PHOTO: COURTESY VISIT TUCSON
BizSPORTS
The Race Returns
38th Banner-University Medicine El Tour de Tucson By Valerie Vinyard Since 1983, El Tour de Tucson has attracted cyclists of every ilk. That first year, fewer than 200 cyclists participated, raising $4,500 for charity. How things have changed. As the years went on, thousands of cyclists – up to 9,000 – would participate. El Tour de Tucson is now the flagship event organized by the nonprofit Perimeter Bicycling Association of America and one of the largest cycling races in the United States. The 2020 event initially was postponed from its usual November start, but then ultimately was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. This year in its return, the route will take riders south of Tucson for the first time. “We have a brand-new route, which is really exciting,” said Christiana Benson, Perimeter’s director of business de28 BizTucson
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Fall 2021
velopment. “They allow us to showcase Tucson and areas that we haven’t been able to show you before. This is a way for us to all come together after COVID.” When Benson drove the full route on July 14, she was impressed. “The 100-mile route and the 57-mile route are spectacular,” she said. “I think I saw parts of the city that I have never experienced in this way.” During the drive, she raved about seeing “purple mountain ranges speckled with majestic saguaros,” along with the beautiful scenery of prickly pear, chollas and ocotillo. “It was this whole symphony of cacti,” she said. In addition to the roads of Tucson, the route wends cyclists through Green Valley, Sahuarita, Vail and Marana. In Tucson, participants will ride by Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, enjoy
a closed route on Aviation Parkway, follow along Old Spanish Trail and pass by the historic Colossal Cave. The new route also will take riders by the pecan groves in Green Valley and the mines in Sahuarita. This year’s event will feature 102-, 57- and 28-mile routes as well as 10-, 5and 1-mile fun rides. As it did before the pandemic, the event will take place the third Saturday in November. In 2019, the race attracted more than 6,000 cyclists and Benson hopes to achieve similar numbers this year for a race that speaks to both the competitive and the leisurely. “You don’t have to put your head down and go 100 miles per hour,” said TJ Juskiewicz, Perimeter’s executive director. “Some people want to keep their head up and see the neat things while continued on page 30 >>> www.BizTucson.com
