The Tour de Road America – Bike Ride to Fight Cancer presented by Delta Dental returns to Elkhart Lake's Road America 4.048-mile, 14-turn auto racing circuit for the fifth time at 7 p.m. Friday. The event coincides with the Road Race Showcase weekend of auto races at the track.
"The ride benefits three cancer charities," explained Kohler, Wisconsin's Brett Edgerle, Vice President of the Tour de Road America Foundation, "the Lance Armstrong Foundation, the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp and the Vince Lombardi Cancer Clinic in Sheboygan. Our goal is to raise $30,000 for the fight against cancer, and fund a week's stay at the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp for a terminally ill Wisconsin child."
After racing is complete Friday, race fans, local cyclists, cancer survivors and families will join professional drivers and their race teams on track by making a contribution to the LAF. Participants can ride one lap or as many as they can before the sun sets. All kinds of bikes are welcome and the ride is open to all ability levels, young and old. Many drivers from the American Le Mans Series will join the ride including Oliver Gavin, Ben Devlin, Emanuele Pirro, Jonny Cocker and Paul Drayson.
The Tour de Road America also passed an important milestone this week, surpassing $15,000 raised this year and $100,000 total for the Lance Armstrong Foundation (LAF). This puts it among the top events held for the LAF, and is even more remarkable because the ride is entirely organized by unpaid volunteers.
In addition to the ride, the event also features a silent auction of auto racing memorabilia, cycling gear and items donated by local businesses on Friday and Saturday. More information and online registration is available at pelotonride.org, roadamerica.com or at the track at the Tour de Road America booth on Friday. Organizers expect 300 to 400 cyclists will take part in the ride.
About the Tour de Road America
Held annually since 2004, the Tour de Road America – Bike Ride to Fight Cancer presented by Delta Dental is 100 percent organized by volunteers and has raised more than $100,000 for cancer survivorship. The Tour de Road America is made possible by the support of Road America, the American Le Mans Series and other racing series, Giordana Cycling Apparel, Gear Grinder, JHG Benefits, Bella's Custom Design, Tria Design and Marketing, Marketing Acuity, Bike-n-Ski, and many other businesses and individuals. For further information on the Tour de Road America, including photos from previous events, visit www.pelotonride.org.