 2018! This will be my only charity ride for next year, and will depend on me raising $2,700 for ADA in order to ride, but I think the cause and effort is certainly worth the challenge.

It was a perfect June day for the Tour de Cure.  I began the day with Champions Oatmeal and the 62 mile ride departed at 8 am.  Overall it was an easy ride, thanks to the training I've done -- since January I've ridden over 1800 miles and am seemingly in the best cycling shape of my life.  The ride was not a race, but I finished the 62 miles in only 3 hours and 40 minutes, a personal best.

Saw many of my cycling friends along the way.  After the ride we were treated to Simply Crepes and Dinosaur BBQ.

Thanks to my sponsors I raised $1415.10 for the American Diabetes Association.  And thankfully this won't be my only charity ride this season.  I have at least four more planned, and will probably end up doing five total.

Thankfully the biggest annual charity ride in the Rochester area dodged a weather bullet today. Early this morning, there were severe storms in the area, to the extent that we had to take shelter indoors.  The storms that passed through around 7 am cleared in about 45 minutes. The 62 mile start was only delayed a half an hour.

As usual the Tour de Cure can't be organized or run any better. The routes were carefully planned, the rest stops perfect. All riders were awesome. And thanks to those of you who contributed to my ride and sponsored me, I enjoyed the benefits of being a Champion rider, which included our own Champions Lounge before and after the event.. A special thanks goes out to Kerrie, Chris, and Tom, along with the hundreds of volunteers, for making the day possible.

The day went quick, my ride time was under four hours, and in the end a little sad that the Tour de Cure is over for 2016. I was happy to ride with my cycling BFF Anne F., along with the Barden dynamic duo.  This is an annual event that I will not miss!