Over 650 cyclists of all ages, all sizes, and all skill levels hit the road Sunday in the 3rd Annual Tour de Guelph cycling event.
The day was ideal for pedaling in the countryside. There were a range of distances to suit all riders, from 5K to 115K. The event is a fundraiser for the Foundation of Guelph General Hospital. It had a goal of $60,000 this year.
It is held in honour and memory of the late George Vettor, a builder of Guelph’s cycling culture. His son Gino has kept his father’s business going on Whitelaw Road. It has long promoted cycling participation and safety.
“It’s great to honour his memory,” Gino said. “He worked hard here to promote cycling. He always inspired us to do what we loved. He loved to go out on a bike and take in a day like today.”
Vettor said Tour de Guelph brings cycling enthusiasts together to help build community and enhance local cycling culture. It also encourages beginners to give road cycling a try.
“It’s a beautiful day for cycling,” he added. “The wind is great, and it’s not too hot yet.”
The number of participants has grown since its inception in 2014, said event co-chair Cynthia Walker-Parks. Hosted each year on the University of Guelph campus, the starting line, vendor booths, and indoor displays moved to a new location in front of, and inside of, the W.F. Mitchell Athletics Centre this year.
“There’s a great energy here,” said Suzanne Bone, president and CEO of the foundation, as the 75K event got started. “We’re at a new spot at the university and I think it is working out really well. It’s like a community hub in here.”
Bone and Walker-Parks said there were about 500 pre-registrations, and dozens more registered on the morning of the event.
Bone said 75 per cent of the money raised goes to the Guelph General Hospital, and the remaining 25 per cent is split between Guelph’s two Rotary Clubs.
“At the hospital we are going to be using it to help us buy a new ultrasound machine,” Bone added. “They are about $175,000 each. This will help us get there.”
Bone said Guelph needed a big cycling event and Tour de Guelph filled that need. Now, people in the cycling community are talking of using the event as the centrepiece of an entire weekend of cycling happenings, she added.
Yvette Tendick is the president of the Guelph Coalition for Active Transportation, a local organization that advocates for enhanced quantity, quality and safety of active transportation in Guelph, including making the city more cycling-friendly. It hosts a number of cycling promotion happenings each year.
An event like Tour de Guelph gets more people interested in cycling, she said.
“The more people we have interested in the cycling, the more we’re going to have who maybe take up transportation cycling on a daily basic,” Tendick said. The organization had a booth at Tour de Guelph.
“We’re making progress, but we still have a long way to go,” she said, speaking of Guelph’s cycling infrastructure. “There are still areas of the city that aren’t safe for cycling.”
Like others, she said Sunday was “perfect” for a nice, long bike ride.
