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Tour of the Valley Prepares for Return
The Tour of the Valley is racing back to Youngstown this July for its fourth year, and it’s bringing more life to Youngstown, promoters say.
The 3-day competitive biking event, which runs July 13-15, attracts professional, elite and amateur cyclists in a stage-race format that brings in cyclists from all over the country including states such as Texas, Georgia, and Massachusetts.
Daniel Quinlan, co-director of the Tour of the Valley, said cycling events leave a positive attitude about a community, and he believes that the event will provide “a positive image for the Youngstown area.”
The Youngstown area has proved to be a great location for the event. The number of cyclists has increased by more than 200 since the start of the tour in 2009, and Quinlan believes that the number will continue to rise. “We did a survey and we asked, ‘Would you return to the Tour of the Valley?’ We had a 100% response rate of ‘yes,’” Quinlan said. “The riders are so impressed with the area, the communities, and the level of the event that they have returned every year, and we continue to get that response.”
The biking event had 350 participants in 2011 and Quinlan expects the tour to attract 20% more cyclists in 2012. J.R. Petsko, who is taking over as director of the Tour of the Valley, believes that cyclists are attracted to Youngstown because of flat and beautiful courses, along with a city that doesn’t have a lot of “hustle and bustle.”
With the amount of cyclists coming to Youngstown from other cities, the local economy is benefiting from the event. “Being a three-day event, and the fact that 60% of our participants come from more than two hours away from Youngstown, most of our participants stay local and in local hotels,” Quinlan said. “Cycling also requires a lot of calorie intake, so they eat a lot of food and spend a lot of money at restaurants.”
The event is open to cyclists starting at 10 years old and expands to cyclists over 50. More than 400 cyclists are expected to attend, along with over 4,000 spectators. The event is free to the public, and will offer music, food and family-friendly entertainment.
The race takes place July 13-15 and starts off Friday at 5 p.m. with a time trial at the Mastropietro Winery in Ellsworth Township. Saturday is a road race on a 35-mile course that travels through the hills of Columbiana County starting early in the day and running until 3 p.m. The TOTV comes to an end on Sunday with a criterium in Downtown Youngstown, followed by an award ceremony for the winning cyclists containing a $12,000 cash purse.
Copyright 2012 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.